Q is is the fourth extended play by the South Korean boy band NU'EST. The album was released on February 17, 2016 and was distributed by LOEN Entertainment.
Background and release
Q is is NU'EST's first Korean release in 1.5 years after the group put their Korean activities on hold to promote in Japan.[1] The album was released on February 17, 2016 along with the music video for the title track, "Overcome." A dance version of the music video was released on February 22, 2016.[2]
Composition
The concept of Q is focuses on a narrative about a queen and a knight who wants to protect her. During the album's comeback showcase, JR explained that the queen represents the group's fans,[3] known as "Love." In addition, Baekho revealed that the first letter of each song spelled out the word "Love", while the second "s" in "One Kis2" was intentionally spelled with the number "2" to form a heart.[4]
The title track, "Overcome", is described as an addictive melody with lyrics describing the knight's desire to protect the girl he loves by singing a magic spell to make her forget about pain.[5] Joshua Minsoo Kim from Billboard describes the song as beginning as a "sultry ballad" resembling "Promise" before abruptly shifting into a pre-chorus resembling "My Boo" and then a "dramatic chorus complete with post-dubstep wobbles", comparing the change of pace in the song to "an arduous journey to reassure their lover."[6]
Reception
Q is peaked at #5 on the Gaon Music Chart.[7] Initially, the album only sold 8,988 copies upon release,[8] but after NU'EST's appearance on Produce 101 Season 2 in 2017, the album re-entered the charts and sold an additional 18,544 copies.[9]
^Kim, Ha-jin (February 22, 2016). "NU'EST、新曲「女王の騎士」ダンスバージョンのミュージックビデオを公開". TenAsia (in Japanese). Translated by Choi, Yoon-jeong. KStyle. Retrieved December 29, 2019.
^[Showcase] NU'EST(뉴이스트) _ OVERCOME(여왕의 기사) & In Fact(사실 말야) [(Showcase) NU'EST: Overcome & In Fact]. South Korea: 1theK. February 21, 2016. Event occurs at 3:00-3:20. Retrieved December 29, 2019. JR: The fourth album is about a queen and a knight who wants to protect her. For us NU'EST, our queen is our precious fans. We made this song since we want to protect and think about our fans forever.
^ abcd[Showcase] NU'EST(뉴이스트) _ OVERCOME(여왕의 기사) & In Fact(사실 말야) [(Showcase) NU'EST: Overcome & In Fact]. South Korea: 1theK. February 21, 2016. Event occurs at 3:20-3:47. Retrieved December 29, 2019. Baekho: Our first track is "My Heaven" ["Lost & Found"], which is the "L" of "love." The second track is "Overcome", which is the "O" of "love." The third track is "In Fact" ["VVith"], which is the "V" of "love." And the fourth track is "Bickering" ["Emotion"], which is the "E" of "love." On the last track, we added "S" and "2" to make a heart shape, so the album spells out "LOVE", and a heart.
