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| K-pop boy group Teen Top / Captured from Twitter |
Comebacks ahead for Teen Top, INFINITE, SHINee, UKISS
By Dong Sun-hwa
A slew of second-generation K-pop girl groups like Girls' Generation and KARA, who enjoyed their glory days from the late 2000s to the early 2010s, took the music scene by storm last year after making much-awaited comebacks. This summer, second-generation boy groups will pick up the baton and evoke nostalgia with their retro vibes.
Teen Top, best known for its hits like, "No More Perfume On You" (2011)" and "To You" (2012), will drop a new album in July. The exact release date has been kept under wraps.
The group was brought back to the spotlight after appearing on popular MBC variety show, "Hangout with Yoo" in March. Marking the 13th anniversary of its debut, Teen Top took the stage with a series of popular songs and became the talk of the town on YouTube, with a video featuring its performances surpassing more than 1.6 million views as of Sunday.
According to its management company, TOP Media, the group's upcoming album will include some new tracks and re-recorded versions of its old hits.
Teen Top currently consists of Chunji, Niel, Ricky and Changjo. Two members ― C.A.P and L.Joe ― quit the act earlier this month and in 2017, respectively. The group burst onto the music scene with the album, "Come Into The World" in 2010.
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| K-pop boy group INFINITE / Courtesy of Woollim Entertainment |
Boy group INFINITE, which debuted in the same year as Teen Top, is also preparing to return as a sextet. Its current members are Kim Sung-kyu, Jang Dong-woo, Nam Woo-hyun, Lee Sung-yeol, L and Lee Sung-jong. They recently set up their own record label called, "INFINITE Company," which is helmed by Kim Sung-kyu.
Best known for its breakthrough hit, "Be Mine" (2011), INFINITE was created by Woollim Entertainment in 2010. It had been under Woollim for several years, but the members recently terminated contracts with the company. In a rare move, Woollim's founder Lee Jung-yeop transferred the naming rights of INFINITE to the group, showing his support for its independence. This is an unusual case in the K-pop industry where agencies often keep the naming rights for themselves, leading groups to take new names.
INFINITE is scheduled to hold a special live party with its fans on June 9 in celebration of the 13th anniversary of its debut. Although details have not been disclosed, the now sextet is expected to make a comeback soon after almost five years on hiatus.
Another act in the star-studded lineup is SHINee. With the return of its youngest member Taemin, who completed his mandatory military service on April 4, the SM Entertainment act plans to roll out its eighth full-length album in the second quarter of this year. Prior to putting out an album, SHINee is poised to hold a fan event at the KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province on May 27, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of its debut.
UKISS, the band that rose to stardom with its catchy tune, "Man Man Ha Ni" (2009), will also put out its new mini-album next month, more than five years after the release of "Ready For U." This year marks the 15th anniversary of its debut.
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