H1-KEY Rides the Wave of 'Unyielding Spirit' Icon, Gaining Global Momentum

The group H1-KEY (comprising members Seoi, Riina, Hwiseo and Yel) that stirred the music charts with their hit "A Rose Between Buildings" (literal translation: "Geonsa Pi Jang") is now gaining even more momentum.

On the 30th of last month, they released their new mini-album 'Seoul Dreaming' and are currently making a strong comeback. Right after the album's release, H1-KEY entered the iTunes charts and Apple Music Top Album charts in seven countries including Singapore, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, and Thailand, proving their rising popularity. Moreover, their initial album sales (sales within a week of release) increased more than tenfold compared to their previous work, reaching 72,400 units (based on Hanteo Chart). On the 5th, they clinched their first-ever 1st place trophy on SBS M, SBS Fil's 'The Show' with one of their double title tracks, "Seoul."

'Seoul Dreaming' is the album that has received the most attention since their debut. After their song 'Geonsa Pi Jang' made a surprising comeback on the music charts in January, this new album has been the center of attention among K-pop fans. H1-KEY has been meeting expectations with notable achievements since their comeback. Their deepened musical color and strengthened fandom are cited as the driving forces behind their success.

The previous title track 'Geonsa Pi Jang', which started from the lower ranks, gained traction due to its lyrics that resonated with the 'Unyielding Spirit' (literal translation: "Jung Kkeok Ma") sentiment that became popular after the national soccer team's advancement in the Qatar World Cup. Lyrics like "Don't break, grow well," "Live tenaciously," and "I'll hold my head high and endure till the end" resonated with the MZ generation, making 'Geonsa Pi Jang' a word-of-mouth hit as a 'youth consolation song'. The impact was even greater as it was a song from a group under a lesser-known agency.

In their latest album, H1-KEY continues to sing about dreams, hope, and an unyielding spirit, further deepening their musical identity. They collaborated again with composer Hong Jisang and DAY6 member Young K to produce the double title tracks 'SEOUL (Such a Beautiful City)' and 'Don't Turn Off the Lights (Time to Shine)', incorporating stories about dreaming in Seoul.

HwiSeo and Riina's participation in Mnet's female idol competition 'Queendom Puzzle' played a significant role in strengthening their fandom. Especially, with HwiSeo securing the top spot in 'Queendom Puzzle' right before the comeback, H1-KEY was under an even brighter spotlight. HwiSeo will also be juggling activities with the project girl group Elz-Up from this month. Elz-Up has confirmed their first album release date as the 14th of this month. Following this, both Hwi eo and H1-KEY are expected to solidify their popularity and fandom strength even further.

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