ZE:A (
Hangul:
제국의 아이들), also known as
Children of Empire, is a South Korean 9-member
boy band formed under
Star Empire Entertainment. The group debuted with their
EP Nativity and lead single, "Mazeltov" on 7 January 2010,alongside their showcase performance five days later.
> Pre-debut <
Under the name Child of Empire, following their appearance on Mnet's
Office Reality,
[citation needed] the group gained attention by performing various guerilla shows and creating
UCC videos.They have also appeared in a documentary-styled show 'Star Empire', and later getting their own documentary show titled 'Empire Kids Returns', showing them performing in wingcar performances around Seoul and training. The group faced controversy in December following the similarities of the group's name to
Brown Eyed Girls's Jea. The group later changed the pronunciation of the name to avoid implications
2010: Debut:
Releasing teasers beforehand, the group debuted with their
EP,
Nativity under the name ZE:A, on 7 January 2010.Immediately they garnered attention, reaching #1 on both the Album Chart and Artist Chart on Daum on their debut day.
The group made a comeback in march with the release of their second
mini album,
Leap for Detonation. Produced by Brave Brothers, title song 'All Day Long' is melodramatic and featured a major change in style. The group's third single, "Level Up", was released on July 9, 2010.
The group have started off their asia promotion tour starting with Thailand at the end of July 2010. Other showcases and promotional events occurred in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and more in this tour.
On December 21, 2010, ZE:A released their Japanese single album, “Love Letter / My Only Wish,” and placed second on Oricon daily chart.
The group released their first full length album, Lovability, on March 17, 2011, including songs from their previous albums as well as a few new ones.
