K-pop group NU’EST confirm first full-length album in seven years

K-pop group NU’EST have confirmed that they’re working on new music, set to be released as their first full-length album in April.

It’s a joyous day indeed when one of K-pop’s most enigmatic acts says that they are working on new music. Lucky for us, we get to be alive and bear witness to this moment. K-pop group NU’EST have announced their first full-length album in seven years, to be released in April of this year.

The news followed speculations made by South Korean publication Ilgan Sports, who reported earlier today that the group might be working on new music. NU’EST’s agency, Pledis Entertainment, later confirmed the rumors.

This will be NU’EST’s first studio album in seven years, and their second full-length work overall. Their last was 2014’s Re:BIRTH, coming two years after their debut. The group’s commercial performance plateaued in the years that followed, during which they made their Japanese debut and churned out underrated, but steady EPs.

In 2017, after speculations of disbandment abounded on the heels of commercially unsuccessful releases, four of the group members appeared on the music survival show Produce 101 Season 2. Their performances on the show resulted in a surge in the group’s popularity, with much of their discography finding renewed success.

At the end of the show, member Minhyun finished 11th among the participants, thus earning a spot in the temporary group Wanna One. The other four members continued releasing music during Minhyun’s absence, promoting as NU’EST W, with the W standing for ‘Wait’.

After Minhyun’s return in 2019, the group released their sixth EP Happily Ever After, spawning their hit single ‘Bet Bet’. This marked an upward trajectory in the band’s career, as ‘Bet Bet’ became their first Top 10 on the Billboard World Albums Chart.