'10th Anniversary as a Solo Artist' Super Junior's Ryeowook Returns With Bright Pop Rock 'Runaway'

A decade-long journey from his debut: the new grammar of pop rock that Ryeowook proves

The go-to name for explosive vocals—Ryeowook of the group 'Super Junior' stood at a milestone marking the 10th anniversary of his solo debut. The weapon he chose was not a run-of-the-mill ballad but bright pop rock aimed straight at summer.

On the 9th, SM Entertainment made an official announcement that Ryeowook's new solo single 'Runaway' will be released on the 23rd. This new album is the first work to come out in a full 2 years and 6 months since the single 'Maching' released in December 2023. With him returning after a long hiatus, his deeper musical philosophy as an artist and the story of 10 years have been fully woven throughout the album.

The tracklist also clearly proves his evolved musical spectrum. The new single will feature the following three songs, expected to captivate listeners' ears.

• The eponymous title track 'Runaway'

• A stylish-feeling 'Defined'

• 'Chamomile' leaving a lingering aftertaste

In particular, the title track 'Runaway' is a pop rock genre that layers Ryeowook's signature wistful vocals over bright energy that maximizes the mood of the coming summer. It is being assessed as a bold experiment that goes beyond his existing image as an emotional vocalist, breaks the limits of the genre, and expands into his own realm.

Kicking off with the release of the audio, his aggressive push toward the global stage also gets underway in earnest. The dazzling opening act will be a solo performance held next month from the 10th to the 12th at 'Ticketlink 1975 Theater' in Seoul. Starting with that, his first-ever 'Solo Asia Tour' will unfold, cutting across key Asian cities such as Bangkok, Macau, and Taipei. Global music industry attention is focused on what kind of explosive synergy the overwhelming stage dominance he has built up over 10 years will create with the global fandom.