Aboutzu (stylized as abouTZU) is the debut extended play (EP) by Taiwanese singer Tzuyu of the girl group Twice. It was released on September 6, 2024, through JYP Entertainment and Republic Records. The EP contains six tracks, including the lead single "Run Away" and collaborations with Peniel of BtoB and rapper pH-1.
Background
In 2023, the decision was made that Tzuyu would debut as a soloist, with recording and production beginning in February 2024.[2] On August 2, 2024, JYP Entertainment released an opening trailer for Aboutzu to publicly announce Tzuyu's solo debut.[3] Throughout August and early September, various teasers and other promotional content were distributed in anticipation of the EP's release on September 6. The official music video for the lead single "Run Away" came out on the same day as the EP.[4][5] In an interview with Rolling Stone, also published on September 6, Tzuyu explained that she has long had the desire to release her own album and that she hopes listeners will learn more about her true personality through her music.[6] Tzuyu was the third member of Twice to launch a solo music career, following Nayeon in 2022 and Jihyo in 2023.[7][8]
Title
The title Aboutzu is a combination of the English word "about" and the first three letters of the singer's name Tzuyu, symbolizing that the EP reflects all aspects of herself.[9] The text "abouTZU" on the EP's cover art can also be read as "chouTZU" to represent her full name Chou Tzuyu.
Composition
The lead single "Run Away" is a synth-pop and disco-pop song composed by Andrea Rosario, Elsa Curran, Davin Kingston, and Johnny Simpson, with lyrics written by Park Jin-young.[10][11][2] Pyo Kyung-min of The Korea Times, reporting from a pre-release press conference, said that the song "features nostalgia-evoking piano melodies in the intro and a bold synth bass for the chorus, evoking a sound reminiscent of the late 2000s to mid-2010s".[12][8] Next on the track list are collaborations with Peniel of BtoB in "Heartbreak in Heaven" and rapper pH-1 in "Lazy Baby", before the EP continues with the solo tracks "Losing Sleep" and "One Love".[13] Tzuyu wrote the lyrics for the final song "Fly", a ballad that tells her own story.[12][10][11]
Commercial performance
Pre-order sales of Aboutzu reportedly reached 467,500 copies worldwide.[14] In South Korea, the EP debuted at number 3 on the Circle Album Chart for the week ending September 7, with 284,844 copies sold.[15] In the United States, the EP debuted at number 19 on the Billboard 200 for the chart dated September 21, with 24,000 album-equivalent units,[16] including 22,000 physical album sales as reported by the music data tracking firm Luminate.[17]
^Park, Seo-hyun (September 9, 2024). "'솔로 데뷔' 쯔위, 트와이스X원스 응원 속 첫주 음방 성료" ['Solo debut' Tzuyu successfully completes first week of music shows amidst support from Twice and Once]. Herald Pop (in Korean). Retrieved September 12, 2024.
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