Yena

Introduction

Choi Yena mononymously known as Yena is a South Korean singer, rapper, guitarist, songwriter, host, and actress under Yuehua Entertainment and former Polaris Entertainment trainee. Yena was the main rapper, lead vocalist, and lead dancer of the project girl group IZ*ONE. She ranked #4 in the hit survival show Produce48 with 285,385 votes, earning her a spot in the group.

Yena made her debut as a member of IZ*ONE on October 29, 2018, with their first mini album “COLOR*IZ” with “La Vie en Rose” serving as the title track. After two years and six months of successful promotions, they disbanded on April 29, 2021. This led Yena to pursue solo activities.

Yena participated in a variety of shows, such as the “Idol Dictation Contest” and the “Girls High School Mystery Class.” She also made her acting debut through the second season of Naver TV Cast’s “The World of My 17” where she played the female lead role.

On January 17, 2022, Yena made her highly-anticipated solo debut with the mini album “Smiley.”

In 2023, she released HATE XX, her second digital single, with the song “Hate Rodrigo” serving as the title track.

Yena dropped the new single along with a music video. The release was highly anticipated, particularly due to the collaboration with her best friend Yuqi from the girl group i-dle.

The song sparked controversy online. The “Rodrigo” referenced in the title is American pop star Olivia Rodrigo, whom Yena has publicly said she admires. The music video also includes imagery and stylistic imitations of Olivia. The lyrics—partly written by Yena—express the “cute” jealousy she feels toward someone she deeply admires.

In May 2025, Yena was featured on the song “Loser” from Echo, the second EP by BTS’ Jin. She performed the duet with Jin at his first solo fan concert in Korea in June.