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| HYBE's first Japanese boy group, &TEAM / Courtesy of HYBE |
&TEAM debuts with album 'First Howling : ME'
By Dong Sun-hwa
A growing number of K-pop powerhouses are launching groups mostly consisting of Japanese members to target Japan, the world's second-biggest recorded music market. HYBE, home to K-pop titan BTS, has also jumped on the bandwagon.
Its first predominantly Japanese boy group, &TEAM, made its much-anticipated debut with the album, "First Howling : ME," Wednesday. According to HYBE, the rookie act will be based in Japan but will be active in different countries.
HYBE's chairman Bang Si-hyuk has teamed up with the creative minds behind BTS and Tomorrow X Together (TXT) ― another HYBE boy band that debuted in 2019 ― to produce a debut album for &TEAM. It is made up of seven Japanese members (K, Fuma, Yuma, Jo, Harua, Taki and Maki), one Korean member (EJ) and one Taiwanese member (Nicholas).
"'First Howling : ME' is about a journey of the nine boys who have just realized that they crave challenges and growth,'" HYBE said in a statement, Wednesday.
Leading the album is "Under the skin," a track fusing the sounds of emo-punk and hip-hop. It centers on the moment when the members first get to know each other after hearing mysterious howls. Some of its lyrics read: "I want to meet you" / "I want to resonate with you."
"'Under the Skin' reveals the nonet's musical identity," HYBE explained. "All nine members have distinctive characters, but will make one team and connect different parts of the world."
The "Under the Skin" music video, which was unveiled on YouTube on Nov. 22, has racked up more than 4 million views as of Wednesday. &TEAM members already premiered the song on the Japanese music show, "Best Artist 2022," on Dec. 3, garnering positive reviews from the viewers for their singing and dancing prowess.
"First Howling : ME" offers three more tracks: "Scent of you," "BUZZ LOVE" and "The Final Countdown (&TEAM ver.)"
"Scent of you" is a modern reinterpretation of the early 2000s' new jack swing genre, and it depicts the moment of love. "BUZZ LOVE" is also a tune about a boy in love, but has more bubbly melodies and adorable lyrics. HYBE chairman Bang participated in its creative process, the company said.
"The Final Countdown (&TEAM ver.)" is the song featured in "&AUDITION ― The Howling," an audition program that aired from July to September this year to pick five more members for &TEAM. The four members ― K, Nicholas, EJ and Taki ― were already confirmed to make a debut before the show's launch, thanks to their performance on the 2020 survival show, "I-LAND." The program gave birth to popular K-pop boy band ENHYPEN, which is represented by Belift Lab, a joint venture formed by HYBE and the Korean entertainment company CJ ENM.
"'The Final Countdown (&TEAM ver.) is a song for everyone willing to tackle a new challenge," HYBE said.
&TEAM is scheduled to hold its debut showcase at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium on Thursday, inviting some 10,000 fans. The event will be livestreamed on YouTube.
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