TREASURE has finally made their return with a brand new mini-album, THE SECOND STEP : CHAPTER TWO, eight months after the release of their first mini-album THE SECOND STEP : CHAPTER ONE, that featured the TikTok viral song “DARARI.” This new mini-album consists of five songs: title track “HELLO,” “VolKno,” “CLAP!,” “THANK YOU,” and “HOLD IT IN,” with “VolKno” being a Choi Hyunsuk, Yoshi, and Haruto sub-unit track and “THANK YOU” also being a sub-unit track between Asahi and Haruto. 

Each song on this mini-album expresses a different music genre taking the listener on a journey through EDM and euro-pop, to nu-metal, pop and reggae, all the way to anime OST and pop-ballad sounds. It’s a great album for listeners who are new to, or are unfamiliar with, TREASURE and their music, with this mini-album offering sounds that are both refreshing and nostalgic at the same time, giving off second and third generation K-Pop vibes.

Greeting listeners with an EDM euro-pop infusion, title track “HELLO” is a highly energized and exciting pop anthem that you can’t help but dance along to. The combination of the members' vocal arrangements, rap sections, and an energetic beat with an interesting use of abrupt pauses (towards the end of each chorus) adds to this feeling of nostalgia and newness, creating a fun and catchy title track that instantly captures the listeners attention. 

The music video for “HELLO” is just as fun as the audio. It’s vibrant, full of color, and contains choreography that will definitely have TREASURE’s fandom, Treasure Makers (Teume), practicing and perfecting for potential TikTok challenges. In the video, the TREASURE members are shown in different locations, such as a diner, an arcade fair, and a set of bleachers, during the day and night, as well as a studio setting with the song's title spelled out in massive prop letters that the members dance in front of. Both the last segment of the song and the last few scenes of the music video give off major party vibes with the members looking like they are genuinely having fun and enjoying themselves during filming. 

The second song on the album “VolKno” takes us on a completely different music route, with this song being a rap track with an incredible, yet very unexpected, nu-metal instrumentation. I was not expecting to hear a song like this on the mini-album but I’m so glad I did as “VolKno'' instantly became my favorite track and I would love to hear more K-Pop artists infuse nu-metal into their music. Moving away from the rock and metal vibes of “VolKno,” “CLAP!” takes us to a pop and reggae sound that made me think of the 2014 song “Rude” by Canadian reggae-fusion band MAGIC!, as soon as I heard it, while “THANK YOU” carries a sound that would be perfect for an anime OST. While they opened the album with a fun and vibrant song with “HELLO,” TREASURE closes the album with “HOLD IT IN,” a slower but still upbeat pop-ballad track that carries the perfect sound for an ending song, one you can imagine them singing on stage before the concert comes to an end. 

Overall, THE SECOND STEP : CHAPTER TWO is a great mini-album for both TREASURE’s fans and for people looking to get into a new (or newer) K-Pop group. With each song being of a different music style, it’s a great introduction into seeing how the TREASURE members can incorporate different styles into their music, for those of us who might be new to them. They have the vocals, they have the raps, and they have the dance moves—I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more of their music. 

Check out THE SECOND STEP : CHAPTER TWO mini-album on Spotify and other streaming platforms today!

Edited by Omani