Former Lovelyz member Mijoo is set to launch her solo career, buoyed by the support of veteran singer Lee Hyori.

Mijoo is releasing her single album 'Movie Star' on the 17th. This marks her first solo single album, 9 years after debuting with Lovelyz in 2014.

During her time with Lovelyz, Mijoo shone as the main dancer. The group was beloved for their girlish pop hits like 'Ah-Choo' and 'Destiny'. Mijoo, as the team's main dancer, was at the heart of the choreography, emphasizing cute and lively point dances.

Lovelyz's distinctive cute and lively image, along with their stable live performances, won the love of a dedicated fanbase. However, there were limits to revealing Mijoo's unique color as a musician. Given that Lovelyz highlighted Kei's unique vocal color in their music, it was challenging for Mijoo's distinct vocal style to be illuminated. Compared to other girl groups that emphasized group dance and concept, it was also difficult to be recognized for performance.

Interestingly, Mijoo's potential as a musician and solo artist was unearthed during her variety show appearances. She particularly stood out on MBC's 'Hangout with Yoo' and tvN's 'Sixth Sense'. On 'Sixth Sense', she showed her star quality with a steady presence among notable members such as actress Oh Na-ra, Jeon So-min, and singer Jessi. On 'Hangout with Yoo', Mijoo's unique vocal color and ability to execute choreography were highlighted through project girl groups like WSG Wannabe and Juju Secret.

Moreover, thanks to her connection with Yoo Jae-suk, Mijoo was able to sign an exclusive contract with her current agency, Antenna. Antenna is a musician-oriented management company led by Toy's Yoo Hee-yeol. The roster includes musicians like Jung Jae-hyung, Lucid Fall, Peppertones, Jung Seung-hwan, Kwon Jin-ah, Lee Jin-ah, Sam Kim, and Jukjae. In fact, the recruitment of Yoo Jae-suk and Mijoo was somewhat unconventional considering the existing artists.

The addition of the celebrity couple, Lee Hyori and Lee Sang-soon, to Antenna further infused the musician-oriented agency with star power. Lee Hyori, whose mere three-letter name exudes an enduring presence, has gathered expectations for broadening the activities of Antenna with her ability to transcend both variety shows and music. The embodiment of this trend seems to have led to the release of Mijoo's first solo single album.

Indeed, Lee Hyori has fired a shot of support by appearing in the music video for Mijoo's solo song. With this boost, what kind of landscape will Mijoo's unique identity, or 'Mijoodentity,' reveal? With a strong supporting cast, expectations are high to see how far Mijoo's reach will extend within Antenna.

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