AKMU has responded to fans' worriment about them being under YG Entertainment. The sibling duo had a listening session for their new album "Sailing," which is their first release after more than two years of hiatus because of Lee Chan Hyuk's enlistment in the military.
In an interview at an event, AKMU was not able to avoid questions regarding YG Entertainment being surrounded by a number of scandals this year. Some fans even expressed their desires that AKMU would depart from the company.
The duo answered, "We understand what our fans are bothered about. We are also arguing about this matter. However, the people that we are working with are outstanding individuals. We have stayed up all night for many days as we work on the album in a bright environment, so in the meantime, we would like to focus more on being happy and giving great results."
AKMU also addressed a statement that some didn't expect them to sign with a big label like YG Entertainment, and stated, "Within the agency, we are free to do whatever we would like to. For example, a friend assisted us in making the cover of our new album." "A lot of our thoughts are taken into consideration, and what the company does is to provide the funds," they added.
Also during the conference, Chan Hyuk revealed that he penned all the tracks of the new album while he was aboard a ship and worked on it for a month. He stated, "The reason why the songs perfectly fit the concept 'Sailing' is that they were all composed while I was sailing in the ocean."
Furthermore, the duo announced that they would now go with the name AKMU as a symbol of their growth, as their first name translates to "mischievous child." Lee Soo Hyun said, "We are now both adults, so we removed the 'dong' to stick with 'AKMU' so we won't be limited in our music in the future."
AKMU's third full album "SAILING" has been released. KST together with its title track "How Can I Love The Heartbreak, You're The One I Love." While Chan Hyuk is the one behind the writing of the lyrics, Soo Hyun is the one who arranged the track "Goodbye," which marks her first participation among their albums.
The album was well-received by the public that its songs dominated seven major music streaming platforms.