Pentagon: Song Guide & History

Pentagon Maker & Debut

See external link for full English subbed Pentagon Maker and timestamps for specific scenes I mention here.

TL,DR: Pentagon was formed on a reality show called Pentagon Maker. Shinwon, Dawn, and Yanan got eliminated, then added back in. Pentagon debuted with 10 members on 10 October 2016.

Detailed version:

Pentagon Maker was a reality show that formed Pentagon in spring/summer 2016. This is not an uncommon way for kpop management companies to form groups, since it can get them a fanbase even before they debut. These shows can work in various different ways, but for Pentagon Maker, the way it worked was that 10 trainees each had to fulfill a pentagon-shaped scoreboard of points in five categories: Singing/Rapping, Dance, Mind, Teamwork, and Talent. Each category required 5 points, so 25 points total. Once they got all 25 points, they became an official member of Pentagon. All 10 of them were already Cube Entertainment trainees and had been training together for a while.

There were 12 episodes of Pentagon Maker. Throughout the show, the members were given various tasks (eg. performances, teamwork activities, etc) with the chance to get points in different categories. 

Cube originally told them that anyone who hadn't filled all 5 categories at the very end of the show would be eliminated. So there was no set number of members for the final lineup - anyone who got all 25 points by the end would be a member. Even from the beginning of the show, the 10 of them already wanted to be in a group together, and said they were nervous about the prospect of anyone being eliminated at the end (not just nervous about themselves getting eliminated, but because they really wanted to be a group together).

At first everything was going relatively smoothly... and then suddenly in Episode 8, Cube told them that next week someone would be eliminated. In Episode 9, Shinwon was eliminated (grab a box of tissues if you watch that scene). This was pretty unfair because Cube had previously told them they would have until the end of the show to get all the points, so Shinwon didn't even get the same chance the other members did. 

Episode 10 was the last chance to get points, so in Episode 11, Cube announced who hadn't gotten enough points: Dawn and Yanan. But Cube decided to give all three of the eliminated members one last chance to perform and show their worth. After those performances, Cube still didn't put them in the group officially, but offered Pentagon a deal: If they could get an audience of at least 2000 people at their debut showcase concert, then all 10 members could be in the group. Otherwise, they would be a 7 member group.

(If you watch the eliminations and need something wholesome to cheer you up, check out Episode 12's Heart-to-Heart section. But keep the tissues on hand lmao)

Originally, Pentagon's debut was scheduled for summer 2016, but then Cube suddenly had a lot of other shit to deal with (probably nothing to do with Pentagon, just that Beast/B2ST and 4Minute's contracts with Cube expired). So Pentagon's debut got pushed to 10 October 2016.

FYI about contracts: Most kpop groups have a 7-year contract with their management company from the time the group is formed, which means that after seven years, they either disband or renew their contract (but obviously the company will only offer renewal if the group is successful enough). It is very rare for groups to move to a different management company (Beast/B2ST is the only one I can think of that was actually successful at it. They changed their name to Highlight after they left Cube and started their own label). Pentagon's contract probably expires in 2023. More on that in the First Win chapter. 

There is some speculation about whether or not Cube was serious about eliminating Shinwon, Dawn, and Yanan. They might have only done it to make the show more exciting, which would be pretty cruel if you ask me. If you're curious how the Pentagon members feel about Pentagon Maker a few years later, I listed an interview clip about it in the external link.

Pentagon debuted on 10 October 2016 with the mini album "Pentagon" (title track: Gorilla). If you check out the "You Are" performance at their debut showcase (see external link), obviously they were pretty relieved to finally debut after the whole mess of Pentagon Maker and their debut getting pushed back. Also, for some dumbass reason Cube decided to make them sing with a loud vocal backing track a lot for a while after debuting, even though they didn't during Pentagon Maker and they have great live vocals when they're allowed to sing live with only instrumental backing track. (I just figured I should mention that since it's pretty obvious that they aren't always singing live during "You Are". Some of them were probably crying too hard to sing anyway)