The Super Junior boys are back with their sixth studio album.

By NATASHA IMAN

alltherage@thestar.com.my

FOLLOWING the release of their fifth studio album Mr. Simple in August 2011, South Korean boy band Super Junior headed off for their sold-out Super Show 4 worldwide tour, which successfully concluded on May 27 this year in Seoul, Korea.

The return of band member Kang-in, who was discharged from his military service in April, marked the beginning of preparations for the group’s sixth studio album; though Super Junior will be performing once again with only ten members as it is now Heechul’s turn to undergo his mandatory two-year military service.

The album is also rumoured to be the last album with leader Leeteuk, as he had previously voiced his intention to enlist for his military service in 2012.
Last month, Super Junior fans were treated to the first teaser photo off the new album. The artsy shot of member Eunhyuk left fans wondering what the concept of the new album would be.

After releasing several more teaser photos in the same style – featuring the band members in heavy make-up and soft, surreal lighting – the concept of the album was revealed to be ‘beautiful males’.

K-pop fans were buzzing with excitement, all dying to see how the band would reinvent themselves, especially after the incredible success of Mr. Simple and Sorry Sorry.

Then at 12am (Korean Standard Time), July 1, Super Junior finally released the album, Sexy, Free & Single, for digital download, with the physical album hitting shelves later on July 4.

The album features a total of 10 tracks, each of a different genre to showcase the different styles of each member.

The title track tells of the life of a sexy and free single man, using a soulful house style supported by an infections chorus.

The second lead track is From U, an upbeat R&B track dedicated to their fans, known as the Everlasting Friends (ELF). Hardcore fans would already be familiar with the song, though. A short snippet of it was used as background music in a video shown during the band’s Super Show 3 tour.

Another song that has caught the attention of many fans is one composed by Super Junior’s lead dancer, Eunhyuk. Gulliver features Shindong, Donghae, Eunhyuk and Leeteuk rapping, with vocals from Ryeowook. The song is said to “wittily compare the countless charms of the Super Junior members to that of Gulliver’s Travels.”

Also included in the album is a cover of Someday, originally by Lee Sang Eun, a female South Korean singer-songwriter which showcases the vocal abilities of each member.

The band’s sub-group, Super Junior-K.R.Y, also makes an appearance on the album, performing the track Bittersweet.

The album was well received by fans worldwide, claiming the number one spot on major Korean online music sites such as Soribada, Olleh Music and Bugs Music.

Following that, the album was soon released on iTunes, peaking at number one in Japan, 10 in Finland, five in France and 24 on the US Top 100 Albums Chart.
Super Junior’s first performance of Sexy, Free & Single was on July 5, on Korean music program M!Countdown. The band is also scheduled perform on other shows like Music Bank, Music Core and Ingkigayo.

With such high expectation on the boys, many are left wondering whether Super Junior can once again outdo themselves.

Their third, fourth and fifth albums previously stayed on top of Taiwan’s KKBOX for 36, 63 and 45 weeks respectively, with their fifth album winning the Disk Bonsang and Disk Daesang at the 21st Seoul Music Awards (known as the ‘Korean Grammys’).

The positive reaction of fans on social networking sites say a lot about the potential success of Super Junior’s new album. However, popular girl groups SISTAR and 2NE1 will also be making their comebacks around the same time, and it looks like the boys are in for some tough competition.