Introduction
Oh Hye-rin (born May 7, 1989), better known by her stage name Raina, is a South Korean singer-songwriter. She is the main vocalist of South Korean girl group After School and also the leader of After School sub-unit Orange Caramel. Raina debuted with the group in November 2009 following the release of the group's second single, "Because of You". She debuted as a solo singer in September 2014 with the single "You End, And Me".
Career
Raina tried to audition with JYP Entertainment to become a rapper before joining Pledis Entertainment. Before debut, Raina was a barista at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. She also previously auditioned for Mnet's Superstar K and was a student at the SM Academy. Raina is considered to be one of the best vocalists among idol girl groups in South Korea.
Raina officially debuted with the group for the release of their second single, "Because of You", which attained No. 1 on the Gaon Digital Chart and won the "triple crown" on SBS Inkigayo. She debuted with After School sub-unit Orange Caramel on June 18, 2010, on KBS Music Bank with the song "Magic Girl". She released her first solo single for the My Shining Girl OST in February 2012. Raina has written lyrics for Orange Caramel's "Still..." and "Standing in This Place". Raina also wrote the lyrics for After School's "Love Love Love" and "Timeless".
On June 12, 2014, Raina and rapper San E released an R&B duet called "A Midsummer Night's Sweetness". The collaboration topped all major music charts in South Korea soon after it was released, and it was No. 4 on the year-end Gaon Digital Chart.
On September 28, 2014, it was revealed that Raina would be making her solo debut with the release of her first digital single album, Reset, on October 8. There are two songs on the album: "You End, and Me" and "Repertoire". The title track, "You End, and Me", features Kanto of hip hop group Troy. On November 24, 2015, Raina released the self-composed single "I Don't Know".
On June 16, 2016, Raina and rapper San E released their second duet called "Sugar and Me". The collaboration was No. 159 on the 2016 end-year Gaon Digital Chart.
Discography
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Sales | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR |
||||
| "A Midsummer Night's Sweetness" (한여름밤의 꿀) (with San E) | 2014 | 1 |
|
Non-album single |
| "You End, And Me" (장난인거 알아) (featuring Kanto) | 25 |
|
Reset | |
| "Don't Know" (모르겠다) | 2015 | 71 |
|
Non-album single |
| "Sugar and Me" (달고나) (with San E) | 2016 | 5 |
|
Other songs
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Love Does Not Wait" (사랑을 미룰 순 없나요) | The First Mini Album (Orange Caramel) |
| "Not Yet..." (아직…) | The Second Mini Album (Orange Caramel) | |
| 2011 | "Leaning Against Time" (시간에 기대어) | Virgin |
| 2012 | "Timeless" (with Jungah) |
Flashback |
| "Superwoman" (featuring Choi Seung-cheol) |
Lipstick | |
| 2013 | "Meteor and Piercing" (流星とピアス) | Orange Caramel |
| "Crying While Putting Makeup On" (화장을 하다 울었어) (with Jungah) |
First Love | |
| 2014 | "Repertoire" | Reset |
| 2015 | "Allday Allnight" (볼래) (with Jakop(야콥), ￦uNo(우노), DAYDAY(데이데이)) |
non-album single |
| "Forgotten Season" (잊혀진 계절) | King of Masked Singer - 34th Generation | |
| 2016 | "Jingle Jingle Jingle Bells" (징글징글징글벨) (featuring Z.NU (지뉴)) |
Sing For You - Second Christmas Story |
| "By My Side" | Melody to Masterpiece - Part 1 | |
| "You in My Imagination" (상상 속의 너) (with Lizzy) |
non-album single |
Soundtrack singles
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "Self-Luminous" (자체발광) | My Shining Girl OST Part 2 |
| "Even After A Day" (하루가 지나도) (with Kan Jong Wook) |
Tasty Life OST Part 1 | |
| 2015 | "Stay Weird Stay Different" (with Hanhae of Phantom and Verbal Jint) |
non-album single |
Writing credits
| Year | Title | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Standing Here" | Orange Caramel | The Second Mini Album |
| "Not Yet..." | |||
| "Love Love Love" | After School | Happy Pledis 1st Album | |
| 2012 | "Timeless" | Flashback | |
| 2015 | "I Don't Know" | Raina | non-album single |
Filmography
Variety Shows
| Year | Title | Network | Episode | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | King of Masked Singer | MBC | Episode 33 & 34 | Advanced to Second Round |
| You Hee Yeol's Sketchbook | KBS2 | Episode 286 | Performance with San E | |
| 2016 | Singing Battle - Victory | KBS2 | Episode 8 & 9 | Two Individual Wins |
| Sing for You | JTBC | Performance with Z.NU | ||
| Melody to Masterpiece | tvN | Episode 1 (Pilot) | Winning Team | |
| Two Yoo Project - Sugar Man | JTBC | Episode 13 | Winning Team with Lizzy | |
| Hello Counselor | KBS World | Episode 281 | Appearance with San E |
Awards and nominations
Mnet Asian Music Awards
| Year | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Song of the Year | San E & Raina - "A Midsummer Night's Sweetness" | Nominated |
| Best Collaboration | Nominated |
MelOn Music Awards
| Year | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 |
Song of the Year | San E & Raina - "A Midsummer Night's Sweetness" | Nominated |
| Hot Trend Award | Nominated | ||
| Rap/Hip Hop | Won |
Golden Disk Awards
| Year | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Digital Bonsang | San E & Raina - "A Midsummer Night's Sweetness" | Nominated |
Seoul Music Awards
| Year | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Hip Hop/Rap Award | San E & Raina - "A Midsummer Night's Sweetness" | Won |
Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards
| Year | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Artist of the Year - July | San E & Raina - "A Midsummer Night's Sweetness" | Won |
Bugs Awards
| Year | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Top 10 Song | San E & Raina - "A Midsummer Night's Sweetness" | Won |