[CELEB] Boy band Highlight continues to shine

K-pop

Published: 23 Mar. 2022, 16:40 Updated: 07 Jun. 2022, 14:08

[CELEB] Boy band Highlight continues to shine

A promotional photograph for Highlight's first full-length album ″Daydream,″ which dropped Monday. From left, Yoon Du-jun, Yang Yo-seop, Lee Gi-kwang and Son Dong-woon. [AROUND US ENTERTAINMENT]

Highlight has been in the music industry for 14 years but only released its first full-length album this week.

The boy band, which used to be known as Beast, dropped “Daydream” on Monday.

It is the band’s first full-length album since rebranding itself as Highlight in 2017, after the members’ contracts ended with their original agency Cube Entertainment.

In an online press conference on Monday, the four band members Yoon Du-jun, Yang Yo-seop, Lee Gi-kwang and Son Dong-woon were as energetic as a rookie group, making it hard to believe they've already had over a decade of experience.

“It’s really meaningful that we’ve finally released our full-length album, considering that time keeps ticking away,” Yoon said. “It’s something to be thankful about.”

The title “Daydream” refers to how Highlight and its fans are sharing the same dream together. The band revealed that the members repeatedly got together to discuss what kind of music the fans would want to hear and how it would perform the songs and the choreography.

The title track is a dance song but its lyrics are about not wanting to live in a world without a loved one; therefore not wanting to wake up from this “daydream.” One of Highlight’s trademarks is “heartbreak dance” songs.

Beast perform in its concert titled ″2013 Beautiful Show″ nine years ago - back when the band had all six members. [ILGAN SPORTS]

The band has a history of hit songs that are about the sadness and despair of having lost a significant other — that feature upbeat choreography. Songs like “Shock” (2010), “Fiction” (2011) and “Shadow” (2013) from its days as Beast are some examples. And even as Highlight, the band has continued with this signature style.

“When you first hear it ['Daydream'] you’re bound to think that it’s an upbeat song,” Yang said. “But when you listen to each member’s voice you might feel a bit sad. It’s a song of many charms.”

The album contains ten songs that “highlight” the band’s musical versatility, with tracks like “Night Fog” written and composed by Lee and “Our Eyes” by Son.

“We hope that Highlight continues to be a band that keeps going forward. Whether it’s performing on stage or having discussions in meetings, the members’ eyes still gleam [with anticipation],” Son said.

Highlight has proved itself to be a band that hasn’t forgotten where it started.

The music video for ″Bad Girl″ (2009), which was Beast's debut song before the band changed to Highlight in 2016. [YOUTUBE SCREEN CAPTURE]

It initially had six members: Jang Hyun-seung and Yong Jun-hyung in addition to the current four Highlight members. Its debut EP “Beast is the B2ST” (2009) proved to be a hit with songs “Bad Girl” and “Mystery.” That year, the band won numerous rookie of the year awards, including one from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Jang left the band around 2016 and Yong in 2019, but that didn’t stop the remaining members from making music.

After establishing its own label Around US Entertainment in 2016, Beast changed its name to “Highlight,” which is also the name of the last album it dropped under Cube Entertainment the same year.

The first music Highlight returned with was the EP “Can You Feel It?” (2017) with the lead single “Plz Don’t Be Sad.”

From 2018 to 2020, the four members enlisted for their mandatory military services, and following a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, Highlight finally returned with its third EP “The Blowing” in May last year.

Yoon Du-jun of boy band Highlight [AROUND US ENTERTAINMENT]

Yoon Du-jun

Date of birth: July 4, 1989
Zodiac sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Yangcheon District, western Seoul
Debut: October 2009 as a member of boy band Beast
Agency: Around US Entertainment

Yoon Du-jun debuted as the leader of boy band Beast under Cube Entertainment as he is the eldest member. Since Yoon’s debut, he has been popular with female fans for his boyfriend-like image, earning him the nickname “namchin-dol,” a compound of the Korean word for “boyfriend” and “idol.” The Korean onomatopoeia for the sound of the heart beating, doogeun-doogeun, sounds similar to Yoon’s name which later on created the term “dujun-dujun” to describe situations where Yoon was being charming. Yoon started his acting career in 2010 in MBC’s sitcom series “More Charming by the Day.” While he played mostly supporting roles until 2013, he finally landed his first major role in tvN’s television series “Let’s Eat” (2013-18). In 2017, the band rebranded itself with the name Highlight after leaving Cube Entertainment and newly established its current label. Later this year, Yoon is set to star in “No Koo Pil-su” (translated), an original series by Seezn, a streaming service operated by KT.

This information was confirmed by Around US Entertainment on March 23, 2022.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]