INFINITE are Action Stars in "The Chaser" Comeback

When the ever in-sync boy group INFINITE released “The Chaser,” it became a song that would solidify their legacy as one of K-Pop’s best acts.

The ‘80s-inspired contemporary song “The Chaser,” produced by the team Sweetune, was released on May 15, 2012 and served as the title track for INFINITE’s third mini-album, INFINITIZE. Fitting for an album that housed the group’s most esteemed work, the album’s title meant “to be free from limitations of space, time, circumstance and to cause something to become infinite.”

The septet embarked on an ambitious promotion to debut the song, hitting five South Korean cities in 24 hours to host their comeback showcase. At each helicopter stop, the members performed songs from the new album for the first time and gave fans a look at the music video for "The Chaser."

The video opens with a scene out of an action movie, with singer L being tossed about in a flipping car while leader Sungkyu walks in the rain holding a mysterious key. The lyrics tell the story of someone chasing a woman they love, but she has moved onto another man. As the music video goes on, viewers watch the members become "chasers" racing through dark streets on motorcycles and running through mazes.

The video cuts between action sequences and scenes featuring the members' sharp moves in equally sharp blazers and button-down vests. At the song’s climax, we see the group's youngest member Sungjong carrying the same mysterious key and approaching a locked box. Viewers are left guessing what will happen next when the video cuts out just before he opens it. 

INFINITE made their fierce comeback on M!COUNTDOWN on May 17, 2012 with an opening stage that gave the feeling of an action movie protagonist. With the INFINITIZE intro song of the same name playing, the members appeared on stage inside a dome with patterned flashing lights. As the front door rose, they descended onto the main stage to give their screaming fans the first music show performance of "The Chaser." 

The members presented a softer side of themselves with the pre-released B-side track "Only Tears.” The song was first performed by Sungkyu as a solo a month before release, and was later promoted alongside "The Chaser" on music shows. The heartbreaking lyrics tell of a person who shamefully admits that they cannot give someone the love they deserve, and in turn pushes the other person away. To match the sentimental feeling, the members allowed their vocals to take center stage without choreography and showcased Sungjong on piano and L on acoustic guitar.

INFINITE achieved an all-kill, with "The Chaser" landing No. 1 across seven Korean music charts along with four other songs from the album placing in the top 10 on the night of its release. It became even more clear that the song would have a lasting impact as INFINITE took home eight music show awards and grabbed an M!COUNTDOWN triple crown during a month of promotion. At the end of 2012, INFINITE took home their second Bonsang award for INFINITIZE at the Golden Disc Awards and "The Chaser" landed at No. 71 on the Gaon Year End Digital Chart.

Not only did "The Chaser" sweep Korean music charts, it was also highly acclaimed by Western music critics and came in at No. 55 on Rolling Stone's “Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time”. It was No. 1 on Billboard’s“Top K-Pop Songs for 2012” and No. 3 on their list of “100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s”. As a grand finale for the year of "The Chaser," INFINITE treated fans to a final live TV performance on SBS Gayo Daejun incorporating a live band and orchestra.