Artist Profile
- Full Name: Song Yuqi
- Native Name: 宋雨琦 (Sòng Yǔqí)
- Nicknames: Song Woo Gi
- Birthday: Sep 23, 1999 (26 years old)
- Blood type: O
- Height/Weight: 163 cm (5'4") / 44 kg (97 lbs)
- Gender: Female
- Zodiac Sign: Libra
- MBTI: ENFJ
- Birthplace: Beijing, China
- Nationality: Chinese
- Profession: Singer, Dancer, Rapper, Songwriter, Record Producer, Host, Model
- Language Skills: Chinese (Mandarin), Korean, English
- Debut: May 2, 2018
- Years Active: 2018–present (8 years)
- Group: i-dle
- Current Agency: Cube Entertainment
Yuqi, born Song Yuqi, is a Chinese singer, dancer, rapper, music producer, and model managed by Cube Entertainment in South Korea. She was born on September 23, 1999, in Beijing, China. Yuqi is a member of the K-pop girl group i-dle, where she serves as a lead dancer, sub-vocalist, sub-rapper, and the face of the group.
Early life
During her high school years, Yuqi demonstrated exceptional academic performance. She was admitted to Beijing 101 Middle School, ranking within the top 5% of applicants. She was placed in Class 1 out of 14 and once ranked 2nd among more than 40 students. Additionally, she served as the president of the school’s street dance club.
Yuqi was trained in Chinese folk dance and is proficient in playing the guzheng. In 2015, at the age of 16, she participated in the Cube Star World Audition in Beijing after receiving her family’s consent.
Career
Yuqi joined Cube Entertainment after passing the 2015 audition and underwent approximately three years of training in South Korea. In June 2017, she appeared in an advertisement for Rising Star Cosmetics.
On May 2, 2018, Yuqi officially debuted as a member of i-dle with the debut single album I Am and its title track “Latata.” Within the group, she holds the positions of main dancer, sub-vocalist, and sub-rapper. The song earned its first music show win just 20 days after its release, contributing to a 58 percent revenue increase for Cube Entertainment in 2018.
In 2019, Yuqi expanded her activities in China as a permanent cast member of the seventh season of the reality show Keep Running on Zhejiang Television. That same year, she participated in the programs The Gashinas and Law of the Jungle in Myanmar, and performed an original soundtrack for Please Pay Attention Visitors. In October, i-dle competed in the reality survival show Queendom, finishing in third place and solidifying their position in the fourth generation of K-pop idols.
Beginning in 2020, Yuqi ventured into songwriting. She released the track “I’m the Trend” as a gift to fans and wrote the Chinese lyrics for “Dumdi Dumdi.” During the same year, Yuqi hosted the KakaoTV show Learn Way and appeared in programs such as I’m a Survivor and the G-Star 2020 event hosted by Krafton.
In May 2021, Yuqi made her solo debut in China with the single album A Page, featuring the tracks “Giant” and “Bonnie & Clyde.” She also participated in various variety shows, including Stage Boom, Let’s Fall In Love 3, 2060, and Shine! Super Brothers, while recording the theme song “Salute to the Heroes” for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
In 2022, Yuqi resumed her activities in South Korea with i-dle. She co-composed the tracks “Polaroid” and “Liar” for the studio album I Never Die released in March. This album remained in the top 2 of South Korean charts for 52 consecutive weeks and received Platinum certification. In October, she continued her creative work by co-composing “Reset” and “Dark (X-File)” for the EP I Love, which achieved Triple Platinum certification.
In 2023, Yuqi participated in international collaborations, including “Hate Rodrigo” with Yena and “Fire!” with Alan Walker and JVKE. That same year, i-dle topped the Billboard Emerging Artists chart for the first time.
In January 2024, Yuqi co-composed “Doll” and “Rollie” for i-dle’s second studio album, 2, which sold over 1.5 million copies and earned Double Platinum certification. In April, she made her official solo debut in South Korea with the EP YUQ1, featuring the title track “Freak” and the pre-release single “Could It Be.”
In 2025, Yuqi continued her solo career with the single “Radio (Dum-Dum)” released in March. In September of the same year, she released the single album Motivation with the title track “M.O.,” a 1990s-style boom bap hip-hop track themed around confidence and independence. The album was released in English, Korean, and Chinese versions to target the international market. During this year, Yuqi achieved her first solo music show win on Show Champion.
Fun facts
- Often frowns and even had to put tape on her forehead as a trainee to fix the habit.
- Once did a magic trick by stealing Miyeon’s wallet to tease the members.
- Can swim backstroke and butterfly, impressing the group when they went swimming together.
- On Keep Running, her loud voice once knocked down wall decorations.
- Naturally funny reactions often make the members burst out laughing on I-TALK.
- A big NBA fan, especially of LeBron James, and once said her ideal type is “basketball players.”
- Acts like she’s doing a science experiment instead of cooking on cooking shows.
- Can imitate members’ voices and speech styles very accurately, especially Shuhua’s.
- In high school, often wore hip-hop outfits with a cap covering her face, giving her a “mysterious girl” image.
- Loves pickled radish so much that fans once gifted her some, which made her very happy.
- Can play the traditional Chinese instrument guzheng and perform Dai folk dance on variety shows.
- Frequently trolls members with impressions or unexpected pranks.
- Speaks Chinese, Korean, and English, often mixing “Konglish” in a cute way.
- Learned DJing as a trainee, and can also beatbox, rap, and b-boy, showing diverse hip-hop skills.
Friendships
Yuqi is a member of a close-knit group of female idols born in 1999, which includes Choi Yena, Chuu, Arin (Oh My Girl), and Yoojung (Weki Meki). The group notably performed a cover of KARA’s “Step” at the 2022 MBC Gayo Daejejeon. As the only artist born in 1999 under Cube Entertainment, Yuqi has shared that this circle of friends holds a special significance for her.
Yeoreum (WJSN) is also one of Yuqi’s closest friends. According to Yuqi, Yeoreum was the first person outside of i-dle to reach out and support her during challenging times. The two have previously appeared together in 1st Look magazine.
Yuqi maintains a friendship with Lucas (NCT/WayV). They have appeared together on various variety shows, including Knowing Brothers and Keep Running.
Yuqi and Yeji (ITZY) frequently stay in touch through video calls. Through joint performances, particularly at the MBC Gayo Daejejeon, Minnie (i-dle) became close with Lia (ITZY), further strengthening the connection between Yuqi and the members of ITZY.
Yuqi is also friends with Wang Yiren, Wu Xuanyi, and Sua (Dreamcatcher). In several interviews, she has expressed a desire for the opportunity to become closer to Seulgi.
Photo Gallery
