BtoB subunit BtoB 4U hope online concert this weekend will give K-pop fans positivity and comfort
- Following November’s upbeat, inspirational album Inside, BtoB 4U will perform an online concert on Saturday to cheer fans up after a dark year
- The concert arrives after a tense period that saw rapper-songwriter Jung Ilhoon depart BtoB amid an investigation into allegations of marijuana use
K-pop boy band BtoB have gone through many changes since arriving in 2012, dabbling with everything from hyperactive, playful dance pop to intense hip-hop before making their name as emotive balladeers.
The end of 2020 witnessed another change. With the group finding it difficult to perform as a whole as members rotate in and out of South Korea’s mandatory draft, four members formed a new unit within the larger group called BtoB 4U, with the aim of cheering up fans after a dark year.
With the release of their Inside EP last November, the quartet of Lee Chang-sub, Lee Min-hyuk, Peniel Shin and Seo Eunk-wang incorporated a wide range of sounds to create an upbeat, uplifting album. The four, who each typically go by their given names, have all completed their military service apart from Peniel, who as an American citizen does not need to serve.
Peniel said last year “was a hard year for everyone, so we wanted to spread some positivity”.
Minhyuk said: “I’m a couch potato, so I don’t mind staying home for weeks, but I heard a lot of people are suffering from [the] corona blues. I hope we get our healthy lives back soon.”
The lead song Show Your Love plays around with uptempo moombahton and features the lyrics: “Don’t be afraid / Even this unbelievable night / Everything will fade away like a dream.” Other tracks on the album incorporate everything from contemporary R&B, funk, groove and even punk rock, all while playing around with the new grouping from among the larger BtoB family.