The new group Ark (Andy, Choi Han, Doha, Hyunmin, Jibin, Kien, Rioto) wrapped up their promotions for their 2nd mini album, ‘nu kidz: out the box’, with ‘Show! Champion’ on MBC M, MBC every1 on the 5th.

‘nu kidz: out the box’ is an album that contains Ark‘s honest and confident ‘new kids’ energy as they break the existing ‘mold’ and connect with the world in their own way, as well as a new attempt that is 180 degrees different musically. The album includes 5 songs that not only show Ark’s freedom and individuality but also a high degree of perfection, including the title song ‘nu kidz’, which is a combination of a unique hip-hop sound and a trendy performance.

Ark captivated everyone through their ‘nu kidz: out the box’ promotions and truly demonstrated their presence as ‘new kids’. First, they broke their own initial record with sales increasing by approximately 37% compared to their debut album ‘AR^C’. Following that, the title song ‘nu kidz’ not only entered the Singapore iTunes K-POP Song Chart, but also achieved a feat that is difficult to achieve for a rookie by surpassing 10 million views for its music video amid explosive interest from global fans.

At the same time as their comeback, Ark‘s search term views on Weibo, China’s largest SNS, increased rapidly, recording an incredible 10.6 million. Following that, searches in Google Trends in various countries including Brazil, Vietnam, New Zealand, Singapore, and Indonesia have rapidly increased faster than ever, and Ark‘s release is being highlighted by a major Vietnamese media outlet, creating daily buzz.

Ark also pioneered a new genre of Ark with their unique vibe and outstanding skills, from the title track to the b-side tracks, and captured the tastes of listeners.

With the momentum, Ark proved their remarkable growth by being nominated for first place on a music show for the first time since their debut on SBS M, SBS funE’s ‘The Show’, which aired on the 4th. As they took another unusual step of breaking the ‘mold’ by pre-releasing the studio session of ‘night life’, which will be included in their next album, expectations are high for Ark‘s continued global activities.

Jeon Hyo-jin, Donga.com Reporter jhj@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.