KARD Say Goodbye With Their First Full Album “NOWHERE,” While POW Returns With Sweet Summer Bop “FLAVOR”
Image used for editorial and commentary purposes only. All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Image is AI Generated
July 28 turned into a bittersweet day for K-pop fans.
Co-ed group KARD released Where To Now? (Part.2): NOWHERE, their very first full-length album after nine years together — and, according to their agency, also their last before the group goes on indefinite hiatus.
Meanwhile, girl group POW kept the summer comeback season rolling with a lighter, sweeter release: the single album FLAVOR.
Two very different moods, two comebacks worth talking about. Here’s everything you need to know.
KARD’s NOWHERE Is Here — And It’s a Goodbye Nine Years in the Making
The wait is over: Where To Now? (Part.2): NOWHERE officially released today, July 28, at 6 PM KST, marking the first time in nine years that KARD has put out a full-length studio album — and, per DSP Media’s disbandment announcement earlier this month, their last as a group before an indefinite hiatus.
We covered the backstory in detail when the news first broke, and again when the tracklist and farewell tour details dropped — catch up on DSP Media’s original statement here, and see the full tracklist breakdown and “NOW HERE” world tour dates here.
The short version for anyone just tuning in: the members have pushed back on the word “disbandment,” framing this as a hiatus rather than a permanent goodbye, with solo activities and the farewell tour to follow.
What’s new today is the album itself, finally in fans’ hands — along with some fresh comments from the members about what went into it.
The Title Track: “Back To Life”
Leading the album is “Back To Life,” built on the moombahton and tropical textures that have long defined KARD’s sound. Unlike the group’s sultrier, high-intensity title tracks of the past, this one leans gentle.
Somin has said the song trades the group’s usual sexy, powerful image for something softer, with the writing process pulling inspiration from earlier KARD favorites like “Oh NaNa” and “Hola Hola.” The core message: no matter where the members go next, they want to remain a place their fans can lean on.
All four members contributed to the lyrics, with BM also involved in composition, arrangement, and programming for the track — a level of hands-on involvement that runs across much of the album, not just the single.
A Quick Refresher
The 10-track album is anchored by “Back To Life,” with four solo tracks giving BM, J.Seph, Somin, and Jiwoo each a standalone spotlight before the group’s final chapter. (For the full tracklist and songwriting credits, we broke it down here.)
KARD isn’t disappearing overnight, either — the farewell “NOW HERE” world tour launches in Seoul on August 8 before heading to Europe in September. Full tour dates and cities are in our earlier coverage.
For now, NOWHERE stands as both a celebration of nine years of “Hola Hola,” “Don’t Recall,” and “ICKY,” and a farewell letter to the fans who’ve followed them the whole way.
How Fans Are Reacting
Hidden KARD’s response to the disbandment news back on July 6 set the tone for everything since — plenty of fans simply weren’t ready to accept it, with one widely shared reaction on X flatly stating they’d refuse to acknowledge it at all.
That mix of denial and grief has carried straight through to release day, but it’s softened by the way KARD itself is framing the ending. One K-pop outlet summed up the mood neatly, describing the rollout as a victory lap that happens to be the last one — not a quiet fade-out, but a send-off on the group’s own terms.
That sentiment is showing up across fan timelines today too: alongside the tears, there’s a real current of pride, with fans replaying “Hola Hola” and “Don’t Recall” alongside “Back To Life” and treating the album as a nine-year victory lap rather than just an ending.
Streaming parties and rewatch threads for the “Back To Life” MV have been trending since release, with fans dissecting the four-member narrative arc frame by frame — a sign that even in its final era, KARD’s fandom is still showing up in full force.
POW Returns With a Lighter, Sweeter Comeback: FLAVOR
If KARD’s comeback is the emotional gut-punch of the week, POW’s is the summer treat to go with it. The five-member group returned with the single album FLAVOR, built around a concept called “POW Beauty Factory” — reinterpreting each member’s version of summer through colors and flavors, almost like a beauty collection rather than a straightforward music release.
The title track, also called “Flavor,” leans into bright, sparkling synths and a bouncy, upbeat rhythm layered over POW’s signature light and airy vocal tone.
It’s designed to be easy to sink into — a melody built for repeat listens rather than shock value, paired with lyrics that reflect each member’s own personality and summer mood.
Member Yochi handled the overall production for the album, a notable step for the group as he continues developing his in-house producing credits.
The single album also includes a second track, “Still Choosing You,” rounding out a short but cohesive release built for the season.
Where KARD’s NOWHERE asks fans to sit with an ending, POW’s FLAVOR is unabashedly built for beach days and long summer nights — proof that this comeback season has room for both nostalgia and pure fun.
Fan reaction so far reflects that lighter mood: rather than the emotional outpouring surrounding KARD’s release, POW’s timeline has been full of comeback countdowns, poster breakdowns.
And fans picking favorite photocards from the album’s five-member “Beauty Factory” concept — the kind of buzzy, low-stakes excitement that comes with a group still building momentum rather than closing a chapter.
The Bottom Line
It’s a heavy but memorable week for K-pop comebacks. KARD closes an era with Where To Now? (Part.2): NOWHERE and “Back To Life,” a full album nine years in the making that now doubles as a farewell before their hiatus and final world tour.
POW, meanwhile, offers a breezier contrast with FLAVOR, a single album built entirely around good vibes and summer color. Whether you’re here to say goodbye to KARD or dance along with POW, July 28 gave fans plenty to unpack.
Share this info to your friend,
so they too will know about it.