RIIZE releases emotional acoustic single 'Insomnia'
A promotional image of RIIZE's new digital single "Insomnia" / Courtesy of SM Entertainment
Boy band to hold 4-day fan event in Seoul, perform on weekly music shows
K-pop boy band RIIZE released its new digital single, “Insomnia,” Monday, launching a week of promotional activities that includes a fan event and appearances on television music programs.
The single and its music video were released at midnight, according to the group’s agency, SM Entertainment.
“Insomnia” is an acoustic pop track built around a lyrical guitar sound. Set against a quiet, lonely mood, the song features restrained yet plaintive vocals. Its lyrics depict thoughts that grow sharper as the night deepens and the complex emotions that branch out from them.
The music video tells the stories of people who cannot fall asleep through cinematic direction. Produced in a drama-style format, it shows the six members, Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Sohee and Anton, acting out emotional roles suited to their individual characters.
To celebrate the release, RIIZE is hosting an interactive fan event titled RIIZE into INSOMNIA at Space S50 in Seongsu-dong through Thursday. The trendy eastern Seoul neighborhood is widely known among international visitors as a hub for fashion, boutique cafes and pop-up stores,
Each day offers a different program, ranging from stage performances and talk sessions to an exhibition and hands-on activities. Monday’s session, which begins at 11 p.m., will be livestreamed worldwide on RIIZE’s official YouTube channel.
The group will then perform “Insomnia” on Korea’s weekly televised music programs, which feature live performances and rank songs by popularity. RIIZE is set to appear on KBS2’s “Music Bank” on Oct. 30, MBC’s “Show! Music Core” on Oct. 31 and SBS’ “Inkigayo” on Nov. 1.
The members earlier described the song’s harmonies as its “killing part,” a term K-pop fans use for a song’s most memorable section.
“Our voices seem to create good synergy with each other,” they said.
The single comes ahead of RIIZE’s second full-length album, “EMOTIION,” slated for release in spring 2027. The group debuted in September 2023 with the single album “Get A Guitar.”
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.