During the pre-debut era, Infinite members participated in various Epik High activities. Infinite debuted on June 9th, 2010, with the release of their mini-album First Invasion. Initially, Infinite consisted of seven members: Sungkyu, Dongwoo, Woohyun, Sungyeol, L, Sungjong, and Hoya. In 2017, Hoya left Infinite to pursue a solo career. Infinite had their peak popularity from 2013 to 2016. A lot of Infinite albums were successful in the market and peaked at No. 1 on Korean music charts. Infinite has a huge fandom base and their comebacks were greeted with huge expectations. Infinite prepared different concepts in each comeback. In this article, Channel-Korea will talk all about Infinite’s comebacks. So, stay tuned!
Comeback with Again (2010)
First Invasion is the first mini-album of Infinite. First Invasion was released on June 9th, 2010. The title song of Infinite’s first album is “Come Back Again.” “Come Back Again” mixed and matched the sound of an analogue electronic instrument with an addictive rock guitar riff. This debut song can automatically immerse you in the intense beat and catchy lyrics. In 2010, Woollim Entertainment made a brave move by introducing its new boy group. Infinite has successfully followed the path of previous Woollim seniors such as Epik High and became the standard for Korean idols. Before debuting on stage, Infinite members appeared on Mnet’s Reality documentary program Infinite, You Are My Brother. K-Pop fans were curious about Infinite even before their official debut. From the program, fans expected a group of young and talented idols with infinite possibilities. The seven-member group was determined to prove their musicality through their debut album First Invasion.
Infinite’s debut album concept was a colorful and dorky concept. Each member was dressed in mismatched outfits. Infinite held their first stage showcase at Youngdengpo Time Square Art hall on the same day of the release of their debut album. The following day, they performed the song “Come Back Again” on Mnet’s M Countdown. Contrary to their debut photo album, Infinite’s music video and choreography video has a dark and cool vibe.
Be Mine (2011)
“Be Mine” is easily the most popular single by Infinite. “Be Mine” is the title track of Infinite’s first studio album Over the Top. Over the Top was released on July 21st, 2011. Infinite tried to improve their musicality through “Be Mine.” “Be Mine” is the work of Korean hitmakers Sweetune, Han Jae-ho, and Kim Seung-soo. “Be Mine” has a retro feel and reminisces of the renaissance era. It brought power and refreshing sensation to the listener. Over the Top consists of 10 singles and includes solo performances by Sungkyu and Woohyun. The lyrics told the story of a man and a woman’s relationship. He has been watching her for so long and wanted her to feel happiness instead of pain. He promised to take good care of her if she chose to be his lover.
Over the Top peaked at the No. 2 position on the Gaon Music chart and sold 57.000 copies. As a single, “Be Mine” peaked at No. 12 position on the Gaon Music chart and at the No. 10 position on the Hot Music chart. The single sold 2.116.727 copies worldwide and became the most popular Infinite song of all time. In 2012, Woollim Entertainment released the Japanese version of the “Be Mine” single and music video. “Be Mine” ranked first in the first and second week of September 2011 in the M Countdown music program. “Be Mine” was first performed on MBC’s Show Music Core on July 23rd, 2011. Infinite received their first music award since their debut for “Be Mine.” Regarding the Over the Top photo album, Infinite showed a more sophisticated fashion style. The color selection was a combination of dark blue and white. They looked more mature and high class than in their debut photo album.
The Chaser (2012)
“The Chaser” was released in 2012 and sold more than 1.5 million copies. It became the third best selling single of Infinite after “Be Mine” and “Paradise.” “The Chaser” marked Infinite as a serious and exciting talent. They weren’t just a one-hit wonder and they will surely produce more exciting albums. In releasing “The Chaser,” Infinite collaborated with “Be Mine” producer, Sweetune. Sweetune has the ability to make a consistent album that is unique to each group. Sweetune has also worked with other idol groups such as Kara, Rainbow, and f(x). Sweetune found the basis of Infinite when producing “Be Mine” and they continued making an excellent album when producing “The Chaser.” “The Chaser” has a retro style with electric guitar riffs and upbeat guitar chords. It is complemented with electronic music to give an 80s feelings. Hoya and Dongwoo improved their rapping skills and performed several full rap verses throughout “The Chaser.” They also gave good harmony whenever needed. “The Chaser” lyrics are about the progress of a love story. In “Be Mine,” a man confessed to a girl but in “The Chaser,” they became separated. The man couldn’t cope with the separation and kept pursuing the girl. The music video for “The Chaser” felt like watching an action movie when every Infinite member put their best effort to reach the girl of their dream. As usual, a music video isn’t complete without Infinite’s epic dancing.
Infinite performed at Mnet’s M Countdown, their most preferred music program. The live performance, upbeat tempo, energetic rap made this performance a memorable one. It was no wonder that Infinite peaked at No 1 for two continuous weeks on M Countdown.
The music video for the choreography version has a lighter and more subdued tempo than the original version. Some fans would personally prefer this lighter and more acoustic version rather than the upbeat and electronic-influenced original version.
Destiny (2013)
After finishing their promotion in September 2012, Infinite made a comeback on July 16th, 2013. Infinite released the single album Destiny that consisted of the title track “Destiny.” “Destiny” peaked at No 1 on the Gaon Korean music chart and sold 164.432 copies worldwide. The music video for “Destiny” was produced in the famous Universal Studios in California. Woollim Entertainment went all out with the scale for the “Destiny” music video. According to reports, Woollim spent around 1 billion KRW for making the music video. They also recorded the scenes at five different locations in the famous Los Angeles landscape. It is said that Infinite was the first Korean artist to be allowed to film in the popular Universal Studio. “Destiny” marked a darker concept and emphasized solitude and loneliness. The MV was filmed at a deserted junkyard and abandoned city. Originally, the music video included footages of an airplane but due to the unfortunate crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214, Woollim Entertainment decided to edit and remove some scenes to show respect to the victims’ families. In “Destiny,” Infinite tried to evolve and chose another production team, Rphabet. According to Woollim Entertainment, the final phase of “Destiny” was done by popular global producer Tom Coyne who has worked with artists such as Beyonce and Adele.
Infinite made comeback performances at various TV programs, terrestrial and paid channels. They performed at MBC’s Music Core, SBS’ Inkigayo, KBS’ Music Bank, Mnet’s M! Countdown, and MBC Music’s Show Champion. Due to their huge popularity and increase of demand, Infinite made a second comeback performance and performed “Mother” and “Going to You” in the same promotional week.
Last Romeo (2014)
“Last Romeo” marked Season 2 (literally) of Infinite. In April 2014, Infinite had just released The Origin, a compilation album that consisted of all of their most popular singles since their debut day in June 2010. Season 2 was the second studio album of Infinite. Season 2 peaked at No. 1 on the Gaon music chart and No. 18 on the Japan Orion Music chart. Season 2 sold 152.479 copies in Korean and close to 20.000 copies in Japan. “Last Romeo” was the title track of Season 2. It peaked at No. 7 and No. 8 on the Gaon music chart and the Hot music chart, respectively. “Last Romeo” also peaked at No. 8 on the US World music chart, marking the global recognition of Infinite in the global music industry. “Last Romeo” sold 374.159 copies in Korea. The “Last Romeo” music video was inspired by senior singers Cho Yong-pil and Rain. All of them used a 3D projection mapping program, Roomfence to give a more realistic background. In terms of musicality, Infinite chose a more pop and rock approach rather than electronic in “Last Romeo.” It included brass and upbeat acoustic drum tempo. Long time producer, Sweetune collaborated in the production of “Last Romeo.” “Last Romeo” used a romantic and melancholic concept. The visuals, costumes, hairstyles, photo album signifies the evolution of Infinite from a boyish and teenage image to a more mature and manly image. In the “Last Romeo” photo album, Infinite made a bold statement in releasing a melancholic and romantic photo concept. All members were dressed in all-white outfits and were pictured in rain-poured conditions.
