/ˈbiːst/; Korean: 비스트; stylized as BEAST or B2ST) is a six-member male vocal group from South Korea. They were formed in 2009 by Cube Entertainment. Their members are Yoon Doo-joon (윤두준), Jang Hyun-seung (장현승), Yong Jun-hyung (용준형), Yang Yo-seob (양요섭), Lee Gi-kwang (이기광) and Son Dong-woon (손동운).Beast has released one Korean full-length album, five Korean mini-albums, one Japanese full album and various singles. The group debuted in October 2009 with their first mini-album, Beast Is the B2ST. They released their first full-length album, Fiction and Fact, in 2011,[1] receiving their first triple crown on M.net M! Countdown for their lead single "Fiction". Beast made their debut in Japan with the release of their single "Shock (Japanese Version)" in the same year.
The group was originally noted for its members' previous lack of success in the industry, as Doo-joon and Hyun-seung had been eliminated from debuting with popular boy groups 2PM and Big Bang, Jun-hyung had been a member of rotational group Xing, and Gi-kwang had debuted as a solo artist.[2] Musically, Beast is best recognised for its singing ability, with reviews of their Fiction and Fact album describing them as "one of the most vocally talented idol pop bands in Korea."[2]
The group won the Bonsang award at the Seoul Music Awards in both 2011 and 2012, and went on to win the Artist of the Year (Daesang) award at the Melon Music Awards in 2011.[3]
