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K-pop’s Rain returns with new album, boy band to launch

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Tamar Herman, South China Morning Post

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/entertainment/03/04/rain.jpg"/><figcaption>K-pop veteran Rain returns to the scene with a new album and a boy group launched under his company. <em>Instagram: @rain_oppa</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Veteran K-pop idol Rain is back – and he’s doing better than ever.</p><p>The South Korean singer-songwriter, musician and actor has spent much of the past year going viral for various dance performances and an occasional collaboration, but March will see him return in a big way: he started the month off by releasing a new album and it will end with him launching a new boy band, Ciipher.<br/> <br/>Rain released his most recent album, My Life, in 2017. Wednesday saw the release of the new one, Pieces by Rain, a five-track EP fronted by the single Why Don’t We featuring Chungha.<br/> <br/>The pair had promoted the single for several days ahead of its arrival, and the propulsive dance song was shared through a dramatic, one-take choreography video on Monday featuring Rain and Chungha. </p><p>The album also features the end-of-2020 single Switch to Me with J.Y. Park, under whose tutelage Rain developed his career while working with JYP Entertainment in the 1990s and early 2000s. </p><p>Rain has been one of South Korea’s most prominent musical artists and actors for several decades now, and has earned a reputation as a multifaceted entertainer. After making his acting debut in South Korea in 2003, he pursued a career in Hollywood, and was featured in films including Speed Racer, Ninja Assassin and The Prince.</p><p>His popularity surged last year after his 2017 song Gang went viral and he re-entered the spotlight. That led to multiple collaborations and television appearances before the end of the year. </p><p>He also collaborated with television personality Yoo Jae-seok and singer Lee Hyori to create the popular project group SSAK3, who dominated music charts in South Korea over the summer with their old-school style. </p><p>Last month, he collaborated with Grammy-award winning opera singer Sumi Jo and released the song Guardians as a tie-in to a new K-pop app, Universe.</p><p>The J.Y. Park collaboration featured on his first album of the 2020s is a nice nod to Rain as he produces a new boy band and picks up the reins metaphorically from his own producer. <br/>Ciipher, a seven-member outfit, will release their first album, Ankkullyeo, on March 15. </p><p>While they’ll be the first group produced by the singer’s his R.A.I.N Company, in the late 2000s he also produced boy band MBLAQ and last year served as a judge and mentor on I-Land, which resulted in the formation of the new boy band Enhypen. </p><p>Last month, Rain performed Gang with Ciipher to kick off Rain Is Back. Three members of the group – Keita, Tag and Won – feature on a track on Rain’s new album.</p><p>In related news, Chungha released her first LP, Querencia, on February 15.<br/> </p><p><strong>RELATED STORIES</strong>:</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/01/17/21/a-sneak-peek-at-the-k-pop-acts-set-to-debut-in-2021">A sneak peek at the K-pop acts set to debut in 2021</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/01/07/21/what-to-expect-from-k-pop-in-2021-return-of-red-velvet-shinee-synergy-between-music-and-video-games">What to expect from K-pop in 2021: Return of Red Velvet, Shinee, synergy between music and video games</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1632452" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>K-pop veteran Rain returns to the limelight with the launch of a boy band and his album ‘Pieces of Rain.’</p>

K-pop veteran Rain returns to the limelight with the launch of a boy band and his album ‘Pieces of Rain.’

K-pop’s Rain returns with new album, boy band to launch

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K-pop’s Rain returns with new album, boy band to launch

Tamar Herman,

South China Morning Post

Published March 04, 2021 01:18 PM PHT

Read More:

K-pop

Rain

Jung Ji-hoon

Pieces of Rain

RAIN Company

Ciipher

K-pop 2021 debuts

SCMP

South China Morning Post

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