K-Pop Group Sets Possible Final Album: What's Next for Kep1er?

K-pop girl group Kep1er have confirmed that they are preparing to release their final album as a group and are also in talks to extend their contract. On April 3, News1 reported via Soompi that Kep1er has begun working on their penultimate album as they prepare to end their exclusive group contract with WakeOne. 

According to the report, Kep1er recently held a listening party for potential tracks that will be included in their upcoming album. As a response to the report, WAKEONE released the following statement: "Kep1er is preparing for a new album." It further noted, "We are currently in positive discussions with each member's agency to extend the group contract."

Although specific details about Kep1er's new music are sparse, initial reports claimed that the band was planning to release their latest record in May, although the WAKEONE has not explicitly confirmed this. It is expected that more details, such as the title, format, release date, and tracklist, will be available in the near future.

As a temporary project, the contract of the South Korean nine-piece is due to expire officially on July 3 this year. This was a condition set forth by the Survival Show that formed Kep1er, Girls Planet 999, under which the winning line-up had to sign a two-and-a-half-year contract when the show concluded in October 2021 as part of the contract. In January 2022, the group made its official debut.

The news comes less than two months after the group revealed "2024 Kep1ine," in which the group unveiled plans to release two new albums by the end of the year, one in Japanese and one in Korean. At the moment, Kep1er are on the cusp of releasing their first record of the year, the Japanese album 'Kep1going', scheduled for release on May 8, with "Straight Line" serving as the album's title track.

Despite WAKEONE's claim that they are "in positive discussions" regarding long-term contract renewals, it was revealed that these talks had been going on since as early as September 2023. As the company described it at the time, it was "a meeting to establish a roadmap and strategy for the artists' long-term activities." However, as of the writing of this article, no updates have been made publicly available.

The band released a mini-album, Magic Hour, in September 2023, their last domestic release. Aside from the title track, "Galileo," four other B-sides appeared on the album: "The Door," "Love on Lock," "Tropical Light," and "Tape."