ASTRO, The Boyz, and ONF made their comebacks, with all of them using a refreshing concept to bring positive energy to the fans during the hot summer season and amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
All three K-pop boy groups achieved great results with their new releases, establishing themselves as the "Summer Kings" of K-pop.
On Aug. 11, the Korean media outlet Sports Chosun discussed the respective albums and achievements of ASTRO, The Boyz, and ONF.
ASTRO becoming the "Summer King" of K-pop with Their New Album "SWITCH ON"
On Aug. 2, ASTRO returned with their eighth mini-album, titled "SWITCH ON," which features the title song "After Midnight."
"SWITCH ON" portrays the past, present, and future of ASTRO who has been a group for six years. Since their debut, the sextet has been using a cool concept and showing a more mature side by expanding their worldview with every release.
What makes ASTRO's "SWITCH ON" a more meaningful album is that all members participated in writing and/or composing the songs, which tell their stories.
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In particular, the B-side track "Footsteps" (which was written by member Moonbin) illustrates ASTRO's journey, looking back on the memories shared with the members and hinting at the direction the group will take in the future.
Meanwhile, ASTRO's "SWITCH ON" swept the No. 1 spot on iTunes Album charts in a total of 37 countries. The album also achieved the group's second-highest first-week sales on the Hanteo Chart, after selling a total of 275,145 copies.
The Boyz Rising as the "Summer King" of K-pop with Their New Album "THRILL-ING"
On Aug. 9, The Boyz released their sixth mini-album, entitled "THRILL-ING." This is the group's first comeback since their participation in Mnet's "Kingdom: Legendary War" from April to June.
The Boyz's "THRILL-ING" is an omnibus album composed of various emotions that are all related to the theme of "thrilling."
The album's title track, "Thrill Ride," is a unique hip-hop-genre song with a rhythm changing consistently and delivers fresh energy to listeners. In the lyrics, the emotion of thrill is compared to an adrenaline-pumping amusement ride.
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The Boyz's "Thrill Ride" succeeded in entering various music charts, including landing on No. 1 on Bugs right after its release.
Moreover, the boy group proved their global popularity as "Thrill Ride" climbed to the top spot of iTunes Song charts in 35 countries around the world.
When it comes to album sales, The Boyz's "THRILL-ING" has already broken the group's first-week sales record on Hanteo in just three days.
As of Aug. 11, more than 230,000 copies were already sold, beating the record of 212,666 copies in the first week set by "CHASE."
ONF Turning into the "Summer King" of K-pop with Their New Album "POPPING"
ONF also made their comeback on Aug. 9 with their summer popup album, "POPPING," which features five songs including the title track of the same name.
In ONF's "POPPING," the songs depict the joy and sorrow of the summer season, from the exciting beginning of summer to the disappointment of the end of summer.
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ONF's summer album skyrocketed to the top of iTunes charts in 17 countries including Germany, Switzerland, and Singapore.
Concerning sales on the Hanteo Chart, ONF's "POPPING" has already sold more than 48,000 copies as of Aug. 10.
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Written by Mhaliya Scott
