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| ▲ K-pop girl group Kep1er pose for photos during a showcase for its first full-length album "Kep1going On" held in Seoul on June 3, 2024. (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, June 3 (Yonhap) -- "Thanks to the precious time we’ve had for the past 2 years and 5 months and the immense love and support from our fans, we wanted to continue under the name Kep1er," said Choi Yu-jin.
During a showcase held on the 3rd in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, to celebrate the release of their first full-length album "Kep1going On," the girl group Kep1er shared their thoughts on renewing their contract. "The nine of us have been discussing our future since last year. We will always strive to show our best," they announced.
The members emphasized their strong bond, stating, "We’ve had many deep conversations, and because of the bond we’ve built, we will always support each other. We will continue as Kep1er with the heart of nine sisters, so please continue to support all of us."
On the 30th of last month, it was revealed that seven of the nine members—Choi Yu-jin, Xiaoting, Kim Chae-hyun, Kim Da-yeon, Hikaru, Huening Bahiyyih, and Seo Young-eun—renewed their contracts with the agency, excluding Mashiro and Kang Ye-seo.
Formed through the 2021 Mnet audition program "Girls Planet 999," Kep1er became the first group from such a program to extend their contract beyond the initial 2 years and 6 months of activity.
Kang Ye-seo, who will be leaving the group after this album, shared her feelings: "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the members as Kep1er. There might have been shortcomings, but we always gave our best. I hope everyone remembers that we are always nine sisters."
Kep1er's first full-length album "Kep1going On" celebrates the time spent with their fans and is described as a grand and joyous festival. It includes ten tracks, such as the title track "Shooting Star," "Last Carnival," "Curious," and "Double Up!"
Choi Yu-jin introduced the album, saying, "As it’s our first full-length album in Korea, we’ve poured all our efforts accumulated over the past 2.5 years into it. You can expect a variety of music."
Mashiro added, "Until now, we’ve shown energetic and powerful performances, but this time we focused more on emotions. You can listen to it comfortably while also noticing our musical growth."
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| ▲ K-pop girl group Kep1er pose for photos during a showcase for its first full-length album "Kep1going On" held in Seoul on June 3, 2024. (Yonhap) |
The title track "Shooting Star" is a synth-pop song that stands out for its dynamic progression and delicate emotional lines. It conveys a message of fearlessness in the darkness as long as we are together. Member Kim Da-yeon participated in creating the second verse rap.
Kim Da-yeon shared, "I recorded the rap during our Japanese schedule, sending it to the company and receiving feedback until the lyrics were finalized. It was exciting to incorporate my own story, and Hikaru did a great job delivering my part."
Debuting with their first mini-album "First Impact" in January 2022, Kep1er has released hit songs like "WA DA DA," establishing themselves as one of the leading fourth-generation girl groups loved in both Korea and Japan.
Next month, Kep1er will expand their overseas activities with a major concert in Japan.
"Thank you to the fans who have waited for a long time. We prepared diligently with you in mind. We have many songs to share through this album, so please look forward to it," said Xiaoting.
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