LOONA Logo PNG
The LOONA logo is the group’s visual symbol and is used on official releases, events, print materials, and fan merchandise. Designers made the emblem simple and memorable so the girl band’s fans would recognize it.
LOONA began on March 22, 2016, when Blockberry Creative, a subsidiary of Polaris Entertainment, opened its doors. On October 2, 2016, the label announced an unusual K-pop rollout: each member would be introduced through a solo single album over 18 months. The Korean name 이달의 소녀 means “Girl of the Month,” while LOONA is derived from the rearranged consonants of the Korean title.
The first solo EP, with HeeJin, arrived on October 5, 2016. She was followed by HyunJin, HaSeul, YeoJin, ViVi, Kim Lip, JinSoul, Choerry, Yves, Chuu, Go Won, and HyeJu, then known as Olivia Hye, in March 2018. The pre-debut era included music videos filmed abroad and three subunits: LOONA 1/3, ODD EYE CIRCLE, and yyxy. Its budget was reported at about $4 million.
LOONA debuted as a full 12-member group on August 19 and 20, 2018, with the EP [++] and the single Hi High. The album reached No. 2 on South Korea’s Gaon chart. In February 2019, [XX] added Butterfly, one of the group’s best-known tracks. In August 2019, LOONA performed in the United States at KCON LA.
In 2022, LOONA placed second on Mnet’s Queendom 2 and toured through the US, Mexico, and Europe. On November 25, 2022, Blockberry Creative removed Chuu, leading to lawsuits and a fan boycott of the planned [0] release. By June 16, 2023, all 12 members had left the label. Loossemble debuted under CTDENM in September 2023, while ARTMS debuted under Modhaus in May 2024. Yves began a solo path with Paix Per Mil, and Chuu continued under a separate agency.
Meaning and History
The group’s main logo features the stylized word “LOOΠΔ.” It’s linked to the original name of the music project, formerly known as “이달의 소녀” (or “Idarui Sonyeo” in the Latinized version). This phrase, meaning “Girl of the Month,” was chosen because one of the group members introduced her mini-album or single every month.
The group’s creators then took the consonant letters that start the syllables in the Korean inscription “이달의 소녀,” resulting in “ㅇㄷㅇㅅㄴ.” A rearrangement of the glyphs resulted in the word “ㄴㅇㅇㄷㅅ” visually corresponding to the English “LOONA.” This letter similarity is played out in the main emblem. But on album covers, Hangul inscriptions are used to reflect a connection to history.
What is LOONA?
LOONA is a South Korean group created under the guidance of the Blockberry Creative agency and released its debut album in 2018. The group consists only of girls, each presenting a solo song from 2016 to 2018 to demonstrate her individuality and talent. The group has since released several joint albums in the Pop, EDM, and K-pop genres.
2018 – today
The vertical version of the logo represents the abbreviation “ㅇㄷㅇㅅㄴ,” formed from the phrase “이달의 소녀.” Between the third and fourth glyphs is a slash (“/”), denoting the separation of two words. The symbols are written in pairs and arranged in a column, three rows in total. The Korean letters are stylized as geometric shapes: circles, a triangle, right angles, and incomplete squares. The slash is colored pink, unlike all other black glyphs.
The horizontal version contains the stylized inscription “LOOΠΔ/.” In this case, the “/” symbol reflects the idea that every member of the “LOONA” group is unique and has their own identity.
2018
In 2018, an innovative music collective emerged, releasing their debut album “[+ +].” The album cover was distinctly embellished with the project’s unique logo, which was intriguingly set in the Hangul alphabet, Korea’s writing system. The artistic design added complexity to the album’s image, capturing the group’s cultural and artistic inspirations.
Two plus symbols enclosed within a circular outline were positioned to the right of the logo. These elements could easily be mistaken at a casual glance for a quirky smiley face with its eyes playfully crossed out. This whimsical touch lent an air of lightheartedness to the overall design, inviting viewers into the collective’s unique musical world.
The debut album was more than just a collection of tracks. Everything was a testament to their creative exploration, from the group’s original name to the distinctive album cover design. The clever use of the Hangul alphabet and the playful incorporation of symbols as visual metaphors expressed the group’s desire to push boundaries and experiment with their artistic expression.
2019
A year after their initial debut, the music collective broadened their artistic horizon by releasing an updated version of their original album, [+ +]. This newly released version was intriguingly named “[X X],” further maintaining their trend of using symbols in their album titles.
The transformation was also evident in the album’s visual design. The previously featured plus symbols had now been replaced by two ‘X’ symbols positioned within the same circular outline featured on the original album. This alteration of symbols offered a fresh, yet recognizably familiar, face to the collective’s evolving identity.
Despite the switch from plus to ‘X’ symbols, the resemblance to a smiley face, with its eyes humorously crossed out, was still clearly visible. This continuity in design subtly signaled to the audience that the music collective’s inherent playfulness and unique artistic approach were still intact.
2020
In 2020, the music collective continued its symbolic journey, unveiling another album creatively titled “[#].” As with their previous releases, the logo and design aesthetic continued to evolve yet maintained a familiar structure that echoed their artistic roots.
While the overall layout of the album cover remained similar to previous versions, the smiley-face symbolism had undergone a notable transformation. This time, a hash symbol ‘#’ took center stage, positioned on the right within the same circular outline that had housed the “X” and “+” symbols in their earlier works.
The introduction of the hash symbol marked a departure from the playful smiley-face motif that had been a recurring visual theme in the collective’s previous releases. With its association with trending topics and categorization in digital platforms, the hash symbol could be interpreted as the collective’s commentary on the era of digital communication and its influence on art and culture.
By moving away from the smiley-face resemblance, the music collective signaled a shift in their artistic direction, a maturation of their sound, or a deeper exploration into the complexities of the contemporary digital era.
2020
Later in 2020, the music collective LOONA continued their creative odyssey by releasing another album, this time intriguingly titled “[12:00]”. In keeping with their established tradition, the album title was expressed through symbols, this time using numerals, which were predictably positioned inside a circle.
The cover featured a fascinating twist. Alongside the numerical representation, there was an inscription in Japanese, once again reflecting LOONA’s engagement with different languages and cultural references. This linguistic variety added a distinctive appeal to their album covers and emphasized the group’s global reach and influence.
In a clever design move, the zeros in “12:00” were made oval to subtly echo the shape of the first letter of the syllable “이” in the Hangul alphabet. This ingenious design element infused the evolving logo with a sense of unity and continuity. They harked back to their debut album, where Hangul was integral to the design.
Through these careful design choices, LOONA demonstrated their ability to merge different elements, numbers, symbols, and languages into a harmonious whole that expressed their multifaceted identity. While unique in its visual representation, each album carried echoes of its predecessors, weaving together a complex tapestry that told the story of LOONA’s artistic journey.
2021
In 2021, LOONA took a bold step forward in their creative expression, diverging from their previous design traditions with the release of their new album, “[&]”. The ampersand, “&”, was used as the album’s central symbol, breaking away from the recurring motif of enclosing the title within a circular frame. This marked a new chapter in the group’s design evolution, displaying their readiness to explore fresh aesthetic directions.
The album cover art featured the “&” symbol, but the design change did not signal a complete break from the past. The album’s visual representation cleverly retained the link to LOONA’s artistic origins by aligning the group’s name in Hangul with the album’s design. The proportions of the “&” symbol harmoniously complemented the glyphs of the Korean alphabet, adding a seamless flow to the overall design.
The use of the ampersand symbol, often associated with conjunctions, could be interpreted as a sign of unity and connection. This resonated with the group’s musical journey, highlighting their goal of harmonizing different elements – be it cultural, musical, or visual. The shift from the circular enclosure to the “&” symbol might be seen as an indication of LOONA’s growth and transformation, symbolizing their readiness to venture beyond their familiar aesthetic boundaries while maintaining a strong connection to their roots.
Font and Colors
The main LOONA logo lacks conventional lettering, as the letters resemble geometric shapes. The individual design makes the musical group’s emblem recognizable and unique.
As for the color scheme, it is based on a classic black-and-white combination. Only a small pink stripe shows that not everything is as simple as it seems. This is a symbol of femininity, hinting at the group’s exclusively female makeup.
