[Sportschosun Reporter Baek Ji-eun] &TEAM is beginning its second Korean promotional cycle.
A showcase celebrating the release of &TEAM's second Korean mini album, 'Mark on Me,' was held at 2 p.m. on September 8 at the Prism Auditorium in SBS Prism Tower, Mapo-gu, Seoul.
EJ said, "We will work hard to repay the love we received during our first Korean promotions." Fuma added, "We are happy to be able to show our performances in Korea." K said, "We will show you how much we have grown." Nicholas said, "We will show you many different sides of ourselves." Taki stated, "I am happy to be promoting in Korea again. I was very nervous last time, but that nervousness has turned into anticipation. Feeling the fans' reactions up close also gave me confidence. We grew through our experience performing on the Asia tour. If we showed a lot of strong energy before, this time I want to show deeper and more mature emotions."
&TEAM is a nine-member group formed in 2022 through HYBE's global boy-group debut project, '&AUDITION - The Howling -.' In October 2025, the group officially debuted in the K-pop market with its first Korean mini album, 'Back to Life.' The album sold about 1.14 million copies on its first day of release, making &TEAM the first Japanese act to achieve million-seller status in both Korea and Japan. It also swept three music-show wins.
The group also set records as the first boy group originating in Japan to achieve million-seller status with three consecutive releases: last year's third Japanese single, 'Go in Blind,' 'Back to Life,' and this year's 'We on Fire.' With 'We on Fire,' it also entered the U.S. Billboard 200 at No. 52.
Maki said, "Our first Korean promotions were the first step toward moving onto a broader stage. It was not an easy challenge, but I was happy that we worked hard together and achieved million-seller status and a No. 1 music-show win. This time, we want to take on an even bigger goal."
'Mark on Me' is the group's Korean album released about 10 months after 'Back to Life.' It adds the emotion of love to the wolf DNA that defines the group. While 'Back to Life' portrayed the challenge of nine members rising again after overcoming their wounds, this album tells the story of a wolf who was rejected by the world and shut himself away, gradually changing after meeting "you," someone who accepts him as he is.
Nicholas introduced the album, saying, "It is an album that can leave a lasting mark on your heart. It contains not only the strong image of wolves, but also the process of expressing their feelings toward the one person who uniquely acknowledged them." Harua added, "We have told stories about lone wolves growing together, but this time it is about wolf boys meeting one person. It is the story of a boy opening his heart and growing because that person acknowledged his scars and wounds. That is why we focused on change while preparing this album."
EJ said, "As HYBE's first localized group, we worked to create new music that only we can make. To narrow the gap between the music K-pop fans expect and the music we can present, we challenged ourselves across various genres, searched for music and performances that suit us, and studied how to maximize and showcase our appeal. During our last Korean promotions, we worked hard to show fans our best side and introduce &TEAM's appeal in a new way. Through this second comeback, we will work to make up for the disappointment of fans who felt our previous promotional period was too short. Our ultimate goal is not only good numbers or results, but also to convey our color and new sides of ourselves clearly."
The title track, 'Mark on Me,' is a pop song distinguished by its beautiful piano melody and dramatic progression. Its lyrics express the earnest desire to be tamed by "you," who embraced even the singer's wounds.
Yuma said, "When I first heard it, I was surprised and thought, 'This is the title track?' Still, I felt that the version of us we are now could express the song well and show how much we have grown." Fuma added, "It has a grand, musical-like feel, so I tried to express the emotions with a more powerful voice and paid attention to details such as breathing sounds."
Although &TEAM is nicknamed the "performance monsters," the group toned down its performance this time and focused on emotional expression. K said, "If we previously showed strong energy and tightly synchronized choreography, this song focuses on expressing the mood through the vocals, gaze, and facial expressions. We coordinated everything so that we could convey that all nine members were making the same expression." Fuma added confidently, "Emotional expression was difficult to practice. I personally respect Taemin of SHINee, so I studied by watching his videos."
The album also contains six songs, including 'Good Boy,' 'Luné,' 'Empty,' and 'Night to Howl!,' each portraying in a different way how their feelings change after meeting "you."
&TEAM will release 'Mark on Me' at 6 p.m. on September 8. The group will then hold encore concerts for its 'Blaze the Way' tour at KSPO Dome in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on October 3 and 4, bringing its Asia tour to a close.
Jo said, "I want EJ to win first place on Inkigayo, which he hosts. I hope this becomes an opportunity to introduce our performances and many charms to people who do not know us well yet." EJ added, "We want to show a more mature and deeper side of &TEAM."
Reporter Baek Ji-eun silk781220@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
