It's a new era for CNCO.
On Sunday, May 9, the beloved boy band—which includes members Joel Pimentel, Richard Camacho, Erick Brian Colón, Christopher Vélez and Zabdiel De Jesús—announced a surprising shake-up within the group.
"We want to start by saying how much we truly love you and appreciate all of the support you give us day in and day out, year after year," CNCO shared in a statement with E! News. "For that reason, we're sad to tell you that after five and a half unforgettable and life-changing years together, Friday, May 14th will be Joel's last day as a member of CNCO."
Sadly, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you. The band explained that Joel, 22, "is leaving and will be pursuing new opportunities."
"We are and will always be brothers," the group's message continued. "We support him in his next chapter, and will always, most importantly, remain a family."
"We know this news is saddening and is going to be as hard for all of you as it is for us, but we appreciate you sticking with us," the band shared, adding, "While it will be different, we are so excited to continue into this new era of CNCO, and can't wait for all of you to see what we have in store for you!"
Before signing off, CNCO left their fans with a positive note. What's more? They reassured their followers that they will be performing together one last time on Friday, May 14.
"You guys are what keep us going and have us so excited to continue together stronger than ever," the "Reggaetón Lento" singers stated. "For that reason, we wanted to give you a final gift all together. On Friday, we will perform, the five of us, one last time for our global livestream concert event. We hope you can join us! We love you and will see you very soon!"
Additionally, the 22-year-old singer issued a statement about his departure on Instagram.
"It is with a heavy heart that I announce that May 14, will be my last day as a member of CNCO," his message read in part. "It's time for me to grow and explore new artistic avenues, it's time to start building my own path and career. That's why I've decided to leave the band."
Joel thanked his bandmates and expressed his excitement for their future, writing, "I truly wish you the best as you continue with the CNCO legacy. We've lived through so much together that we're family now."
Earlier this year, CNCO released their third studio album, Déjà Vu, and opened up about their music in an interview with E! News in February.
"The inspiration for this project came during the pandemic," Joel told E! News at the time. "We had so much free time that I think almost everyone, actually, started listening to the classic old songs—at least, we did—and we just had the crazy idea of bringing back these songs and giving them a new life."
Richard added, "We're excited for them to see the classics of our culture. They're kind of, like, re-introducing classics of the '80, '90s, things like that that were very important to the music in our culture. We're remaking them and making them in our flow, and hoping you guys enjoy it."
In April, the boy band spoke with Teen Vogue about their rise to fame and what it's been like growing up in the spotlight.
"We didn't have a regular teenage life," Joel told the publication. "We grew up traveling to different countries. Even our voices changed too in the public eye. I think it's very special that our fans were a part of our growth."
Now, Joel will march to the beat of his own drum and embark on a new chapter. As the musician put things, "This is just the beginning."