It really is the gift that keeps on giving. From BTS to NCT Dream, here are some K-pop comebacks we’re looking forward to in May.
Comeback season is well and truly upon us guys. May has set in and, like the gift that keeps on giving, we’re gearing up to only be slammed by comebacks left, right and center. Would we have it any other way, though? Not really.
While we’ll check out all the new music that is coming our way, here are some K-pop releases that we are particularly looking forward to.
BTS
The minute BTS announced the title for their single — ‘Butter’ — we all dove into our arsenal of memes and crack videos. Way to make us lose our minds, boys.
After the historic run of ‘Dynamite’ last year — the peak of which was their Grammy nomination in the Best Pop/Duo Performance category — ‘Butter’ is going to be their next single to be entirely in English. The group has already started dropping teasers and clues, and I, for one, cannot wait.
TAEMIN
TAEMIN slayed us all last year with his back to back dual albums, Never Gonna Dance Again Part 1 and Part 2, which, in true Taemin-fashion, dove into the dark recesses of his psyche and analyzed his relationship with his art. Outside of being a soloist, however, his life hasn’t slowed down: he just made two comebacks with SHINee, first with their album Don’t Call Me, and later with the repackaged version Atlantis.
And now, we’re all set to say goodbye to Taemin for two years. On May 31st, SHINee’s youngest will enlist in the military as part of South Korea’s mandatory military conscription, but not before he leaves us with one last gift: his third mini-album Advice, arriving May 18th. This one is bittersweet, but we’ll hold on to this until he’s back.
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aespa
With their intersection of technology and music, the hype around aespa was insane last year. After all, not everyday you get to see a K-pop act with AI members. If you missed the gig, here’s a lowdown: the four members of aespa have virtual, AI avatars, all of whom are independent entities in their own rights. aespa opened with the explosive ‘Black Mamba’, which not only introduced us to their zany world, but also wormed its way into our hearts, thanks to its addictive hooks.
Now, one of K-pop’s most anticipated rookies are gearing up for a comeback in May, and we’re waiting at the edge of our seats to see what they’ll bring forward.
TXT
How can we forget TXT, the K-pop group who got us through last summer with music as vibrant as the vigor of the youth they embody? Yes, we waxed poetic, but TXT are just that good. One of the fourth generation’s most loved quintets is starting a new era in their musical career. After the hugely successful The Dream Chapter series, the group is coming back with The Chaos Chapter: Freeze at the end of May. So yeah, we’re tucking in and watching them fly us away to another magical land this year.
NCT Dream
The last on this list is a group everyone’s been looking forward to for a long time. After doing away with the graduation system and making NCT Dream a permanent sub-unit of NCT, the seven members of NCT Dream reunited on 2020’s NCT Resonance’s ‘Déjà Vu’, signifying Mark’s official return to the group.
Their next album, Hot Sauce, coming May 10th, will be their first musical venture after ‘Déjà Vu’ as an established unit. Teasers have already kicked off the era, MarkHyuck have addressed their supposed “summer fight” of 2017 (they were confused about center positions, that’s all folks!), and all might be right with the world.
You can read more about this topic on the Asia Pop Observer.
