KPOP 2nd generation · CUBE Entertainment
4Minute
フォーミニッツ / 포미닛
4Minute worked with heavy beats and strong visual impact, which put them on the sharper edge of the second generation.
- 2009DebutJun 15, 2009
- 5Members
- 2thGeneration
- 4NIAFandom
Last updated:
01
In 30 seconds: 4Minute
Jihyun, Gayoon, Jiyoon, HyunA and Sohyun run from the electro pop of the early singles through the concept work of Volume Up into the harder late material.
Pick this for an early look at how CUBE Entertainment built an aggressive image for a girl group.
02
Key facts
- Group name
- 4Minute
- Reading / Hangul
- フォーミニッツ / 포미닛
- Company
- CUBE Entertainment
- Debut date
- June 15, 2009
- Days active
- 6,347 days (17 years, 4 months)
- Debut song
- Hot Issue
- Generation
- 2nd generation
- Fandom name
- 4NIA(フォーニア)
03
Member guide
Profile comparison
| Members | Birth date | Blood type | MBTI | Nationality | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ジヒョン | 1990-01-09 | 36 | 167cm | A | Not disclosed | South Korea |
| ガユン | 1990-05-18 | 36 | 165cm | O | Not disclosed | South Korea |
| ジユン | 1990-10-15 | 36 | 165cm | B | Not disclosed | South Korea |
| ヒョナ | 1992-06-06 | 34 | 164cm | O | Not disclosed | South Korea |
| ソヒョン | 1994-08-30 | 32 | 162cm | B | Not disclosed | South Korea |
Ages are as of 2026-10-31.
Selected releases
04
Start here
Follow a few songs from the starting point to the group's current sound.
Hot Issue MVHot Issue is the debut, and the hook plus the electro production date it precisely.
Volume Up MVVolume Up is where the concept work gets dense and the group starts sounding older.
Crazy MVCrazy is the hardest thing they made, carried by rap and dance in equal measure.05
From debut to now
- 2009Hot Issue was the debut, and For Muzik with Muzik set the early picture of girl crush at CUBE.
- 2010HUH, I My Me Mine and Hit Your Heart widened a dance pop built on hard beats with an eye on markets abroad.
- 20114Minutes Left and Mirror Mirror opened the first full-album stretch, and the provocative choreography and staging drew talk.
- 2012Volume Up pushed a saxophone hook and a thick visual, shaping the grown-up line that runs into later 4Minute.
- 2013What's Your Name? opened a way in that hit the mainstream, while side projects such as 2YOON ran alongside to show the range of the members.
- 2014Whatcha Doin' Today and 4Minute World moved between brightness and a sharper face, leaving the signature route of the middle years.
- 2015Crazy strengthened the hip-hop colour, and the black and white music video with its sharp choreography became a signature song still talked about years later.
- 2016Act.7 and Hate closed out group activity, and the members branched into solo routes: HyunA, Jenyer and acting work.
06
Achievements
3Wins
2Chart No. 1
3 awards · 2 chart No. 1s (compiled by KPOP DISCOVER, as of October 24, 2026)
Awards
Major wins
- 2015
MBC Music Core Music Core
- Music show win“Crazy”
- 2011
Seoul Music Awards SMA
- Bonsang Award“4Minute”
- 2011
Billboard Japan Music Awards Billboard Japan
- K-pop New Artist Award“4Minute”
Charts and PAK
Peak chart positions
- CrazySpotify popular tracksNo. 1StreamingBillboard World AlbumsNo. 1Album
Sources and data (3)
Source: announcements by each award ceremony and official chart
Verified information
Verified English information is not yet available for this section.
10
Official links
Official site
Official social accounts and platforms
Shopping guide
Verified English shopping links are not yet available.
12
KPOP DISCOVER's 4Minute note
What anchors 4Minute is a hard hook and a shifting sense of girl crush. CUBE Entertainment debuted the five-piece girl group in 2009, pushing the individuality of Jihyun, Gayoon, Jiyoon, HyunA and Sohyun to the front, and the hard beats and visual impact carved out one of the sharper positions in the 2nd generation.
The way in is Hot Issue, Volume Up, Crazy. Catch the early hook in Hot Issue, see how thick the concept gets in Volume Up, then move to the strength of the girl crush and the rap and dance of the later years in Crazy, and the shift across 4Minute is easy to follow in a short sitting.
What's Your Name? widened a mainstream catchiness, and Hate stepped into a sound heavy with EDM. Set next to the solo work of HyunA, the strong image of women built inside and outside the group also comes into view. Hot Issue, then Volume Up, then Crazy covers the hook, the concept and the girl crush.
Editors' take Hot Issue / Volume Up / Crazy — a hard hook and a shifting girl crush, held in three songs from a CUBE five-piece.
Trivia worth knowing
Name
4Minute is a name about catching an audience in a short span, and it suits songs that land an impression instantly through hard intros and direct gazes.
Fandom
4NIA shortens 4Minute Mania and points to fans caught up in the dense concepts of the group.
Sound
Synth-pop came first, saxophone and EDM arrived from Volume Up onwards, and Crazy leans towards hip-hop, so each period has its own sound.
Members
Beyond HyunA, the group gains depth through Gayoon's singing, Jiyoon's rap and vocals, Jihyun's leadership and Sohyun's brightness.
Offshoot activity
2YOON with Gayoon and Jiyoon, plus HyunA's solo work and Trouble Maker, spread outwards into the wider CUBE Entertainment world.
Video
Hot Issue, What's Your Name?, Crazy and Hate trace 4Minute's change from debut energy to late-period sharpness in a short run.
13
Japan activity score
KPOP DISCOVER original metric
No. 173/ 241 groups
No. 173 of 241 groups with recorded activity in Japan (top 72%)
- 1Japanese releases
- 1Japan-related tracks
- 0Members from Japan
- 1Official Japanese accounts
The denominator is the 241 groups, out of 564 covered by KPOP DISCOVER, whose raw score reaches at least one point. The score adds 10 points per Japanese-market release, 3 per Japan-related track, 12 per member from Japan, and 8 per official Japanese account. Japanese-market releases carry the most weight because they are the most direct evidence of activity; related tracks add track-level detail; members from Japan stand for Japanese-language communication and continuity; official accounts stand for a permanent point of contact. The weights are an editorial judgement, not a statistical optimisation, and the ranking tracks release volume in Japan closely. Source: releases, tracks, members, and official links recorded by KPOP DISCOVER (updated 2026-10-24).
How this score is calculated →View in JapaneseFrequently asked questions
What defines 4Minute?
Jihyun, Gayoon, Jiyoon, HyunA and Sohyun run from the electro pop of the early singles through the concept work of Volume Up into the harder late material.
Why should a new listener start with 4Minute?
Pick this for an early look at how CUBE Entertainment built an aggressive image for a girl group.
Which songs should a new listener try first?
Start with Hot Issue, Volume Up, Crazy, then continue to the official video index.