Riizing is the first extended play by South Korean boy band Riize. Released on June 17, 2024 by SM Entertainment through Kakao Entertainment, the EP consists of eight tracks, including the lead single "Boom Boom Bass" and pre-released singles "Talk Saxy", "Love 119", "Siren" and "Impossible". On September 4, 2024, the special repackage version of their EP titled Riizing: Epilogue was released with the addition of the single "Combo" to commemorate the group's first anniversary.
Background and release
Riizing
On March 5, 2024, SM Entertainment announced that Riize would kick off their Riizing Day Fan-Con Tour in May 2024 and release a mini-album in the second quarter of the year.[1] On April 3, 2024, Riize posted a "Real-time Oddysey" schedule poster revealing the release date of their first EP Riizing, pre-release singles, album promotions and further activities.[2] On April 3 and 18, the group released the tracks "Siren" and "Impossible" as pre-release digital singles, accompanied by music videos.[3][4] On April 29, Riize released three more tracks on streaming services: "Honestly", "9 Days" and "One Kiss".[5] On June 4, 2024, the group released a remix version of "Impossible" produced by French DJ Darius.[6] The EP was officially released on June 17, 2024, along with the lead single "Boom Boom Bass" and its music video.[7]
Riizing: Epilogue
On September 2, 2024, SM announced that Riize would be releasing their first repackage EP Riizing: Epilogue on September 4, 2024, along with its lead single "Combo". This date also marks the group's first debut anniversary.[8]
Composition
The EP Riizing, described as an "emotional-pop album", opens with the title track "Boom Boom Bass", a dance-pop song featuring a "funky disco beat", "groovy bass lines", and lyrics about "youth freely expressing their excitement for each other by playing the bass guitar".[7] The second track, "Siren", incorporates 90's hip-hop elements like "boom bap drums" and "strong bass riffs".[3] The third track, "Impossible", features "rhythmic house beats" and "mysterious synthesizers", with lyrics suggesting that "anything is possible when pursued collectively".[4] The fourth track, "9 Days", is a dance song characterized by "energetic synthesizers and drums", and "infectious melodies", convey that "weeks feel like nine days, but they (Riize) keep pursuing their dreams". The fifth track, "Honestly", is an R&B-pop song combining "dreamy synth pads", "trap drum beats" and "soothing vocals". The sixth track, "One Kiss", is a mid-tempo song featuring "majestic strings" and "powerful drums".[5] The album closes with previously released singles "Talk Saxy" and "Love 119";[9] "Talk Saxy" features saxophone riffs and 808 bass, while "Love 119" incorporates "sweet piano riffs" and samples "Emergency Room" by South Korean band Izi.[10]
Promotion
The EP was promoted by the group with the Riizing Day concert tour, which held 31 shows in 19 cities across Asia and North America. All songs on the EP were included in the setlist.[11]
Commercial performance
Riizing debuted at number 2 on South Korea's Circle Album Chart in the chart issue dated June 16–22, 2024, with 1,070,823 copies sold.[12]
^Kim, Ji-hye (March 5, 2024). 라이즈, 팬콘 투어 'RIIZING DAY' 개최..전세계 9개 지역 [Riize fan-con tour Riizing Day to be held in 9 regions around the world]. Herald Pop (in Korean). Retrieved June 29, 2024.
^ abKang, Seon-ae (April 4, 2024). "라이즈, 강렬 '사이렌' 울렸다...깜짝 공개에도 차트 1위 직행" [Riize: a powerful "Siren" sounded... despite being a surprise release, it went straight to No. 1 on the charts]. SBS Entertainment News (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 1, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
^ abSeon, Min-kyung (April 19, 2024). 라이즈, 프롤로그 싱글 'Impossible'도 국내외 차트 1위 [Riize's pre-release single "Impossible" also tops domestic and international charts]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 30, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
^ abKang, Ka-hee (April 26, 2024). 라이즈, 첫 미니앨범 'RIIZING' 수록곡 미리 만난다..29일 3곡 추가 공개 [A preview of songs from Riize's first mini album Riizing, 3 additional songs released on the 29th]. Herald Pop (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 1, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
^Ko, Seung-ah (June 4, 2024). "라이즈 '임파서블' 리믹스 버전 오늘 공개...여름밤 분위기" [Riize's "Impossible" remix version released today, summer night vibe]. News1 (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 30, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
^ abKim, Sun-woo (June 17, 2024). "라이즈, 오늘(17일) 첫 미니앨범 발매" [Rise releases first mini-album today the 17th]. JTBC News (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 30, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
^Yoo, Ji-hye (September 2, 2024). 라이즈, 데뷔 1주년 맞춰 4일 신곡 '콤보' 공개 [Riize to release new song 'Combo' on the 4th to mark 1st anniversary of debut] (in Korean). Sports Dong-a. Retrieved September 2, 2024 – via Naver.
^Kim, Soo-jung (June 29, 2024). "'붐 붐 베이스', '라이즈 반응 보고 더 확신 얻게 돼'" ["Boom Boom Bass": "I feel more confident after seeing Riize's reaction"]. No-Cut News. Archived from the original on June 30, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
^Kim, Soo-jung (January 19, 2024). "라이즈, '러브 119'으로 데뷔 첫 음악방송 1위 '소중히 기억'" [Riize wins first music show since debut with "Love 119", "I'll remember it dearly"]. No-Cut News. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
