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Singaporean Girl Group BY2 Are Making Their Comeback On A Chinese Variety Show

They’ve been waiting for years for an opportunity like this.

They’ve been waiting for years for an opportunity like this.

They’ve been waiting for years for an opportunity like this.

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Back in 2008, local girl group BY2 were famous for being fresh-faced teenagers who dropped out of secondary school to become pop stars. Made up of twin sisters Miko and Yumi Bai, they were first discovered by record label Ocean Butterflies at a training program when they were just 13. They were subsequently managed by the company for 11 years before parting ways this year.

1 of 11 From this...

But the Campus Superstar alums didn't get their big break until 2010 when they released their third album Grown Up, which was a big hit in Taiwan, topping several charts there. But over the past decade, their career seems to have been overshadowed by rumours of plastic surgery.

2 of 11 ... To this

In 2014, fans noticed that the twins looked drastically different every time they released an album, leading to speculation that the stars have undergone plastic surgery. But the twins have vehemently denied all rumours that they've gone under the knife to enhance their looks.

  • 3 of 11 Yumi and Mario Ho

    Their private lives also became tabloid fodder. Yumi, for example, became a paparazzi target after she started dating Mario Ho, the super eligible and super cute son of Macau's Casino King Stanley Ho. They broke up in 2015 after Yumi reportedly cheated on Mario, although some reports claim that it was Mario who had cheated on her.

    Their career as artistes, on the other hand, took a massive hit as they became known more for their appearances in gossip rags instead of their music.

  • 4 of 11 In sync

    But it seems the girls aren't ready to fade into obscurity just yet.

    Yumi and Miko, now 27, have taken part in the third season of The Coming One, a Chinese reality talent competition. The sisters will be competing in the 'Restart' category, which gives experienced artistes a chance to make a comeback.

    5 of 11 Restart

    In their audition clip, BY2 performed their single, 'DNA', which was first released in 2011. But the path to a comeback is never smooth as Yumi’s mic and ear piece fell off during their performance. Thankfully, Yumi proved that she could roll with the punches. Without missing a beat (or a dance step), she managed to grab hold of her mic, and continued to perform the heck out of the song, earning praise from the judges, which included Stefanie Sun, and the other contestants.

    6 of 11 Can you tell them apart?

    One competitor even yelled out: “Perfect! They’re too good!”

    However, Yumi and Miko’s smiles quickly faded away when one of the judges asked them why they wanted to join the show.

    “We’ve been waiting for this opportunity for three, four years now. Prior to this, it was the lowest period of our lives,” Miko revealed. “I would say that… We’re facing a huge challenge in life now. [It feels] like the people that we loved and trusted had betrayed us, both in work and in love. It’s like we’re being abandoned.”

  • 7 of 11 Miko and Yumi when they were teens

    Miko also added that it had upset them when they found out that a lot of their fans thought they had quit showbiz.

    “It’s actually really sad. We’ve always been here. It’s just that we couldn't say or do anything,” she explained, adding that they've became known only for the rumours about their personal lives and that they don't know how to get out of this rut. They also added that they are not getting any younger and since performing is the only thing they've loved since they were kids, they're very afraid of fading into obscurity.

    8 of 11 Confidence is the key

    After their audition clip was posted online, netizens took to the Internet to rave about their performance, with many praising the girls for their perseverance. “They are really strong. You can even say they’re one of the best girl groups in China now!” wrote one fan. I've watched By2 since I was young and my impression of them is that they are always in the news for plastic surgery. After watching their performance, I've started to like them a lot more, wrote another.

    Let's hope the girls get their second shot at fame now.

  • 9 of 11 Their first album, NC16


  • 10 of 11 Baby-doll faces
    11 of 11 Damn, gurls

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