K-pop boy band MCND on their UAE fans and when their next album will be out

The five-member group were in town for a two-day event to introduce South Korean culture and tourism to the emirates

MCND members from left: Castle J, Win, Bic, Huijun and Minjae at at Dubai Festival City Mall. Photo: MCND

MCND have already won over fans in South Korea and now have their sights set on the rest of the world.

The five-member K-pop group, made up of Castle J, Bic, Minjae, Huijun and Win, were founded by Top Media and made their debut in February 2020, just before the Covid-19 pandemic began.

While this was a difficult time for many groups, MCND managed to find success thanks to their lead single Ice Age from their debut EP Into the Ice Age.

The hip-hop inspired track has a catchy chorus that expresses the group’s determination to do well as a team. The music video for the song currently has more than 29 million views on YouTube.

Although they haven't released a full album, the group were nominated for Best New Male Artist at the 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards, but did not win.

After small tours in the US and Europe in 2022, MCND made their way to the Middle East to meet some of their fans in the UAE as they performed at “To Korea, Where K-Culture Begins”, a two-day culture and tourism event at Dubai Festival City Mall, at the weekend.

While singing and dancing to their songs through a 30-minute set, they also performed a surprise cover of Lm3allem (The Boss) by Saad Lamjarred, saying they had prepared by practicing Arabic for a month as a way to get closer to their fans in the region.

“It’s really nice to meet a variety of fans while touring in different countries,” Minjae tells The National. “We promise to provide great performances and music to repay the fans with a grateful heart and become a driving force for us to do our best through our fans in many countries.”

So far, the group have released four other EPs and six other singles, but Ice Age remains one of their most popular tunes, and it can sometimes feel like added stress when trying to replicate the success of their very first song.

“When preparing for the next album, we anticipate that much, so it's better because there is pressure,” says Win.

Although they weren’t able to reveal many details, MCND says their next album will come out at the end of the year, but whether it will be a full album or another EP remains to be seen.

The group will venture next to South America at the end of May to mid-June, with stops in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Mexico continuing their world tour. Although their time in the UAE is fairly short, the members want their fans to know they appreciate them.

“We thank you for sending us a lot of love and support. We will come back with a better stage next time,” said Bic.

Through social media, it's clear that they were able to enjoy their few days in the emirate, with photos at Dubai Festival City as well as Dubai Fountain with Burj Khalifa in the background.

They even made a special appearance during a random dance-play session — which is a dance challenge game that invites people to show off their moves — during the K-culture and tourism event, showing off their slick choreographed moves to Ice Age with adoring, cheering fans in the background.

Although the heat may have been a bit of a factor while performing outdoors, with Castle J joking that “Dubai is too hot,” he says the band will leave with fond memories.

“It’s an honour to perform in the UAE, which I’m visiting for the first time,” he says. “Although I’m unfamiliar with Dubai, I want to go back with good memories.”

Scroll through the gallery below for more pictures from To Korea, Where K-Culture Begins at Dubai Festival City Mall

'To Korea, Where K-Culture Begins' is a two-day event taking place at Dubai Festival City Mall. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

Mascots pose for a photo at the K-Culture event

People visit the nail art stand

A Korean digital artist draws a caricature at her stand

A digital caricature in the works

Hanbok, traditional Korean clothing, are on display and visitors can try them on

Visitors try on hanbok at the K-Culture event

Temporary tattoos of famous Korean cartoon characters are also on offer

Visitors to the K-spa stand

The arts and craft stand

The event is free with the aim of promoting tourism to South Korea