From Zico to GD: Powerful solo artists are coming
Powerful solo artists are emerging as formidable contenders in the competitive world of K-pop, showcasing firepower not unlike that of groups
“Digital powerhouse” Zico is gearing up for a comeback by the end of this month. Celebrating his 10th debut anniversary this year, he plans to release a new album after two years.
Especially noteworthy about this upcoming release is the news that BLACKPINK’s Jennie will participate in featuring and appearing in the music video. Although Zico’s agency KOZ Entertainment cautiously stated “It’s difficult to confirm“, fans are eagerly anticipating the “meeting of the century” between “Digital King” and “Digital Queen”. Additionally, Zico has been appointed as the new MC for KBS2’s late-night music talk show “The Seasons”, promising to engage in a comprehensive range of activities throughout the year.
MAMAMOO’s Solar will also make a solo comeback after two years. On April 8th, the agency RBW announced that Solar’s second mini-album “COLOURS” will be released on April 30th. Solar debuted as a solo artist in 2020 with her first single “Spit It Out”, revealing a unique identity as a solo singer with her bold shaved head fashion at the time. Following this, in March 2022, through her new song “Honey”, she solidified her position as a solo singer with a vivid color contrasting with the cute song. With her upcoming new song, attention once again focuses on Solar’s distinctive “color” that she will showcase.
EXO’s D.O. will return as a solo singer on May 7th with his 3rd mini-album “BLOSSOM”. Including the title track “Mars”, the album contains a total of six songs and marks D.O.’s first album under his new agency after leaving SM Entertainment. Alongside the album release, he will embark on his first solo tour across 11 Asian countries.
The latter half of this year anticipates the emergence of G-Dragon and Jennie. G-Dragon, who announced his new start with Galaxy Corporation at the end of last year, revealed through his New Year’s greetings, “I will be meeting you through various activities. An album is also in the works.” While specific schedules have not been disclosed, his agency raised expectations by stating, “He is scheduled to make a comeback in the latter half of the year.“
Jennie is also set to release her first solo album after leaving YG Entertainment. Last month, Jennie’s label ODD ATELIER stated, “She is currently working on the album.” Regarding a June comeback, they mentioned, “The timing has not been confirmed.”
NCT’s Doyoung and (G)I-DLE’s Yuqi are also throwing their hats into the solo ring.
Doyoung will debut as a solo artist on April 22nd with his first mini-album “YOUTH”, containing various emotions generated within the waves of youth. He will showcase his songwriting and composing skills for the first time since his debut with tracks like “Beginning” and “From Little Wave”.
Following him, on April 23rd, Yuqi will release her first mini-album “YUQ1”, including the title track “FREAK” and a total of seven songs that she directly participated in writing and composing. Amid (G)I-DLE’s advancement on the music charts with the new song “Fate”, attention is also drawn to Yuqi’s transformation as she steps out solo after six years since her debut.
