Nu'est

Korean quintet Nu'est crafts an assertive, wide-ranging strain of K-pop that aligns with the output of BTOB and Seventeen. The group first surfaced in the early 2010s via the Face EP, merging up-to-date electronic dance rhythms with R&B-centered vocals and hip-hop inflections. Their initial full-length effort, Re: Birth, arrived in 2014, after which they maintained a consistent flow of concise releases through the 2020s. Their much-anticipated follow-up studio album, Romanticize, surfaced in 2021. Beyond the main lineup, Nu'est also explored side projects through the formations Nu'est M and Nu'est W.

Pledis Entertainment assembled the act, whose roster comprises JR (Jong-hyun Kim), Aron (Aaron Kwak), Baekho (Dong-ho Kang), Minhyun (Min-hyun Hwang), and Ren (Min-ki Choi). Following a period of preparation, the members launched their career in early 2012 with the single "Face," the lead cut from their opening EP. They swiftly issued the glistening dance-pop collection Action and ended the year by teaming with Orange Caramel on the festive track "Dashing Through the Snow in Highheels." Balancing recordings with screen work and live dates, the ensemble took initial steps into the Japanese and Chinese markets during 2013, promoting the latter region through the Chinese-language offshoot Nu'est M. The EPs Hello and Sleep Talking also appeared that year.

In July 2014 the ensemble released its first studio album, Re: Birth, which reached the Korean Top Five. Expanding their footprint internationally, they entered Japan with the native-language set Bridge the World in November of the same year and completed their first U.S. live appearance in May 2015. Although another full-length project did not emerge during the remainder of the decade, further EPs gradually advanced their domestic chart standing. Following the 2016 releases Q Is and Canvas, however, broader attention remained limited, prompting a temporary shift toward reality television. The success of Produce 101 renewed visibility for earlier material and improved its chart trajectory. Minhyun spent time in the temporary outfit Wanna One, while JR, Aron, Baekho, and Ren operated as Nu'est W, issuing three EPs across 2017 and 2018. These developments heightened anticipation for Nu'est and paved the way for a 2019 return.

The sixth EP, Happily Ever After, debuted at number one in Korea and entered the Billboard World Top 10; it also marked the group's first platinum-certified project. They concluded the year with another EP, The Table, which landed in the Korean Top Three. The Nocturne, released in 2020, likewise topped the Korean charts, after which the band issued the Japanese-language album Drive. In April 2021 they finally presented their official second studio album, Romanticize.