Using the old team name Beast after 9 years, the veteran group reflects on its 17-year-long journey
This year marks a milestone for the long-running boy group Highlight.
Not only is the group celebrating its 17th year, it has also released new music under its original name, Beast, for the first time in nine years.
The four-member group dropped its sixth EP "Real to Surreal" on Monday, its first release in over a year. Prior to the album's launch, the group released the prerelease track "Endless Ending" under the name Beast on April 16.
Since leaving its former agency Cube Entertainment in 2017 without securing the trademark rights to the name Beast, the group had promoted as Highlight under agency Around Us Entertainment. While the members plan to continue using the name Highlight to avoid confusion, simply being able to use the name Beast again holds deep meaning for the group's longtime fans.
"Just hearing the name Beast still brings tears to my eyes," said Yang Yo-seob during a press conference Monday. "I’m so happy we can preserve the memories we’ve built with our fans. Cube Entertainment was very cooperative in the discussions and the members’ strong will helped create great synergy."
The new mini album includes four tracks: the prerelease song "Endless Ending," the main track "Chains," and B-sides "Good Day to You" and "Follow Me."
The main track "Chains" is a hip-hop song that starts with a clarinet riff and flows with a minimalistic yet addictive sound, depicting a story of a maddening love one cannot escape from.
Lee Gi-kwang, who participated in writing and composing the main track, emphasized, "We’ve never explored this kind of sound or genre before, either as Beast or Highlight." He added that they worked hard to showcase a fresh new style both musically and choreographically.
Speaking further about the choreography, Lee explained, "When syncing with the dancers, we incorporated formations we hadn’t tried before."
Son Dong-woon, who debuted as the group’s youngest member while still in high school and is now in his mid-30s, pointed out that "Real to Surreal" marks the group’s 20th physical album release.
When asked about the secret behind staying together for 17 years, Lee replied, "I believe people and groups grow only when they keep moving forward. If you stay stagnant, you’ll eventually rot. We want to continue improving and to deliver great music."
Leader Yoon Doo-joon said, "If even a small part of our efforts to move forward can inspire someone, especially the next generation of K-pop idols on the frontlines, it might help K-pop continue to thrive for a long time. We feel a strong sense of responsibility and will keep working hard with that in mind."
jy@heraldcorp.com
