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Billlie arrives with debut studio album, high-voltage lead single 'ZAP'
Members of K-pop girl group Billlie pose during a press showcase at SBS Prism Tower in Seoul's Mapo District, Wednesday, marking the release of the group's debut studio album "the collective soul and unconscious: chapter two." Yonhap
By Pyo Kyung-min
K-pop girl group Billlie dropped its first full-length album, "the collective soul and unconscious: chapter two," Wednesday, delivering a dark, polished identity unlike anything the team has shown before.
Composed of seven members — Moon Sua, Suhyeon, Haram, Tsuki, Sheon, Siyoon and Haruna — the group has built a devoted following since its 2021 debut through standout tracks including "GingaMingaYo" (2022), "DANG! (hocus pocus)" (2023), "BYOB (bring your own best friend)" (2023) and "remembrance candy (prod. IU)" (2024).
"The collective soul and unconscious: chapter two" marks the group's first full-length release in five years of activity. Siyoon, Moon Sua and Haram contributed to the album's lyrics, adding a deeper personal layer to the project.
Members of K-pop girl group Billlie take the stage during a press showcase at SBS Prism Tower in Seoul's Mapo District, Wednesday. Yonhap
"It is such an honor to finally share this album with our fans and more," Tsuki said during a media showcase at SBS Prism Tower in Seoul's Mapo District, held a few hours before the album drop on Wednesday.
"Working on our first full-length brought back memories of our debut days. I hope we can show everyone how much more we have grown," she said.
"The members were deeply involved in the overall production process, and I think that really comes through. This album captures who we truly are," Moon Sua added.
Members of K-pop girl group Billlie perform during a press showcase at SBS Prism Tower in Seoul's Mapo District, Wednesday. Yonhap
The lead single "ZAP," premiered at the event, living up to its name. The track pairs a heavy, metallic bass with layered synthesizers, and the members' vocals cut through with relentless high notes.
The group described the song as a celebration of confidence, one that is "about shutting out the flood of external noise and returning fully to who you are," according to Moon Sua.
"We prepared this knowing it would be a stage only Billlie could pull off," Suhyeon said. "Every member was genuinely excited going into it."
The album takes on a dual-title track format, with "WORK" released alongside "ZAP." Built on a bass house foundation with industrial hip-hop textures, the hybrid track was co-written by Moon Sua, who said she wanted to capture the message of moving forward.
"The song itself drew me in, so I thought it would be fun to write for it," she said. "I tried to show the process of accepting yourself as you are, without pretending to be someone you're not. I'm glad that we get to show so many different sides of ourselves."
K-pop girl group Billlie performs during a press showcase at SBS Prism Tower in Seoul's Mapo District, Wednesday. Yonhap
The album features a total of 12 tracks, with seven new songs spanning multiple genres, four remix versions of existing tracks, and "DOMINO ~ butterfly effect," the title track from Billlie's first Japanese mini-album, re-recorded in Korean.
"I think the noise inside us can be what hurts us most," said Siyoon. "In the end, I believe you have to make sense of your own story first. Through this title track, I wanted to send the message that the answer is already within you."
Suhyeon closed with a note on the group's musicality.
"Beyond the performances, the songs themselves are genuinely strong. I hope listeners who have trusted Billlie, and those who have been waiting for our music, feel that this was worth the wait."