Highlight, a group in its 17th year, is releasing its first album since the agreement on the Beast trademark.

On the afternoon of the 28th, a press conference celebrating the release of Highlight's sixth mini-album, 'From Real to Surreal', was held online.

'From Real to Surreal' is a new full album that Highlight is presenting for the first time in about a year, and Highlight intends to greet fans again this year, which marks the 16th anniversary of their debut, always as a supportive and realistic presence by their side.

The title track 'Chains' is a hip-hop genre song that begins with a fresh clarinet riff, written and composed by member Lee Gi-kwang. It conveys a tale of a crazy love that one falls into endlessly, even when trying to escape.

In particular, the pre-released track 'No Ending', which was released on the 16th, is a ballad track that allows fans to savor Highlight's vocal colors and served as a great prelude to the main album. 'No Ending' captured attention as it was released under the name 'Beast' for the first time in 9 years.

On this day, Lee Gi-kwang said, "It has been exactly 1 year and 1 month since we released a new album after 'Switch On'. I’ve been trying to show a different side to many people, and it has been enjoyable to create. I felt fun while working hard with the members and fans to create an amazing album."

Yoon Doo-joon also shared, "Even after 17 years, I still get nervous and excited every time we release an album. Highlight puts in a lot of effort every time we release an album. I want to thank everyone for being with us once again."

Regarding the new album, Lee Gi-kwang stated, "It carries the meaning of crossing between reality and the unreal, and consists of a total of four tracks. It is an album that embodies our desire to create both realistic and unreal music while always being by the side of our fans. I hope you listen a lot and show interest," and about the title track 'Chains', Son Dong-woon explained, "It's a song about a crazy love story that one falls into endlessly even when trying to escape. It’s a style of song we’ve never done before. The music video and choreography are all stylish, making it a visually enjoyable song."

Lee Gi-kwang, who was in charge of writing and composing the title track, said, "It was a lot of fun. The original theme for the title track wasn't like this. As I wrote the song, I focused on wanting to create a performance and a cool song for Highlight, so I submitted it with that in mind."

Lee Gi-kwang mentioned, "The company received it well; it was a song that had a lot of votes. I thought it would become a good track because it had a direction and distance, and Yoon Seob contributed a lot, saying, 'It seems like it can definitely go in a title-worthy direction.' Since that day, I worked hard on the arrangement without sleeping. The members listened well and I got lucky to make it the title track."

In addition, Lee Gi-kwang stated, "All the members absorbed their parts wonderfully and expressed them well, making it a great title track. I don't think there has ever been a song with this genre or sound in both Beast and Highlight's tracks. The song has a new charm, and I remember practicing it with the feeling of dancing to a style I had never tried before. There’s a charm that can be felt in something new."

What were they feeling after the negotiation over the 'Beast' trademark? Yang Yo-seob shared, "I feel really emotional. Just hearing the name Beast brings tears, and the song 'No Ending' is also a grateful song that allows us to restart a time that had temporarily stopped."

Yang Yo-seob continued, "Many people likely have memories of Beast, and it's a really great song, so I feel the pressure to present it live, and various emotions crossed my mind. I think it’s a historic moment."

Regarding their feelings about reclaiming the name, Yang Yo-seob said, "First of all, I am thankful to be able to preserve our Beauty members' memories. Rather than being a behind-the-scenes, the previous agency cooperatively negotiated, and the members' will was so strong that it seems that synergy produced this effect." He also expressed gratitude, saying, "With our strong will, it wouldn’t have been possible. I’m thankful for many people helping the current and former agencies have a good result, and I hope that we can build even better memories together, with Beast and Highlight as our names and Beauty and Light as names for our fans."

Since this album is being released after about a year, when asked about the goal for the album, Son Dong-woon replied, "I thought deeply, and realized this album is the 20th physical album overall. Even so, it still feels fresh, and through this album, I want to show that there’s still a burning passion and many things we still want to show, and I hope it will be an activity that can create fun memories."

However, during the comeback preparations, there were worries about member Yoon Doo-joon’s health due to his weight loss. In this regard, Yoon Doo-joon said, "It’s true that I lost weight. I have a good cost-performance ratio," adding, "Everyone worked hard on losing weight, but because of my facial structure, I tend to look like I’ve lost more weight; I describe it as a good cost-performance ratio. Everyone worked hard on their diet and exercise, but I just happened to lose facial weight more, to the point that some fans worry that I've lost too much. However, I'm in a healthier state than ever."

This shows how hard they have worked to prepare for this album. When asked about their motivation and points of interest regarding this album, Lee Gi-kwang expressed, "There is some self-satisfaction, but you must have satisfaction for the team in order to develop. I think it’s a developing group. They say if you stay stagnant, you rot. I believe that saying is correct, so I think the desire to show an amazing stage is what fuels that motivation."

Regarding points of interest, Lee Gi-kwang remarked, "When considering the overall picture and when viewing the coordination with the dancers, there are attempts we have never tried before, perhaps the sense of density when viewed from the front can be fulfilled, so please consider that aspect."

Finally, the members spoke about the secret of Highlight's teamwork as they celebrate their 16th anniversary. Yang Yo-seob said, "I think it’s the love the members have for the team. Even more than that, I believe it’s the greater love our fans show us by supporting us." Yoon Doo-joon remarked, "Personally, I hope that this little progress can inspire someone. Especially for the K-pop juniors who are fighting at the front lines, I believe that if we are to continue being loved for a long time, we need to have a sense of mission that what we are doing is remarkable."

Meanwhile, Highlight's sixth mini-album 'From Real to Surreal' can be listened to on various online music sites starting at 6 p.m. today (28th).

[Photo] Around Us

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