Male soloist to fill your playlist in May

A wide array of male solo artists will grace the stage this month.

Lim Young-woong, who gained immense popularity through the trot audition program "Mr. Trot," on Monday released "Warmth" and "Home," which both climbed to the top two spots on major music charts in Korea such as Melon, Genie and Bugs within just an hour of their release, once again proving Lim's immense popularity.

Both songs remain high in the charts as of Tuesday afternoon.

The singer is scheduled to hold a solo concert titled "IM Hero The Stadium" at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on May 25-26, performing for over 100,000 people over the course of two days. Lim will be the fourth solo artist to take the stage at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, following Seo Tae-ji, Psy, and G-Dragon.

EXO member D.O. has returned as a solo artist Doh Kyung Soo.

The singer dropped his third mini-album "Blossom" on Tuesday, approximately 8 months after his second mini-album, "Expectation."

Including the pre-released song "Popcorn," which expresses the exciting feelings of being with a loved one, and the title track "Mars," the new album features a total of 6 tracks.

Meanwhile, Doh Kyung Soo is preparing for his first solo fan concert tour, "Bloom," starting in Seoul in June and continuing through nine Asian cities before concluding in Singapore in September.

On Thursday, BTOB's Yook Sung-jae releases his new solo single, "Exhibition: Look Closely."

This album marks Yook Sung-jae's solo comeback four years after his last release, "Yook O'clock," in 2020. It is also his first album released under his new agency, IWillMedia. Each track on the album highlights Yook Sung-jae as a solo artist, showcasing aspects he might not have fully revealed during his group activities. The title track, "Be Somebody," carries a message of believing in oneself and striving towards one's own path.

The singer will host the fan meeting, "Look Closely," at the Seoul Blue Square Mastercard Hall on May 18-19. This will be his first fan meeting as a solo artist.

RM, the leader of K-pop megahit group BTS, will drop his second solo album on May 24.

The new album, "Right Place, Wrong Person," consists of 11 tracks, all featuring lyrics written by RM. Through this album, RM explores moments in which he feels like an outsider.

The singer’s agency Big Hit Music explained that just as RM showcased collaborations transcending the boundary between music and art in his first solo album, "Indigo," released in 2022, this album continues that trend, describing it as an "album that breaks down the boundaries of art through collaboration."

Many renowned directors and artists participated in RM's album artwork. The concept photos feature work by photographers including Wing Shya from Hong Kong and up-and-coming photographer Takahiro Mizushima from Japan who were selected by RM.

The pre-release of the track "Come Back to Me" will be out on Friday. The music video for "Come Back to Me" was directed by Lee Sung-jin, a Korean-American director who directed the Netflix series “Beef." Ryu Seong-hie, known for her work in films like "Decision to Leave" and "Assassination," and Kim Woo-hyung, the cinematographer of "1987" and "Late Autumn," also contributed. Additionally, actor Kim Min-ha stars in the music video.

On the last day of May, EXO's leader and actor Suho will return as a solo artist with his third mini-album, "1 to 3."

This album marks Suho's comeback in about 2 years since his second mini-album, "Grey Suit," released in April 2022. The album has two title tracks, "1 to 3" and "Cheese." Wendy of Red Velvet features the latter lead track.

Currently, Suho is starring as the male lead in the MBN series "Missing Crown Prince." He sang "Love You More Gradually" for the series' original soundtrack and is gearing up for his first solo concert, "Su:Home," scheduled for May 25-26.