MAMAMOO's Whee In tearfully reminisces about the group's peak years

MAMAMOO member Whee In expressed nostalgia for the group's most active era during a recent live broadcast, admitting she often cries alone while watching old videos. Reflecting on the intense schedules she faced in her early 20s, she shared that she once told Kim Shin-young she wanted to quit, only to later realize the truth in the entertainer's advice.

Whee In of the group MAMAMOO shed tears while reminiscing about the group's peak years. She revealed that while the relentless schedule of performing on stage back then felt overwhelming at the time, she now finds herself missing those days. As she became emotional recalling memories shared with her members, fans expressed sympathy, while some online reactions have been mixed, touching upon the reality surrounding the group's activities.

A clip of Whee In reminiscing about MAMAMOO's activities during a live broadcast on a fan community platform last month has recently spread across online communities. During the broadcast, while communicating with fans while eating in comfortable attire, Whee In shared candid thoughts, noting that she is someone who cries easily. In particular, she confessed that her emotions surge when she performs during tours as memories of the past resurface.

“I get very emotional during tours. I have a lot of thoughts,” Whee In said, adding, “These are things I couldn't even have imagined in my early to mid-20s.” She continued, “I think a lot about wanting to go back to the time when MAMAMOO was at its peak.” She explained that the period when she led the team through its most successful era by being busier than anyone else has now become a moment she wishes to return to.

Of course, those memories were not purely happy. “To be honest, there were times when I hated it so much because it was so hard,” Whee In confessed. She explained that amidst a non-stop schedule, it was difficult to properly feel the preciousness of what she was experiencing. “A person needs rest to feel the precious things that come in between, but when you are being rushed, there are many cases where you pass by without realizing what you are gaining,” she said.

Looking back after time has passed, she realized there was a certain level of joy and happiness even in those exhausting moments. “There is no leisure. Thinking about it now, it was hard but also fun. I think I miss it—the time when we were most active,” Whee In expressed, revealing her complex emotions. She added, “If I were told to go back now, I wonder if I could actually do it.” This is interpreted to mean that while she misses the era enough to want to return, she is unsure if she could handle such an intense schedule again.

She mentioned that when she drinks alone, she even looks up old MAMAMOO videos. “When I have a drink alone, I play old MAMAMOO videos. I think it's a drunken habit. I watch them and cry alone,” she confessed. In contrast to her image of singing with a bright smile on stage, her honest story of retracing the past and crying alone moved the hearts of fans.

Whee In also revealed an anecdote where she told entertainer Kim Shin-young that she wanted to quit group activities. She said, “At that time, I told Kim Shin-young that I wanted to quit,” and shared that Kim Shin-young advised her, saying, “Even if you want to quit, a day will surely come when you miss those days.” While she did not understand the meaning of those words at the time, she said she now realizes what they meant. Recalling Kim Shin-young's advice, Whee In expressed longing for those difficult times.

MAMAMOO is a four-member group consisting of Solar, Moonbyul, Whee In, and Hwasa, which debuted in 2014. Loved for their solid vocal abilities and unique performances, they released numerous hit songs such as "Um Oh Ah Yeh", "You're the Best", and "Décalcomanie". Whee In left her former agency in 2021 after not renewing her contract, and as Hwasa moved to P Nation in 2023, the members' individual activities began in earnest. As the way they balance group and individual activities has diverged, many fans have been waiting to see the four members gathered in one place.

Various reactions have emerged online regarding these remarks. While some offer comfort, empathizing with her honest confession of the hardships and nostalgia from the peak era, others expressed regret, mentioning the members' contract renewals and agency moves. However, Whee In's remarks concern her personal feelings reflecting on the grueling activities of the past, making it difficult to conclude that they represent regret regarding group activities or a stance on specific choices.

Currently, MAMAMOO is meeting fans through the world tour "MAMAMOO 2026 WORLD TOUR [4WARD]". Following a performance in Kuala Lumpur, they held a concert in Tokyo on October 25 and are scheduled to conclude the tour in Taipei on November 28–29. With the release of Whee In's confession of missing the peak era when they once ran breathlessly, interest is gathering into what kind of memories the four members, who have returned to the stage, will build.

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