Since its 2014 debut, boy band Halo has for the most part stayed under the radar.

While the group has had a following, it has fallen short of the standards set by major rivals like Winner, GOT7 and BTS.

“We are smiling on the outside, but we are desperate for our names to be widely-known,” said Dino during a press showcase held Thursday in Seoul for its third EP “Here I Am.” It marked the group’s return from a 10 month break, by K-pop boyband standards, a considerable hiatus.

“Given that this is our fourth year, the presence of younger, popular rookie groups has made us restless. But we put our faith in our fans, and just kept running for our future,” said Ooon.

The group, consisting of Dino, Inhaeng, Ooon, Jaeyong, Heecheon and Yoondong, debuted on June 26, 2014 with the single “Fever.”

On Thursday, the released “Here I Am” with a pledge to show a more mature, “manly” side of the six members.

“Even before our debut, we had always wanted a more ‘powerful’ concept.’ This EP reflects that,” said Ooon.

The lead track “Here I Am” was written by Shin hyuk, Delly Boi and Davey Nate. The band said it is a contemporary pop/urban genre with a powerful beat and playful lyrics about a man in love.

The members also sought to reflect more of their own color in the record, with Jaeyong and Ooon contributing with songs they wrong -- “I’m Afraid” and “Travel Boy.”

“I wanted to show a different side (of me) than before, and I’ve been working a lot more on song-writing,” said Jaeyong.

The band said it “hungered for a change,” and wanted to show the public that it had matured in the past three years.

Halo flatly denied recent reports that members of the Halo considered entering the K-pop competition show “Produce 101” on Mnet. While the show typically shows trainees -- those who signed with agencies to receive professional training in return for portion of their income upon their debut -- some of the more obscure K-pop singers took a step down to compete with the trainees.

“I’ve learned a lot about (the trainees) who try so hard,” said Dino, who said they never considered entering the competition but “could have” entered.

“It gave us a chance to give ourselves a push, to try harder,” said Jaeyong.


By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)