Never doubt girl group Young Posse when it makes a promise.

Every K-pop idol group vows to show "something different" with a new album. But Young Posse has kept its word so faithfully for its special album “Cold” that the group may seem unrecognizable to anyone expecting the continuation of its hip-hop concept.


“Cold,” a special seven-track album released Sunday, is a far cry from the powerful hip-hop that the group has been showing since its debut in October 2023. The title track “Cold” is a sentimental ballad hip-hop track featuring renowned indie artist 10CM, with the members donning a school-uniform-like costume for the first time — common for girl groups opting for a cuter, softer look but not one expected from Young Posse.

“We’ve always talked about breaking the boundaries, which is why we tried ballad hip-hop for the very first time,” member Doeun told reporters during a showcase held Tuesday in western Seoul.

The showcase was held Tuesday, two days after the album's release due to Korea’s March 1 Independence Movement Day long weekend, at the Yes24 Wonderloch Hall — a theater-turned-music venue — under a cinematic theme. The members even called the theater the "Young Pocinema" in their welcoming remarks, playing on the pronunciation of the group’s name.

“The reason that this is a special album is because our previous albums were about us, Young Posse. But this album is themed around the idea, ‘How could you be so cold?’” Sunhye said. “This is an album solely about that theme. So, just as we’ve been emphasizing from before, we will keep on challenging ourselves to try new things, and we hope that ballad hip-hop will take us to other genres, not just hip-hop.”

Another cinematic touch given to the album was the music video for "Cold," which the members stressed will complete the listening experience of the album. The whole album centers around the story of siblings looking to take revenge on their father who abandons them as children. The two members Yeonjung and Doeun play the lead female characters of the music video alongside Taiwanese actor Tseng Jinghua, who plays the male lead.

“The song ‘Cold’ has actually been with us ever since we started as trainees, but it’s been changed a lot through the years,” Jiana said. “Still, it carries the emotional feel of the song that we’ve been able to express through our own colors.”

The members recommended that listeners sit through the whole album and decipher the story and message behind the music video and each song. The album's last song is “Cold,” once again, but without the featured artist 10CM.

“It has a very subtle, yet colder twist to the first ‘Cold’ track,” Doeun said. “We hope you like the song, which has been filled only with our voices, and catch the difference in the mood between the two ‘Cold’ tracks.”

Since its debut in October 2023, Young Posse has made a name for itself with hits like “Macaroni Cheese” (2023), “XXL” (2024) and “Ate That” (2024). The girl group has been known for its unique hip-hop mood and high-quality live performances.

Young Posse will embark on an additional U.S. tour "082Drop,” starting with shows in Texas. The girl group will perform in San Antonio on March 15, followed by stops in Houston on March 17, Austin on March 18, College Station on March 20 and Dallas-Fort Worth on March 21.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]