By Dong Sun-hwa
March is going to be a big month for K-pop lovers around the world, with a host of A-list stars releasing new albums. Included in the star-studded line-up are Onew of K-pop boy band Shinee, girl group Twice, Kai of boy group Exo and Jimin of BTS.
Onew, the frontman of Shinee, will roll out his first solo studio album, Circle, on March 6. Fronted by the lead single, “O (Circle)”, the upcoming album will offer nine additional tracks of different vibes, according to his record label, SM Entertainment.“O (Circle)” is a dreamy and groovy R&B song that likens people’s lives to nature. Through its lyrics, it tells listeners that they all experience good and bad things throughout life,” SM says.
Lyricist Kim Ea-na, who previously penned lyrics for Onew and singer Punch’s collaborative single, “Way”, was involved in the creative process of Onew’s new tune.
“This is the first time for me and my company to work on the song with this kind of mood,” the singer said. “I picked its name, too.”
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Circle will also feature “Caramel” – featuring rapper Giriboy – and “Rain On Me”, written by singer-songwriter Sam Kim.
Onew’s last mini-album, Dice, hit the shelves last April and he will be staging his first solo concerts, O-New-Note in Seoul from March 3 to 5.
Twice will unleash their 12th mini-album, Ready to be, on March 10, their management company, JYP Entertainment, said.Leading the upcoming EP is “Set Me Free”, a tune peppered with simple yet powerful sounds and confident lyrics.
“Melanie Fontana and Lindgren, who were behind the success of previous Twice hits including ‘I Can’t Stop Me’ (2020) and ‘Cry For Me’ (2020), composed ‘Set Me Free’,” JYP said.
The EP will also include “Moonlight Sunrise”, the group’s latest English single that made it onto the Billboard main singles chart in January.
“It will feature seven tracks, including the English version of ‘Set Me Free’,” JYP explained, adding that group member Dahyun wrote lyrics for one of the songs.
After dropping “Set Me Free”, Twice are scheduled to embark on their fifth world tour, titled “Ready to be”. They plan to play 17 concerts in 14 cities in Korea, Australia and Japan, among others.
The group will also receive the breakthrough artist award at the Billboard Women in Music Awards, scheduled for March 1 in Los Angeles. This is the first time a K-pop group has been recognised at this annual event.
It has taken the singer more than a year to return with a new solo album, following the release of Peaches in 2021. He went solo in 2020 with the self-titled album Kai.
On March 24, Jimin of K-pop titans BTS will make his much anticipated solo debut with the album, Face.According to his record label, Big Hit Music, a crop of acclaimed musicians, including Pdogg, Supreme boy and BTS’ leader RM, took part in the creative process.
“Face will show how Jimin marks a new beginning as an artist,” Big Hit Music added. “He played an active role in producing his mini-album to bring his unique style to the fore.”
Face will be fronted by the title track, “Like Crazy”, which will be available in both Korean and English. According to Big Hit, the EP will also offer “Set Me Free Pt. 2” and “Face-off”, among others.
The former will arrive on March 17, shortly before the mini-album’s official release. It is a song highlighting Jimin’s determination to proceed without being fettered by complex inner feelings.
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In addition to the aforementioned acts, boy band Cravity and girl group Nmixx are also poised to heat up the K-pop scene with their new music offerings next month.
