Mnet Announces “Queendom Puzzle” Girl Group Name… And Fans Hate It

In the latest episode of the ongoing reality competition show Queendom Puzzle, Mnet unveiled the official name for the project girl group formed from the top seven contestants. However, the announcement was met with waves of disapproval and mockery from fans — with many voicing their dislike for the name.

Dohwa, KEI, and Yeoreum before the live broadcast. | OSEN

So, what is this controversial group name? Girls’ Generation‘s Taeyeon, who is the host of the show, graciously announced it: EL7Z U+P.

| Mnet

Seemingly, the name signifies a reversal of the word “PUZZLE,” with the number 7 replacing one of the Z’s as a representation of the seven members of the group. While creative in its concept, the execution has left fans largely unimpressed, spawning jokes about its resemblance to a “strong password” or a “Wi-Fi password” due to its complexity.

the WIFI PASSWORD name ouuu that's not…. https://t.co/cV7OSnOh7K

— keita fans kwangya (@luvedoge) July 25, 2023

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Mnet has come under scrutiny for its group naming decisions. Fans expressed similar sentiments for Kep1er, the girl group from Girls Planet 999, and ZEROBASEONE, from Boys Planet.

and here we thought kep1er was a bad name https://t.co/Lpr7PBJubb

— ☫ (@Ielebap) July 25, 2023

they’re pulling these names from a random word generator atp https://t.co/pE3hGh7Oz5

— sandy (@flowerptg) April 20, 2023

Social media platforms are brimming with criticism, accompanied by jests that tap into the dissatisfaction, such as “IZ*ONE’s drunk cousin” and “How do you even pronounce that?”

el7z u+p…this the ugliest group name i’ve ever seen. i’ve seen less letters in my calculus problems i hate y’all so much WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS pic.twitter.com/XQO6oXiXLJ

— ella ♡̶ yorm fan (@ludawoniric) July 25, 2023

mnet obsession with numbers. WHAT THE HELL IS EL7Z U+P #QUEENDOMPUZZLE pic.twitter.com/ctN6NbSb65

— YEEUN #QUEENDOMPUZZLE (@yunjinpout) July 25, 2023

Adding salt to the wound, a fan keenly observed that the names of each individual group that the contestants originally hail from — such as CLC, Lovelyz, Cherry Bullet, Weeekly, etc. — are generally considered superior to this new mouthful of a name. It’s clear that while the show’s audience is eagerly following the journey of these talented idols, the naming choice for the upcoming group is a point of contention.

#YEEUN's reaction to "EL7Z U+P" pic.twitter.com/jQUmDrekyr

— ★ (@yeeunzones) July 25, 2023

On a more positive note, Mnet also took this opportunity to announce the bright future that’s waiting for EL7Z U+P. The girl group is scheduled for an album release, complete with promotions, a performance at this year’s Mnet Asia Music Awards, and even a world tour. These exciting updates surely spell thrilling times ahead for the lucky seven members and their fans alike, despite the uproar over the group name.

Queendom Puzzle Group Name

The final debut group will release a debut song with promotions, a 'Global Tour' and will also perform at this year end's MAMA. pic.twitter.com/1ZzCVwiaTw

— WeeeklyFD (@WeeeklyFD) July 25, 2023

In line with this announcement, the current top 7 contestants were also revealed. The lineup — which may change in the forthcoming episodes — includes H1-KEY‘s Hwiseo, Cosmic Girls‘ Yeoreum, woo!ah!‘s Nana, Weeekly‘s Jihan, PURPLE KISS‘s Yuki, CLC‘s Yeeun, and Lovelyz‘ Kei. As the show progresses, it will be intriguing to see how the ranks shift and whether Mnet’s naming choice might grow on its audience.

| Mnet

For now, it’s safe to say that Mnet’s name reveal for the highly anticipated group from Queendom Puzzle has missed the mark, causing more of a stir than excitement. Nevertheless, fans continue to support their favorite contestants and look forward to the musical journey ahead, name controversy and all.