*This content was translated by AI.
Following the rise of Top from the idol group Big Bang, which was famous for its time, Kangin from Super Junior also announced the resumption of his music activities. As he is back in public after the controversy, the return is more focused on whether trust will be restored than on the release of new songs.
On the 3rd, Top released his full-length album "ANOTHER DIMENSION" and announced a new start as a solo artist. This album is meaningful in that it is Top's first solo studio album in 20 years since his debut with Big Bang in 2006 and his first solo album in 13 years. In particular, given that he participated in the overall production of the album and contained his own musical colors and messages, it is expected to serve as an opportunity to re-establish his identity and direction for his music activities in the future.
Among them, grades also signaled a meaningful start. "Multi-view" recorded about 1.47 million streams on Spotify, the world's largest music platform, on the first day of its release, and is active in the overseas music market, ranking third on the Worldwide iTunes album chart and 16th on the Apple Music Worldwide chart. On top of that, it still proved its global popularity by topping iTunes album charts in 15 countries, including Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
This also shows that the name Tower still has a significant influence. Despite the long hiatus, it is certainly a remarkable achievement that it drew an immediate response from the global charts immediately after the music was released.
However, the chart performance does not immediately lead to the success of a complete return. Contrary to the reaction in the global market, domestic public opinion is still cold. In 2016, Top was sentenced to 10 months in prison and two years of probation for smoking cannabis, putting the brakes on his activities, and after a long hiatus, he took the step of leaving Big Bang. On top of that, the public's fatigue has accumulated as it has continued to make incomprehensible moves such as retirement announcements, reversal, and war of nerves with fans. He later returned to acting through the Netflix series 'Squid Game 2', but the public criticism against him did not subside.
As such, this solo move is also in the process of being verified with his attitude and authenticity in front of the domestic public, rather than being evaluated only by simple musical achievements.
Kang-in is also making a comeback as a solo artist, announcing a new start. It is the first official album to be released in about seven years since Super Junior left in 2019. As he resumed his music career after a long hiatus, this move went beyond simple new song releases to face a cold verification of public opinion.
Kang-in, who was loved for his friendly image while active in various entertainment shows during his group activities, is by no means light on his return. Kangin joined the military in 2009 after causing a stir over a drunk driving hit-and-run accident. He returned after being discharged from the military, but was fined again in 2016 for a drunk driving hit-and-run incident. In addition, he, who caused a stir over the assault incident in 2017, was criticized for his alleged involvement in the "Jung Joon-young Group Chat Room" in 2019. Although he was found not guilty of spreading illegal filming related to the "Jung Joon-young Group Chat Room," fans protested with a statement calling for Kangin's exit from Super Junior's fandom, and eventually he voluntarily withdrew from the team in July 2019.
He was caught up in a series of controversies and took a toll on his activities, and later spent a long period of self-reflection. He has made several attempts to return to the public after his public trust was greatly shaken, but he has not crossed the wall of public opinion. For this reason, this move also seems to be difficult to avoid a cold evaluation.
On the 6th, he officially announced his plan to release a digital single "LOVE IS PAIN" through his YouTube channel. "Thanks to the support from the fans who waited for a long time, I got the courage to sing again," he said. "I will greet you with better performances in the future." The members are also supporting his return. Lee Teuk said at Ryeowook's wedding in 2024, "The strongman has been self-reflecting for 15 years. He said, "The self-reflection period is three times longer than the five-year period," and asked for forgiveness instead, "As it is a happy and good day, please hug Kangin and help him live."
Top and Kangin's solo moves cannot be explained only by the release of new songs. What the public sees is not so much music, but the qualifications and attitudes they have returned to activities after the controversy. In the end, the success or failure of the return depends on the restoration of trust, not on grades.
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*This content was translated by AI.
