▲ This photo provided by YG Entertainment on Feb. 15, 2022, shows its boy group TREASURE. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

TREASURE-new album

TREASURE returns after hiatus with album packed with youthful spirit

By Shim Sun-ah

SEOUL, Feb. 15 (Yonhap) -- K-pop rookie TREASURE appeared all set Tuesday to charge toward the top of the local music scene with its upcoming album brimming with youthfulness and vigor, just like the title of its lead song, "Jikjin," which means "going straight forward."

"We're happy because we have finally come to be able to talk about the album," team leader and rapper Choi Hyun-suk said during an online press conference held to promote the group's first EP album set to be released at 6 p.m.

"We've been busy preparing for our comeback and were so tired that when we lay down to sleep, we fell asleep right away. But yesterday, all members stayed up late sharing pleasant thoughts with glittery eyes. We now stand here, filled with excitement and anticipation," he said.

"The Second Step: Chapter One" is the first release from the group, managed by YG Entertainment, in about a year after its first full-length album, "The First Step: Treasure Effect." The forthcoming album also marks the start of a new album series under the common title "The Second Step" after "The First Step" series composed of three single albums and one full-length album.

Co-leader Jihoon said the team has worked very hard to make the one-year hiatus worth the wait for many K-pop fans.

"We tried to show the true colors of TREASURE," he said, adding that all the members were so passionate about the album's production that they participated in the rap-making and the writing of lyrics all together.

When asked to explain how the new album is different from the group's previous releases, Choi said the album is the result of the group's ongoing efforts to grow from a new group radiating its fresh and boyish charms.

"Compared to last year, the tone of our voices has matured and changed," he added. 

▲ This photo provided by YG Entertainment on Feb. 15, 2022, shows its boy group TREASURE. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Still, the lead song "Jikjin," unveiled to media before its official release, was fully charged with the rookie group's youthfulness and energy.

Choi said he instantly knew it would be the main track when he first listened to the song last year.

"I thought, 'This is it. This song is irreplaceable,' upon listening to it," he recalled. "We wanted to make an impactful comeback after one year away, and it was the most YG-like and TREASURE-like song."

The youngest member So Jung-hwan agreed, saying, "I felt we had finally found the right clothes for us and was immediately gripped by the song."

The album is expected to become a hit, with its preorders already having surpassed 600,000 copies, a record for the group.

Asked about whether they had any goal, Japanese member Yoshi answered that he and his teammates hoped to score their first-ever win on TV music chart programs with the album.

"I had this imagination to hit No. 1 on music chart shows a lot," another member Bang Ye-dam said. "We'd once prepared an acceptance speech in case we top a chart but didn't have a chance to use it because we came in second place."

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