Apink marks 15 years with ‘RE: LOVE’ comeback

Apink, now back to the front line of K-pop, did so with their eleventh mini album RE : LOVE which was officially released on 5th January 2026 at 6:00 pm KST. This comeback is a big deal for the group and it happens when they are marking 15 years since they made their debut. Just like it has been almost three years since Apink last dropped their mini-album SELF (2023), Apink comes back with a project that grows through and with fans.

Consisting of five songs, RE: LOVE album gives the audience the message of “Love Me More” at the heart of it. These are the full tracks; Love Me More, Fizzy Soda, Birthday Cake, Sunshine, and 손을 잡아줘 (Hold My Hand). Each song tells a story on its own about love and is the joy people experience throughout life. This is delivered through their typical sincere emotions. Love Me More sound has maintained to incorporate both old school analog synths of 1990s with current trends thus a reminiscent but contemporary feel.

The song’s lines are affectional yet adult managed which balances elegancy along vulnerability well. Fizzy Soda is provided by hip-hop-oriented sampling alongside its retro vibe principally, whereas Birthday Cake commemorates simple moments’ warmth. Sung over buck band sounds ‘Sunshine’ features member’s vocal stances and for an emotional conclusion; Hold My Hand offers classic setups coupled with heartfelt harmonies a ballad closes the album.

The concept of the album is based on love and the things that matter most after a long career. It depicts a man (metaphorically for the group and their fans) as someone who, amidst external achievements, feels an inner vacuum, reflects back on the past, and concludes that love is the most important thing in life. This thematic is expressed via two distinct concept photo sets: MY Ver. and MUSE Ver. MY Ver. photographs have soft, luminous, personal aesthetic which display introspection, nostalgia and dreams in spaces that recall members’ individuality.

On other hand, MUSE Ver.’s photos show sophisticated and mature elegance with classic black-and-white imagery and rich textures which highlights assurance, experience and artistic identity. Additionally to this different aspects of retro’s ’80s ’90s revival are also used for the promotion of album introducing conflictive themes of the supra sensible introspective/loving and radiant love relationships.

Apink’s current five members She is currently composed of Chorong, Bomi, Eunji, Namjoo and Hayoung are slated to participate actively in their promotional activities including releasing of concept photos, highlight medleys and music video teasers in the social media by their fans or shared via official channels such as SNS and Weverse. The comeback was carefully planned by With Us Entertainment to mark the 15-year journey of the group, giving prominence to both individual growth and collective identity.

On the day of the release, the members made a live announcement to their fans, Pandas, and conveyed appreciation for their patience directly. They summarized the album’s importance telling that RE : LOVE is a collection of memories they have been accumulating throughout the years past and present Apink unique artistic color. “We sincerely appreciate Pandas’ patience for our comeback. We’ve put in a lot of effort and can’t wait to showcase our stages as soon as possible. This album is all we’ve built up until now and a color that is unique to Apink,” stated the group.

Off the record it was said that RE : LOVE will mark the group’s anniversary and is more of a story than anything else; showing moments of doubt, reflection and growth at the theme of love until they all feel "Love Me More". From the media coverage, it becomes apparent that the album does not only look back at Apink’s 15-year journey and maturity of love over time but also romantic, self-love, loving others and fans love. In terms of music and visual, you can see how far the girls have come from their unique pure-bred fashion to a mature sensibility while keeping their moving force emotional depth.

This action ensures Apink’s current relevance in an industry where trend is everything. In their latest album titled RE : LOVE , Apink looks back at their history and pays homage to their fans while also reinventing love which they consider to be the foundation of their art that survived through all this time.