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The K-Pop scene is overflowing with new talent this year, as a number of groups had their debuts cancelled, delayed or postponed due to covid, many of them have only had their debuts this Spring/Summer and some have even gone as far as to have their first comeback already.
With so many new artists and songs, it can be hard to keep up with all the new faces, that’s why today we’re going to introduce you to one of the many groups lost amongst the noise: YOUNITE.
YOUNITE is a 9 member boy group formed under Brand New Music, consisting of members Eunho, Eunsang, Steve, DEY, Hyunseung, Hyungseok, Woono, Kyungmun and Sion. The group debuted back in April 2022 with their first EP ‘YOUNI-BIRTH’, a mini album consisting of 6 tracks including title track ‘1 of 9’.
The group started with a cute and charming concept, the song being full of bright colours and the member’s dazzling visuals, while the track itself was a feel good song with a funky bouncing bass line. The lyrics are also quite cute, where the members each try to appeal to the audience to give them love - a fitting song for any rookie group, but even more so for YOUNITE as their group name means “YOU and I: we are connected.”
Not long before their debut they had also released a remixed version of one of their debut album b-sides: ‘Everybody (ft DJ Juice)’. The song was also released with a music video where the members were able to show off a more laid-back and confident side to themselves, and to date has amassed over 4 million views. When compared to the 10 million views of their debut title track, it’s clear that this MV definitely caught the attention of their fans who would soon be dubbed YOUNIZ.
Following the warm response to their debut, it's no wonder the group couldn’t wait to get back on stage, and fortunately they wouldn’t have to wait too long as they were invited to perform at Dream Concert in mid-June this year. Despite only being 2 months past debut, they put on an amazing performance in front of a crowd of over 50,000 spectators!
[YOUNITE on the red carpet at Dream Concert 2022]
However this still wasn’t enough, so the group announced their July comeback shortly after and at the end of July they returned with their second EP, a 5 track mini album called ‘YOUNI-Q’ and the title track ‘AVIATOR’. This time around the song had a much different appeal to their earlier tracks, the unique mix of rock, alternative and pop genre elements and the artistic use of inorganic sounds and voice filters creating a whole new sound.
Not only are they showing a whole different side to themselves but they also come across significantly more comfortable and confident - it’s likely their performance at Dream Concert gave them a boost in confidence and possibly also in fanship as their latest MV already has 11 million views.
Seeing how different their most recent concept is from their previous album only makes one wonder what else YOUNITE have in store for us. So far they have shown consistent and constant growth as artists, and it seems they are still just gearing up for takeoff - make sure you strap in if you plan to follow them along for the ride!
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Writer: Han (O.L)
Editor: Han (O.L)