BTOB's Lim Hyun-sik to drop solo EP 'The Young Man and the Deep Sea'

The singer has long aspired to produce an album with the ocean as its motif, according to his agency DOD Entertainment.

Boy band BTOB member Lim Hyun-sik poses for a photo at the press conference for the release of the band's twelfth EP, held at Stanford Hotel in Mapo District, western Seoul, in May. [NEWS1]

Boy band BTOB member Lim Hyun-sik will release his second EP as a solo artist, “The Young Man and the Deep Sea," on Feb. 16.

Lim announced his comeback with a teaser image for the EP on his social media page at midnight on Monday.

As the EP title suggests, the sea was Lim's main muse. Lim has long aspired to produce an album with the ocean as its motif, according to his agency DOD Entertainment.

Lim has frequently expressed his love for the ocean which often comes out in his music and performances. The singer wrote and produced his first single “Swimming” (2017), which was the opening song for his solo concert “Dive into You” in October last year. The concert visuals were also ocean-inspired and on its set list were songs like "Tide" and "Lonely Sea."

“Lim Hyun-sik was involved in producing not only the entire album’s concept and design but also for the music video,” his agency said. “It was created in the hopes that ‘Lim Hyun-sik’s ocean' will be felt by the audience.” Lim made his debut with band BTOB under K-pop agency Cube Entertainment in 2012 with the single "Insane." He and three other band members, Seo Eun-kwang, Lee Min-hyuk and Peniel, signed with DOD Entertainment in December last year. Lim started his solo artist career in 2017 with his first EP "Rendez-vouz."

To find out more about Lim Hyun-sik and BTOB, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]