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MAMA 2021: Wanna One confirms reunion but all 11 members will NOT be present

Previously, fans were not paying attention to reunion rumors as they believed Mnet was using Wanna One for clout

K-pop groups are either formed through auditions and street castings or through survival show programs. The latter is an easy way to make sure the debut is successful as the viewers tuning in to watch the survival show become invested and in turn become fans of the group that ends up forming through the program. The entertainment channel Mnet has produced several such groups like I.O.I, IZ*ONE, X1 and Wanna One through their survival shows. Unfortunately, they have all been project groups that ended up disbanding after a couple of years. Well, now fans of Wanna One can rejoice because they’re reuniting for MAMA 2021.

On November 15, some of the performance lineup for MAMA 2021 was announced. Along with the participating dance crews of Mnet’s huge survival show ‘Street Woman Fighter’, we will also see Wanna One performing at the K-pop award show. In early November, there were rumors that Wanna One would finally be reuniting. They had been formed in 2017 and ended up disbanding in 2019. While the official reason was that their contracts had ended, many believe it had something to do with Mnet being involved in a rigged-voting scandal of their survival shows.

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Wanna One to reunite for MAMA 2021

Wanna One was one of the biggest third-gen groups to be formed. They had many iconic hits like ‘Beautiful’ and ‘Energetic’. Their K-pop journey as a group might have been short but they made history as they became the first group since 1992 to have a million sales with their debut album. They were also mentioned by Forbes as 'Korea Power Celebrity' and their influence was notable as they were #1 on South Korea’s Boy Group Brand Reputation rankings for four months. The 11-member group also had a successful world tour.

Since their disbandment, there have been rumors of a reunion every year to the point that frustrated fans claimed that Mnet was circulating the rumors for clout. Once again, in early November, Mnet announced that they were in talks with Wanna One for a reunion performance at MAMA 2021 along with concerts and albums. Fans did not give it much attention, however, now there’s cause to celebrate. On November 15, it was reported that Wanna One would actually be reuniting.

Unfortunately, not all 11 members will be present for the MAMA stage as Kuan-lin cannot make it. On top of that, Minhyun cannot participate in the other activities planned for Wanna One because he is busy with NU'EST's comeback. Even Seongwoo's participation in the other projects is uncertain since it was already difficult for him to make time for the MAMA 2021 performance as he is busy filming for a Netflix film. It should also be noted, member Kang Daniel was the MC of ‘Street Woman Fighter’. As one of the biggest nights in K-pop, MAMA 2021 will be held on December 11 at 6 pm KST (4 am ET) and can be live-streamed on Mnet’s YouTube channel.

'I'm crying'

Excited fans have been trending ‘Wanna One’. One fan shared, “Wannables taking off our clown uniform because the Wanna One reunion is really happening.” Another tweeted about their last MAMA performance, “WANNA ONE REUNION SO LET’S BRING THIS BACK.” One fan made a reaction meme, “Wanna One reunion in MAMA 2021 officially confirmed All Kpop fandom:.” Another added, “Can't wait to see you performing on stage together again my 11 stars.” One said, “IT'S OFFICIAL!!!! THEY ARE COMING BACK 😭😭😭😭 I'M CRYING, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH I WAITED FOR THEM TO REUNITE AGAIN.”