Former iKon member B.I to release first solo full-length album

Singer B.I will release first full-length album “WATTERFALL” on June 1. Courtesy of 131LABEL

By Lee Gyu-lee

B.I, a former member of K-pop boy group iKon whose real name is Kim Han-bin, will release his first full-length album since he left the group over a drug scandal in 2019.

The artist's agency 131LABEL announced that his solo album “WATERFALL” will come out June 1, at 6 p.m. unveiling a video of him performing the title track.

“The lyrics of WATERFALL are part of B.I's personal story and about how he is going to move forward in his life,” the agency said. “Rather than passing over his past wrongful deeds, B.I will show himself making amends as a member of society, in new musical ways.”

The album will consist of 12 songs in total, including the lead track “illa illa,” “Remember me,” and “STAY.”

As this is his first solo album in a seven-year K-pop career, the album will cover stories about his life and the time he took off since the scandal, the agency said.

B.I debuted as a leader of the seven-piece group iKon in 2015 with its song “MY TYPE,” which garnered enormous popularity. The group instantly shot to stardom as YG Entertainment's first boy band since WINNER, releasing several hit songs such as “Rhythm Ta” and “Love Scenario.”

The singer made headlines in 2019 following allegations of him smoking marijuana, leading him to leave the group in June that year.

During the police investigation, he partially admitted to some of the suspicions that he bought marijuana from an acquaintance and smoked it in 2016.

Yang Hyun-suk, the former head of YG, was also investigated over allegations that he attempted to cover up B.I's drug use by pressuring the acquaintance to recant statements she had made to the police.

After parting with YG, B.I became the executive director at an entertainment agency IOK Company and founded his own label 131LABEL under the agency in 2020.

He picked up his music career in January this year, featuring in hip-hop trio Epik High's song. He officially kicked off as a soloist in March with a special EP release “LOVE STREAMING,” the proceeds of which were donated to the humanitarian organization World Vision International.