&TEAM was formed in 2022 through HYBE subsidiary YX Labels. Their nine members—Euijoo (EJ), Fuma, Yūdai (K), Nicholas, Yuma, Jo, Harua, Taki, and Maki, who range from 19 to 28—were the nine winners of a competition show. They’re a J-pop group, but they also do promotions in Korea, and made their K-pop debut in 2025.

Here are my credentials: I would consider myself a casual fan of &TEAM, in that I liked one singular post about them and they haven’t stop invading my feed since. So I finally decided to listen to the universe and cover them. Then I opened Kprofiles and immediately go: “what do you mean werewolf concept?”. Yeah. They have a werewolf concept.

Right. So, let’s get into it!

EP #1: First Howling: ME

So, besides *werewolves*, I didn’t really know what to expect going into Scent Of You. But this old school hip-hop sound and lightly jazzy instrumentation was absolutely not it. I admit I kept waiting for the moment when I wouldn’t like it…and it never came. I liked basically the whole thing; I’m not the biggest fan of the rap but that’s a pretty small gripe all things considered. It reminded me a bit of NCT’s Walk or Monsta X’s Love, albeit with some extra Japanese city pop. I really enjoyed it, despite it not really being my style. Alright, &TEAM, credit where it’s due.

Once again, I find myself completely not expecting the direction &TEAM goes, because Under The Skin not only has a ten minute long music video that dives deep into in-universe werewolf lore, but also manages to have a genuinely affecting message about found family and mental health. And vampires. Naturally. All jokes aside, it’s quite a strong piece altogether, more of a short film than a music video, If you know me, you know I’m helpless to The Power Of Friendship, TM, so of course I loved it. I also really liked the song on its own; it goes for the kind of slow-building soft rock pop that I always end up liking. And by the time it reaches the end, I was won over.

From the EP, I enjoyed the fun-loving Buzz Love, and the excellent slow build of The Final Countdown. None of these songs were at all the kind of sound I was expecting, so it makes me even more intrigued for what’s coming next.

Single #1: W.O.L.F.

“Anna I think you spelled wolf wrong?” No, my dear, I did not. In the grand tradition of kpop, W.O.L.F. stands for “Win Or Lose Fight.” Sure. Either way, this song, as you might expect, goes into the werewolf concept 100%, and while I was expecting to cringe outright, I honestly didn’t (except for the rap, because what the hell was that). The song’s not bad all in all; I preferred the first EP but I’m not mad at this one. I couldn’t find a music video, so I watched an official performance from their 2024 concert tour and find myself fairly impressed by their singing and choreo. So, I give it an: “eh?”

EP #2: First Howling: WE

I’ve had Firework recommended to me before, so I had high expectations, and I’m thankful to say it didn’t disappoint. Its solid beat had me tapping my feet from the beginning, which is always a good sign. And its chorus is one of my absolute favorites of theirs, no cap. It never loses its energy, even when the verses pull back a little. And the bridge? Fantastic. The song really does feel like a firework. As for the music video, though it’s hard to reach the heights of Under The Skin, it manages to tell what first seems like a sweet love story and then blooms into something deeper. (No spoilers from me.)

From the EP, I enjoyed the build-up of Road Not Taken, and the confident, laid-back The Moon Is Beautiful. I preferred the first one, but I liked this one too. (Side note: I wasn’t expecting the Korean versions, so suddenly hearing Korean after listening to Japanese gave me a little whiplash.)

Album #1: First Howling: NOW

Yet again I wasn’t expecting the way an &TEAM song opens; this time War Cry’s guitar riff to end all guitar riffs. But I admit my stomach dropped when the first verse went into the kind of EDM-heavy rapping sound that I was dreading &Team would go for. Surprisingly, though, the chorus manages to save it a bit, purely on the power behind it and how much &TEAM sees to believe in their message. The final rendition especially elevates the song. I think that it could be so much better, but I’m impressed that it’s as good as it is despite my gripes. The more I listen, the more its bombast and its

This album is mainly previously released music from the first two EPs, a choice I’m not entirely sure I understand. Regardless, of the new songs, I enjoyed the synthy rush of Dropkick (easily my hidden gem), the solid beat of Really Crazy, and the sweet lyrics of Alien.

Single #3: 君にカエル (Maybe)

Maybe is a sharp left turn from all of &TEAM’s music so far, going for the kind of quasi-ballad sound that makes you emotional even before you know what the lyrics are about. It has a lovely sense of build, and is just a lovely song in general. I don’t have an overwhelming amount to say about it, to be honest with you. Sometimes a song’s just beautiful and you need to sit for a minute to absorb it, and that’s just how this is. I enjoyed getting to hear the boys’ voices more clearly here, definitely; they all sounded great.

Single #4: 五月雨 (Samidare)

Samidare starts off similar to Maybe, albeit more solidly poppy. There’s little I enjoy more than a smooth emotional pop song, and Samidare is that in spades. The name means “early summer rain”, usually referring to Japan’s rainy season in May, and though there’s very little actual rain in the music video, the whole time you’re just waiting for it to come thundering in. Also like Maybe, it has a lovely build and a strong emotional through line that makes you want to come back.

Next time, we’re onto Part 2. Tschüss!