''Wishes'' is the first studio album by South Korean vocal group

Voisper Voisper (; stylized in all caps) was a South Korean vocal group formed in Incheon. It consisted of vocalists Daegwang, Kwangho, Kangsan, and Choonggi, all of whom became friends in high school. After auditioning on ''Superstar K6'' in 2014 as Nor ...

. It was released on November 20, 2018, by Evermore Music and distributed by NHN Bugs. The quartet worked on the album for a year; a series of a singles were released between the album's development, two of which—"Missing U" and "I Believe"—were included on the physical disc as the final two tracks. ''Wishes'' and its

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

"Goodbye to Goodbye" were concurrently released. Voisper held a showcase for the album and the group began promoting the record by performing on music chart programs across various television networks.

Background and recording

In crafting ''Wishes'', Kangsan wanted to demonstrate the distinction in Voisper's maturity between its formation in high school to the members' ages as they approach their mid-20s. The album was conceived and completed within the span of one year, exceeding the anticipated completion timeline by three to four months. Various tracks were re-recorded to "improve their completeness". In revising the track "Break Up", Daegwang sang in a higher tone than originally intended. Kwangho made the effort to sing in numerous vocal tones throughout the album. Leading up to the recording of "Greetings", Choonggi came down with a

cold Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic ...

, which he attributes to being able to deliver a vocal performance better suited for the song's sentiment.

Music structure

An R&B album, ''Wishes'' incorporates pop,

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

, and

soul pop Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describes a ...

into its sound. Lyrically, the album's themes revolve around experiences of youth: life and memories, love and partings, and dreams and hopes. The record opens with "Ordinary Words", a love story with "warm and appealingly heavy" vocals. It is followed by "Goodbye to Goodbye", a ballad that consists of "strong harmonies". A song about pursuing one's passion and the "positive energy" from the weather, "Fine Day" incorporates elements of

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

. "Left Hand, Right Hand" is an R&B ballad. "Break Up" deals with bearing the feelings of ending a relationship. In "Greetings", the narrator laments the occasional desire to contact a former partner. Written by members Kangsan and Choonggi, the former stated that the track describes the "bitter feelings" which stem from the situation. "Memory" is an R&B ballad. A song targeting couples, "Christmas Talk" is a "tender" love song with "sweet" vocals for the

Christmas season The Christmas season or the festive season (also known in some countries as the holiday season or the holidays) is an annually recurring period recognized in many Western and other countries that is generally considered to run from late Novembe ...

. "Reminiscence Collection" utilizes a "trendy" arrangement and "Can't Let the Curtain Fall" delivers a message of hope. Kangsan sought to pen a song with relatable lyrics. The album closes with a pair of mid-tempo R&B tracks; "I Believe" is a "soulful" song influenced by

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

and "Missing U" is about "warm recollections" of a former love.

Release and promotion

Preceding the release of the album, "Missing U" and "I Believe" were digitally distributed as stand-alone singles in January and August 2018, respectively. Having debuted two years and eight months earlier, ''Wishes'' was reported as Voisper's first studio album on November 7. A portrait of the quartet and individual members were published alongside the announcement. A lyric teaser image for each member of the group was published two days later. "Goodbye to Goodbye" was revealed as the

. A highlight medley of the album tracks was shared on November 14. A music video teaser for "Goodbye to Goodbye" was uploaded four days prior to the album's release date. Hosted by MC Dingdong, Voisper held a showcase for ''Wishes'' one hour prior to its release at the Ilchi Art Hall in

Cheongdam-dong Cheongdam-dong () is a ward of Gangnam District in Seoul, South Korea. The area is best known in South Korea as an affluent neighborhood populated by a disproportionately high number of high-income individuals and for having some of the most expen ...

, a ward in the

Gangnam District Gangnam District ( ; , ) is one of the 25 local government districts which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. Gangnam translates to "South of the (Han) River". Gangnam District is the third largest district in Seoul, with an area of . A ...

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

. The album and music video for "Goodbye to Goodbye" were simultaneously released on November 20. The group began promoting the single later that day by performing it on

SBS MTV SBS M is a South Korean pay television music channel owned by SBS Medianet, a division of SBS Media Holdings. It features South Korean pop artists, international music, news, and a few reality and variety programs. It was launched in 2001 as t ...

's music chart show ''

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''. Voisper made a followup performance on

KBS2 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...

's ''

Music Bank Music Bank may refer to: * ''Music Bank'' (TV program), a South Korean music program by KBS **''Music Bank World Tour The ''Music Bank'' World Tour is a worldwide live concert tour of South Korean music show '' Music Bank'' by the Korean Broa ...

Background and recording

Music structure

Release and promotion

Track listing

Charts

References