10 March Releases To Have On Your Radar

From Left(L) to Right (L): RED VELVET’S Irene, STRAY KIDS Bang Chan, (G)-IDLE’s Soyeon

“GANADARA”- Jay Park Feat. IU

Late last year, hip-hop and R&B pioneer Jay Park shocked fans around the world after announcing his departure as the CEO of leading labels AOMG and H1GHR Music (the latter being a joint venture between Park and American producer Cha Cha Malone). Though the hip-hop megastar’s announcement was shortly followed by the release of “To Life”— a poignant single that mapped out his 18-year long entire career — fans were unsure about Park’s next move.

Fast forward to 2022. Park breaks the internet with the announcement of a brand-new entertainment agency called MORE VISION. Under his new venture, Park is all set to release his first collaborative single “GANADARA,” featuring K-pop’s leading soloist IU. Scheduled to release on Friday, March 11th, “GANADARA” has quickly become one of the most anticipated releases of the month. From the concept to soundscape and more, fans are eagerly waiting to see what this new chapter in Park’s life leads up to.

I NEVER DIE – (G)I-DLE

Hailed for their concepts and empowering lyricism, (G)I-DLE’s upcoming first full-length album I NEVER DIE marks the group’s first comeback as a quintet following former member Soojin’s departure from the group. With concept photos and a highlight medley rolled out, the group seems to have adopted a rebellious, spunky concept with a compelling genre-blend of R&B, pop-rock, lo-fi, pop-ballad and more, the eight-track album will be forayed by the lead single “Tomboy” that’s co-written and produced by the group’s leader Soyeon, and will be released on March 14th.

 Refuge – ASTRO’S MOONBIN & SANHA 

Shortly after redeeming themselves from a broken heart in the low-tempo R&B, pre-release single “Ghost Town,” the duo are all set to drop their sophomore EP Refuge. The forthcoming release marks their first comeback since their September 2020 EP IN-OUT. Reflecting on a hollow relationship, Moonbin and Sanha become the mouthpieces of a lone protagonist brooding over the loss of a partner, the single served as an epilogue story for the duo’s forthcoming EP.

ASTRO’S MOONBIN & SANHA’s Refuge is set to release on March 15th.

VOYAGER – MONSTA X’s KIHYUN 

Although Kihyun has lent his vocals on five OSTs, VOYAGER will mark the singer-songwriter’s solo debut. Slated to release on March 15th at 6 PM KST, the singles album will comprise three tracks: “Voyager” (lead single), “Comma,” and “Rain.” Through an array of concept photos and a mood sampler, KIHYUN taps into his sophisticated, elegant side, exuding delicate, dreamy energy.

容 : FACE – MAMAMOO SOLAR

Following her solo debut single “Spit It Out” from 2021, singer-songwriter and MAMAMOO’s leader Solar is ready to reveal a new facet of her artistry with her first EP 容 : FACE. Set to release on March 16th, the EP features five songs, three of which the vocalist composed, and four of which she penned down the lyrics for. Lead by “Honey,” the remaining tracks include “RAW,” ”chap chap,” “Big Booty,” and “zinggle zinggle.” An intriguing trailer titled Face My Persona, paints a picture of an ominous setting with SOLAR releasing pent-up anger as she smashes an unknown object with a hammer.

Needle & Bubble – NU’EST

Late last month, Pledis Entertainment announced the expiration of NU’EST’s contracts. In a statement released by the entertainment company, it was revealed that members JR, Aron, and Ren shared a mutual agreement on exiting the company whereas Baekho and Minhyun proceeded with renewing their contracts. This news was shortly followed by a surprise comeback announcement. Titled Needle & Bubble, NU’EST’s ‘the best’ album will honor the group’s 10th anniversary with a handpicked compilation of tracks that best describes the group’s artistic growth and relationship with their fans over the past decade. 

History Of Kingdom: Part Ⅳ Dann – KINGDOM

Hailed for their intricate historic concepts, KINGDOM has made quite the noise since their debut in 2021. With four EPs under their belt each focused on a different member, the septet is ready to make their comeback- this time with an album centered around member DANN. With a visual film and concept photos in place, the group relies on the sonically cohesive mix of traditional Korean music and modern K-Pop sound to support the overall theme of the album and music video. 

Watch the latest chapter in the group’s discography unfold on March 17th.

ODDINARY – STRAY KIDS

After making a thunderous comeback with NOEASY early last year, K-pop powerhouse STRAY KIDS is all set to celebrate their unique aural style with ODDINARY (a clever wordplay of ‘odd’ and ‘ordinary’ — a signature style we last saw with NOEASY which derived from the word noisy). The upcoming sixth Korean-language EP will mark as the first release under Republic Records after the group entered an exclusive contract with the label in February. 

Primarily written and produced by the group’s production unit 3RACHA (Bang Chan, Changbin and Han), the seven-track EP comprises five group tracks (“Venon,” “Maniac,” “Charmer,” “Freeze” and “Lonely St”) and two unit tracks (Bang Chan, Lee Know, Seungmin, I.N’s “Waiting For Us” and “Muddy Water” by Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix)

Following the genre-blending and audacious music production explored in NOEASY, all eyes are on STRAY KIDS to see where they’ll take their distinctive, non-duplicable sonic style. 

The ReVe Festival 2022 – Feel My Rhythm – RED VELVET

Headed towards the station of spring releases, SM Entertainment’s Red Velvet are ready to drop a unique sound, blending modern and classical music, this month. Sampling Bach’s “Air On The G String,” the forthcoming EP’s lead track “Feel My Rhythm” fuses classical and trap sounds, fashioning a unique sound. Scheduled to release on March 21st, the group has teased the release through a series of vintage-esque concept photos, with members donned in ballerina-inspired outfits and dreamy make-up looks.

GLITCH MODE – NCT DREAM

Throwing their hats into the ring of comebacks, NCT DREAM will be releasing their second full-length album GLITCH MODE on March 28th. Produced by Dem Jointz (who has previously worked with several SM artists including NCT 127), the upcoming album follows their double-million album Hot Sauce and its repackaged version, Hello Future. 

In a teaser GIF released online, the group applies various font styles and designs to the album title. While some draw inspiration from retro aesthetics, others embody the literal meaning of glitch, through the inclusion of static TV noise into the design.