The world‘s first hearing-impaired idol group Big Ocean is embarking on full-scale promotions in the United States.

Big Ocean (Chanyeon, Hyunjin, Jiseok) will release their first mini-album ‘Follow’ at noon on the 12th and will hold various promotions in the United States starting on the 11th (local time). They will visit New York landmarks such as the Empire State Building, Times Square, and Central Park to spend special times with local fans.

They will also attend ‘Cool Out 2024’, held in the Cayman Islands from the 14th to the 17th, and reveal the ‘FLOW’ stage for the first time. ‘Cool Out 2024’ is an event that actively supports collaboration between creative artists, the financial sector, and the IT industry, and discussions will also be held on how to spread a healthy ocean ecosystem. Big Ocean is a team that advocates ‘the inclusiveness and potential like the ocean’ and will be engaging in ocean protection activities such as releasing sea turtles and visiting stingray sanctuaries, and will be meeting fans through two concerts.

Big Ocean said through their agency Parastar Entertainment, “There were a lot of American Pado (fandom name) when we did the fan call. ‘Will we be able to communicate with us in real time?’, ‘Will they like us in person?’ We are worried, but our expectations are even greater, and we want to meet them soon. We want to say thank you to the Pados who have done their best to support us so that we can get here, and we want to hug each and every one of you’, conveying their feelings about meeting local fans in person.

The title song ‘FLOW’ is an English song with lyrics sung entirely in English, and Mark Batson participated in the production. ‘FLOW’ is music that is entirely ‘for me’, and it presents a new genre of ‘Free-soul POP’ that suggests the value of ‘Let’s make ourselves happy through music’.

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