Super Junior drops special single album The Road: Winter For Spring
UPDATE: The article was updated on 1 April to include additional quotes provided by Super Junior.
Super Junior’s first single of the year The Road: Winter For Spring was released on 28 February, available physically as a CD and digitally for download and streaming.
The special single album contains a total of four tracks, with two hits titled Callin’ and Analogue Radio, and their instrumental versions.
In an email interview, Super Junior's Leeteuk told Yahoo Life SEA their new single, Callin’, "has a storyline that’s about a man who is hurt from love and doesn’t believe in love".
"It’s a track that speaks on him finding the one and everything changing as if melting away like snow as he begins to dream of love again," he said.
“I hope you can feel the sadness and loneliness our members tried to express, along with the heart-filling love through this story when the music video transforms into an animation,” the SuJu leader added.
Another member, Donghae also prepared a special message for Super Junior’s international fans.
“We haven’t been able to see our E.L.F. for over two years due to the pandemic. I know I’ve mentioned that we will visit as soon as we can, so I’m sad we haven’t been able to make this happen because of the current situation," Donghae said.
"Regardless, we appreciate everyone always waiting for us and continuing to send us their love whenever we come back with a new album and music even though we can’t carry out various promotional activities like before," he added.
Donghae said the group believed that "the days when we are free of all the worries from the pandemic would come soon".
"Please wait for us a little more! We always think of ways to give back the love because we have received so much, and will make sure to prepare a new album and music with this in mind. We will be back soon when the time is right,” he wrote in his message.
Callin’ is a pop rock track with a delicately beautiful melody and gentle vocals. The lyrics speak of the memories of a love filled with repeated pain, and the desire of not wanting to lose a precious love that’s come amid days of feeling alone forever.
Leeteuk previously spoke in detail about the song in a behind-the-scenes video, saying, “As soon as I heard the demo, I thought it’s perfect for me, it’s an incredible song. And I had a very happy time working on this song. So even after I was done with the recording, I played it again and again in my car and at the gym. I hope E.L.F [term used to refer to SuJu’s fans] can listen to it at the end of winter and in spring. I hope you can hear this song Callin’ and think about your past lovers. I hope people who are in love and people who want to fall in love can feel warmth in their hearts listening to this song.”
Unlike the usual releases, there will be two music videos for Callin’. The “Winter For Spring” version, released on 28 February at 6pm KST (5pm SGT), features an animated story about a man (Winter) who locks himself in the room of his heart, and a woman (Spring) who waits for him to come out and run to her.
The “Winter” version without animation components dropped on 4 March at 6pm KST.
Analogue Radio is a pop mid-tempo song with guitar and trendy lo-fi sounds. With a melodic drop heightening the warmth of the track, the lyrics express stories anyone might have through the medium “radio”.
K-pop legend Super Junior consists of nine active members Leeteuk, Heechul, Yesung, Shindong, Donghae, Eunhyuk, Siwon, Ryeowook and Kyuhyun, with Sungmin on hiatus since 2015. Since debuting in 2005, this trailblazing group has risen to become one of the driving forces behind the global K-pop fandom, paving the way for many of today’s Korean idol groups.
