U-KISS Comeback With 'Collage', Showcases Each Member

U-KISS is back this week with their third album, Collage.

Collage strikes a nice balance between dance pop and ballad, showing that U-KISS is not afraid to slow it down or step it up when the mood fancies.

The lead single "Standing Still" has powerful lyrics and separate parts for each member, giving them all a chance to shine. It was written and produced by Ryan Jhun who has worked with U-KISS for years.

It is also worth noting that a lot of the members are showcased in their own tracks.

Leader Soohyun sings "More Painful than Pain" with Hoon and their strong vocals make them a good pair for the melancholic ballad.

Kevin, too, shows off his talent in "My Reason," a pleasant ballad that gives him the much deserved opportunity to prove he is a voice to be reckoned with.

Even Eli and AJ have a track just to themselves. The two have not been known for their singing abilities, but "Party All the Time" is upbeat and catchy. It definitely suits their playful personalities and is a fun addition to Collage.

As a whole, the album is average, but shows a nice step forward for U-KISS who seem more focused and serious since their debut in 2008.

In an interview for Korea Today, Soohyun said, "This album is very powerful and sexy with somewhat melancholic lyrics." He then added that fans "will be able to see our members with an intense gaze expressing this concept."

Collage also marks the return of AJ to the group, who took a temporary leave of absence last August to study at Columbia University in New York.

The album release, comeback stages, and TV interviews have kept the U-KISS guys quite busy this week.

They did the rounds of all the music shows for their comeback stages, starting with Wednesday's Show Champion and ending with Music Core on Saturday.

They performed their new single, "Standing Still" as well as Soohyun and Hoon's duet ballad, and each performance was unique in its own way.

The seven members were dressed in white on Show Champion, red on Thursday's M! Countdown, blue for Music Bank Friday, and rounded out the week on Music Core in green.

They showed strong choreography with "Standing Still," although it was not especially unique.

The M! Countdown staging was particularly impressive, as it included fire effects in conjunction with the song's chorus, "Because I'm on fire."

Show Champion also aired a pre-taped interview with U-KISS where they discussed highlights from the new album and seemed eager to be back performing and promoting Collage.

Collage is the third full-length studio album for U-KISS and was released on March 7. It is available online and on CD.

You can watch U-KISS perform on Wednesday's Show Champion below.