Summer to sees sizzling comebacks
K-pop girl group Rainbow is expected to release the second part to its album titled “Rainbow Syndrome” in June, earlier than originally planned as several other groups and singers are making their comebacks in June and July. / Yonhap
Rainbow, 2NE1’s CL,
BEAST and other
K-pop singers
set to return for summer
By Kim Ji-soo
If last year was the one for the rookies with the debut of about 30 newcomer K-pop boy and girl groups, familiar faces and veteran K-pop singers such as 2PM and 4minute have returned so far this year.
And as the summer starts in earnest just ahead of June, more female solo singers, K-pop girl and boy groups are joining the domestic rush.
Girls in droves
Leading the female singers and groups is sexy diva Lee Hyo-ri, 34, who released her 5th album “MONOCHROME” on May 21. Singles such as “Miss Korea” and “Bad Girl” from the album are high on the domestic music charts.
Suh In-young, 29, formerly of the girl group Jewelry, is expected to grace more music stages since her solo release on May 15 with the album titled “Forever Young.”
Another sexy icon Ivy, 31, is expected to join the crowd in June.
Poised to return as a solo singer on May 28, is CL, 22, leader and rapper of popular girl group 2NE1. Her talent agency YG Entertainment released a teaser picture of CL in a black and gold outfit, Thursday, and revealed the first single from the album, “Bad Girl,” a slow hip-hop song that verges on a ballad. YG said that they had no other choice but to go with the same name as Lee Hyo-ri’s single because that’s the only way to translate the Korean song title into English. Her group 2NE1 is soon expected to follow up with a group comback, multiple media reports said.
The six-membered BEAST pose in this May 11 file photo. The boy group belonging to Cube Entertainment is strongly rumored to return to the local music scene within the first half of this year, nearly a year after its last mini album that was released in July 2012.
Uhm Jung-wha, 43, the ultimate sexy diva, is soon expected to return with an album as well. She reigned during the 1990s with such songs as “Poison” and “Invitation” among others.
Then, there are flurry of K-pop girl groups set to show a new side to their musicality.
Rainbow — comprising Kim Jae-kyung, Go Woo-ri, Cho Hyun-young, Kim Ji-sook, No-eul, Oh Seung-ah, and Jung Yoon-hye — will release the second part of “Rainbow Syndrome.”
Since its debut, the group has made a series of EPs before a full studio album was released in February.
The cover of solo album of 2NE1’s leader CL titled “Bad Girl.” The girl group is expected to follow up with a group comeback after CL’s solo act. / Courtesy of YG Entertainment
T-ara, whose seven members temporarily split into two units to target the U.S. and Japanese markets, are expected to join together again in July. T-ara N4, comprising of Eun-jung, Hyo-min, Ji-yeon and Areum, will perform with Chris Brown this weekend in the United States. Meanwhile, the other three members —Kyu-ri, Bo-ram and So-yeon —will perform in Japan, in particular at the Budokan in Tokyo, July 12 and 13.
The four-member Girls Day — So-jin, Min-ah, Yu-ra and Hyeri — are currently gracing various stages after their March showcase with their first studio album “Expectations.” In June, they will reissue a repackaging of the album with a sexier concept. The group’s name has been gaining more public limelight since Hyeri and former H.O.T member Tony Ahn admitted they were dating.
Nine Muses, a female group known for their sexy image, returned on May 9 with the song “Wild.” The music video for the song is rated 19 and older for its content.
Boys are back
MBLAQ is set for a June comeback. The five-member group, mentored by pop star Rain, recently told Cosmopolitan that they poured energy and soul into their yet-to-be released album. One of its members, Mir, dropped out of the popularentertainment program“Real Men,” for the group’s upcoming concerts.
The 12-member EXO will release their first album on June 3, talent agency SM Entertainment said.
Titled “XOXO” (Hugs and Kisses), the album will contain 10 tracks, including full versions of “Baby Don’t Cry” and “My Lady,” which were the teaser songs for EXO-K and EXO-M’s debut album, “Mama.”
“XOXO” will be released on various online music sites including iTunes, Naver Music, Genie and Melon, and on various Chinese music sites.
The six-member BEAST is expected to release a much-awaited new album within the first half of the year. Since their fifth mini-album “Midnight Sun” released in July 2012, the members — Yoon Doo-joon, Jang Hyun-seung, Yong Jun-hyung, Yang Yo-seob and Lee Gi-kwang — have focused on individual activities.