The return of 1st- and 2nd-generation boy group members

Boy group members who dominated an era have signaled their return. From H.O.T., who commanded the ‘Oppa Army’ in the 1990s, TVXQ, SHINee, 1st- and 2nd-generation male idol group members are preparing for a solo comeback. With girl groups dominating the music industry in this summer, fans' expectations are growing as the return of the boy group members is making headlines.

The first is Key, a member of SHINee, a long-running group that debuted 15 years ago. Key released his second full-length album ‘Gasoline’ on Wednesday. This is the first album released in three years and nine months since the 1st full-length album ‘Face.’ In addition to the title song ‘Gasoline,’ 11 songs such as ‘Bound’ and ‘Villain’ are included. Immediately after its release, the album topped the iTunes ‘Top Album Chart’ in 23 countries including Finland, Brazil, Australia, Chile, and Russia. The title song is a hip-hop dance song featuring rhythmic drums and magnificent brass, and Key participated as the lyricist. Key said at a press conference on Wednesday, "I don’t mind talking about love, but now is the time to add autobiographical elements to promote the album's vitality."

Key's comeback is followed by H.O.T.'s main vocalist Kangta. He will make a comeback on the 7th of this month with his 4th full album “Eyes on You” to celebrate the 26th anniversary of his debut. As it is the 26th anniversary album, the release date of the album also was decided to fall on his debut date. It is the first full-length album to be released in 17 years since the 3rd full-length album “Persona” released in 2005, raising the expectations of fans. Kangta, who made his debut with H.O.T.'s first full-length album on September 7, 1996, introduced various hit songs as a solo singer even after the group disbanded, such as “Polaris” and “Evergreen Tree.”

Kim Jaejoong, a former member of TVXQ, will return with his third full-length album “BORN GENE” on Sept. 13 This is the first full-length album to be released in six years since the second full-length album, “Knox” in 2016. Kim Jaejoong plans to perform at his concert touring Asian countries including Malaysia and Thailand starting in Seoul in September.


Jae-Hee Kim jetti@donga.com