Nana (entertainer, born 2001)
South Korean singer and actress (born 2001)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kwon Na-yeon (Korean: 권나연; born March 9, 2001), better known by her stage name Nana (Korean: 나나), is a South Korean singer, actress, and dancer.[1] She is the leader of the South Korean girl group Wooah and a member of the supergroup El7z Up, having finished second in Mnet's girl group survival reality television show Queendom Puzzle in 2023.
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March 9, 2001
- Singer
- actress
- dancer
Early life
Career
2019: Pre-debut
Prior to her official debut with Wooah, Nana appeared as the female lead in the 2019 music video for DickPunks’ single “Anyway Cheers”, credited by her given name Na-yeon.[4]
2020–present: Debut with Wooah, solo activities, and debut with El7z Up
Nana debuted as a member of Wooah, on May 13, 2020.[5] The group released their debut single album, Exclamation, featuring the title track "woo!ah!".[6] Nana made her acting debut on December 9, 2020, in the web series No Going Back Romance as Chae Bo-na.[7]
On August 3, 2022, Nana was announced to be a cast member of the second season of SBS music television show Sing Forest.[8] On September 22, it was announced that Nana would play the lead in the television series Fall for you.[9] On October 27, 2022, Nana released her first solo OST for the television series, titled "Fly Away".[10]
On February 8, 2023, she was announced as host for Show Champion, alongside Moon Sua and Tsuki of Billlie.[11] On June 13, 2023, Nana was officially announced as a contestant for Mnet's reality survival show Queendom Puzzle.[12] She ranked in second place in the final episode of Queendom Puzzle, thus making her debut in the final group El7z Up.[13] On September 14, 2023, Nana officially debuted as a member of El7z Up with the release of their first EP, 7+Up.[14] Following this, Nana stepped down from her MC role on Show Champion on November 15, 2023, after hosting the program for approximately nine months.[15]
On April 14, 2026, it was announced Nana had been cast in a new drama titled "My Idol, My Debut".[16] On April 29, it was revealed, that through the project, she is also planned to debut in the drama's associated fictional girl group, Irion.[17]
Artistry
Influences
Nana has cited BTS and Blackpink’s Jennie as her inspirations, expressing a desire to become an artist whom others could look up to in a similar way. In a 2020 interview with Edaily, she stated that she wanted to learn from Jennie’s stage presence, gestures, gaze, and values, and that her dream was to serve as a role model for other singers.[18] In 2024, while appearing on the television program King of Mask Singer, she explained that she chose the mask name “Totally Lucky Vicky” because it reflected her positive personality, citing the influence of Ive member Jang Won-young’s optimistic mindset on her approach to her career.[19]
Public image
Many sources have described Nana as a "hexagonal idol", a term used for an artist who excels in multiple areas of performance. She has been recognized for her singing, rapping, dancing, acting, and variety skills throughout her career.[19][20][21]
Nana has appeared on the Korean Business Research Institute's female celebrity brand reputation list, a chart that records Korean celebrities with the most online searches and engagements, and reached the top 30 for the month of December in 2020.[22]
In 2022, Nana was ranked first in a fan-voted poll for female idols with “cartoon-like” visuals, receiving 37.91% of all votes, according to MBN.[23]
From 2020 to 2024, several South Korean news outlets consistently noted a resemblance between Nana and Red Velvet member Irene.[24][25][26]
Other ventures
Fashion and endorsements
In 2021, Nana was selected to be the cover model for the February issue of the South Korean military magazine Him.[27] Shortly after, Nana and her groupmate Wooyeon appeared on the March issue of global art and fashion magazine Maps.[28] In October, Nana, alongside Wooyeon and Minseo, walked the runway at the 2022 Spring/Summer Seoul Fashion Week at Deoksugung Palace representing the brand HolyNumber7, this marked her first public appearance at a fashion show event.[29]
In 2024, Nana appeared on the June issue of Allure Korea.[30] On December 10, 2024, Nana and Wooyeon were chosen to attend the pop-up store opening of South Korean makeup brand Tirtir in Seongsu-dong, Seoul.[31]
In September 2025, Nana and Wooyeon attended the Ulkin fashion show at the 2026 Spring/Summer Seoul Fashion Week held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, representing the brand.[32][33] Later that month, Nana served as the brand muse for Panasonic Korea's new beauty products for their Vitalift and Ion Boost lines.[34]
Discography
Soundtrack appearances
Participation releases
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "애상 (Aesang)" | 2022 | Sing Forest 2 |
| "Couple" | Sing Forest 2 (Heart Fluttering) | |
| "Cocktail Love" | Sing Forest 2 (Love) | |
| "Farewell" | Sing Forest 2 (Farewell) |
Filmography
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Television series
Web series
Television shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Sing Forest | Cast member | Season 2 | [44] |
| AVA Dream | [45] | |||
| 2023 | Queendom Puzzle | Contestant | Finished 2nd | [46][47] |
| 2024 | King of Mask Singer | [48] | ||
| The Return of Superman | Special appearance | [49] | ||
| 2025 | King of Mask Singer | Panelist | Guest judge | [50] |
| A-Idol | Contestant | Finished 32nd individually[b] | [51] | |
