Got7 (; commonly stylized in all caps) is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment. The group is composed of seven members: Jay B, Mark, Jackson, Jinyoung, Youngjae, BamBam, and Yugyeom. Got7 debuted in January 2014 with the release of their first EP Got It?, which peaked at number two on the Gaon Album Chart and number one on Billboard's World Albums Chart. The group gained attention also for their live performances, which often include elements of martial arts tricking and street dancing.
In late 2014, Got7 signed with Sony Music Entertainment Japan and ventured into the Japanese market to release their debut Japanese-language single "Around the World". They returned to South Korea a month later to release their first full-length studio album Identify, which topped the nation's charts. In 2015, Got7 released the EPs Just Right and Mad, which yielded their most commercially successful single, "Just Right". In 2016, they moved into the Japanese market with a full-length Japanese studio album, Moriagatteyo, which entered the Oricon Albums Chart at number three.
Their fifth Korean EP Flight Log: Departure and their second full-length studio album Flight Log: Turbulence were both chart-toppers, and the 2017 EP Flight Log: Arrival, the third and final part of the group's Flight Log series, was their first album to sell more than 300,000 copies.
The group departed from JYP Entertainment in January 2021, following the expiration of their contract with the agency.
History
2009–2013: JJ Project and formation
In 2009, Jay B and Jinyoung were cast into JYP Entertainment after passing open auditions. In 2010, Mark and BamBam were respectively scouted by JYP scouts in Los Angeles, USA and Bangkok, Thailand. That same year, Yugyeom became a JYP trainee after he was offered an opportunity at his dance school. In December, Jackson passed JYP's overseas audition in Hong Kong, but he did not start his training until the summer of 2011.
Jay B and Jinyoung, then known by the stage name Junior, made their debut as actors in the 2012 television drama Dream High 2. In May, they debuted as the pop duo JJ Project with the single "Bounce". The duo appeared again as actors for the 2013 drama, When a Man Falls in Love.
Meanwhile, Mark, Jackson, BamBam and Yugyeom prepared for their debut together as a group. The quartet made their first television appearance on the fourth episode of Mnet's reality-survival program Who is Next: WIN, which aired on September 6, 2013. The seventh and final member to join the group was Youngjae, who had only been a trainee for seven months.
2014: Debut with Got It?, Got Love, Identify and Around the World
JYP Entertainment announced Got7 on January 1, 2014, debuting their first boy group since 2PM in 2008. A tentative name of the group was "Get7" (), but was changed because it didn't sound good. According to Park Jin-young, "Got7" originated from best-selling first-generation group g.o.d, as Park was supposed to debut with them as a six-member mix-gender group and used the working name "Got6". The final name includes the lucky number seven, meaning "seven lucky people come together".
Got7 was described as a hip-hop group that incorporates martial arts tricking and b-boying styles in their performances. This style drew comparisons to their senior group, 2PM, who are well known for their acrobatic dance styles. Thus, the group drew attention even before the official debut and received the nickname "post 2PM".
Got7 released their first EP, Got It?, on January 20, 2014. The album shot to No. 1 on Billboard's World Albums Chart and was No. 2 on the Gaon Album Chart. Got7 made their official music program debut on January 16, 2014, through Mnet's M Countdown, performing their debut single "Girls Girls Girls". Shortly after their debut, the group signed a contract with Japan's Sony Music Entertainment and launched a showcase in Japan in front of 9,000 fans.