Photo = YX LABELS

 

[Hanteo News = Reporter KANG SUYOUNG] &TEAM, who had been running forward, stopped and brought out their emotions.

&TEAM held a showcase for the release of its 2nd Korean mini album ‘Mark on Me’ at SBS Prism Tower on the 8th and talked about the new album. After leaving a powerful first impression with strong energy and sharp choreography during their first Korean promotion, the group has returned this time in a completely different way. TAKI said, “Until last time, we showed a lot of strong energy and a running-forward image, but this time, I hope we can show &TEAM’s deep emotions and more mature side,” adding, “We will work hard so that people can say, ‘&TEAM suits this kind of thing well too.’”

The title track ‘Mark on Me’ best shows that change. In YUMA’s words, it is “a song that begins with a calm piano accompaniment, then becomes richer in sound and stronger in emotion as it moves toward the chorus.”

“When I first heard it, I was honestly surprised and thought, ‘This is the title track?’ Still, I thought that who we are now would be able to express this song well and also show how much we have grown. This time, I hope you pay close attention to how each member expresses this song.” (YUMA)

The performance also changed. K said, “Until now, with ‘Back to Life’ and ‘We on Fire,’ we showed strong energy and sharp choreography, but for this ‘Mark on Me,’ we paid a lot of attention to expressing the song’s atmosphere through our vocals, gazes, and facial expressions.”

“We worked hard to make sure that even if the nine of us are not showing it through big movements, we can still convey that we are expressing the same thing. If I had to choose one point, it would be the dance break in the outro. It felt fresh because it was our first time doing a dance break while letting go of strength. I think we will be able to show a different side of &TEAM from what we have shown so far.” (K)

FUMA also shared that during the recording process, he “paid attention even to small details such as breathing sounds.” Regarding the difficulties he experienced while practicing emotional expression, he said, “I watched and learned a lot from videos of SHINee’s TAEMIN sunbaenim, whom I personally respect.”

Behind the musical change is also the evolution of the group’s worldview. HARUA explained, “Until now, we told the story of boys growing by overcoming things alone and taking on challenges, but this time, it is the story of a wolf boy meeting one person.”

“Because that person accepts the scars and wounds the boy has exactly as they are, the boy also slowly opens his heart and grows. While preparing the album, I think we focused on that change.” (HARUA)

“To describe it in one phrase, I think it is an album that can leave a long-lasting mark on each other’s hearts. It contains not only the image of a strong wolf, but also the process of opening one’s heart after meeting the only person who acknowledges them, so I would be grateful if you pay attention to that.” (NICHOLAS)

When asked about the goal for this promotion, JO’s answer stood out. It was a clear goal, but the emotion contained in it was much more personal.

“I really want to win No. 1 on Inkigayo, where EJ hyung is an MC. During our last promotion, we won No. 1 on several music shows, but we have not yet done so on Inkigayo. If we become No. 1 and EJ hyung personally calls out our name, I think it would become a truly special moment for us and LUNÉ, our fandom.” (JO)

 

Photo = YX LABELS

 

Their ambitions for the stage were also bold. &TEAM completed its Belluna Dome concert two days ago, and the group is also scheduled to perform at KSPO DOME in October.

“For a long time, we promised LUNÉ that we would meet them on a dome stage, so I was happy that we were able to meet fans at a dome so quickly. I also want to work hard so that we can enjoy ourselves with many fans at even bigger venues going forward.” (EJ)

“Among &TEAM’s songs, I think there are many that would suit festivals well, so I want to perform at Lollapalooza as &TEAM. I am looking forward to it because I think we would fit so well.” (MAKI)

“When we went to LA in the U.S. last time, we felt the energy of the local fans, and it was really impressive. We realized that there are people waiting for &TEAM even in places we have never been to, so I think it made us want even more to go to countries and regions we have not been to yet and perform there.” (K)

“We are also scheduled to perform at KSPO DOME in October. We will work hard so that we can use this opportunity to express our gratitude to Korean LUNÉ, who have waited for us and supported us for such a long time.” (HARUA)

&TEAM is HYBE’s first global group, which began activities in Japan in 2022 before officially debuting in Korea in 2025. Leader EJ spoke about the time the group has spent working tirelessly under that title.

“It is such an honor to have the title of HYBE’s first global group, and in order to live up to it, we have really worked hard to create new music that only we can do. In order to narrow the gap between the music K-POP fans expect and the music we can show, we have tried various genres of music, found the music and performance styles that suit &TEAM, and continued studying how to maximize and show &TEAM’s charms in every promotion.” (EJ)

&TEAM’s 2nd Korean mini album ‘Mark on Me’ will be released today (8th) at 6 PM. Attention is focused on how far the mark &TEAM leaves, from running forward to emotion, will reach.

 

grace@hanteo.com

 

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