From powerful dance to gentle piano: &Team shows mature side in new EP

SEOUL, Sept. 8 (Yonhap) -- Known for its powerful and perfectly synchronized group choreography, Hybe's Japan-based boy group &Team on Tuesday returned to K-pop's home soil with a song that focuses more on singing and emotions than on intense performance.

The nine-member act, formed under Hybe's Japanese subsidiary YX Labels, debuted in Japan in 2022 as the first overseas group unveiled by the South Korean entertainment giant. It consists of all Japanese members except for leader EJ, who is Korean.

After three years of activities spanning Seoul and Tokyo, it made its official South Korean debut last year with its first Korean-language EP, "Back to Life."

Boy group &Team poses for photos during a press showcase for its new Korean-language album "Mark on Me" in Seoul on Sept. 8, 2026, in this photo provided by Hybe's Japanese subsidiary YX Labels. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

On its second Korean-language EP "Mark on Me," the group leans into a more mature, emotive concept centered on its werewolf-themed fictional universe.

The EP brings love into the werewolf universe. It tells the story of a lonely wolf who begins to change when it meets "you," who accepts it completely. The title, the band says, signifies two fated beings leaving indelible marks on one another.

"Honestly, I was surprised when I first heard it was the title track," member Yuma said of the song "Mark on Me" during a press showcase for the album in Seoul. The track opens with a gentle piano line and builds toward a fuller, more emotionally layered chorus.

Fuma said the track's intro and chorus carried a grand, almost musical-like atmosphere.

"So while recording, I tried to express the emotions with more power than before, and I paid attention to even the small details like breath sounds," he said.

For K, the team's main dancer, the shift required a different kind of focus on stage. "Until now, with 'Back to Life' and 'We on Fire,' we showed strong energy and precise group choreography," he said.

"With this song, we put a lot of care into expressing the mood through singing, gaze and facial expressions." He pointed to the outro's dance break as a key moment: "It was our first time doing a dance break that's more about easing the power, and it felt really fresh."

The project brought together a roster of international hitmakers. Griff Clawson, who has worked with BLACKPINK's Rose and NCT; Johnny Goldstein, known for credits with the Black Eyed Peas and BTS' J-Hope; Grammy-winning Chizzy Stephens; and Soma Genda, who has been with &Team since its inception, each produced tracks on the album. Hybe chairman Bang Si-hyuk and singer-songwriter Benson Boone also contributed to the songwriting.

EJ said the group hopes the release broadens perceptions of what it can do.

"If our first promotions (in South Korea) were an opportunity to introduce &Team name to everyone, through this campaign I hope we can convey a more mature and deeper side of &Team's appeal," he said. "We'll work hard to leave a strong impression of how much we've grown."