NiziU embraces new challenges with first Korean EP ‘Sour Grapes’

Japanese girl group NiziU under JYP Entertainment is taking on new “challenges” in its choreography and musical style with the release of “Sour Grapes,” its first EP in Korea.

The EP, set for release on Monday, will mark the group’s return to the K-pop scene a year and six months after the release of its second Korean single, “Love Line,” in March 2025. The comeback has been long awaited not only by Korean fans but also by members themselves.  

“We tried to explore fresh ways to present diverse aspects of our group while thinking about what our fans would like to see from us,” Maya said. “Our activities in Korea have given us new experiences and opportunities to interact more closely with our fans.”

Other members noted that choreography is unlike anything the group has done before.

“The dance moves for the title track ‘Sour Grapes’ are something that our group has not tried before,” Ayaka said. “After our first dance practice, our muscles were sore all over. All the members worked hard to perfect the performance.”

Rima also recalled that members put extra effort into making the movements bigger and more powerful.

When asked about what the upcoming album and their past trajectory mean to them, the members singled out one word: “challenge.”

“This year has been all about taking on new ‘challenges,’” Riku said. “We organized the set list by ourselves for our dome tour in Japan, and now we are returning with an intense concept that our group has not done before. In that sense, this year has been a series of new challenges.”

NiziU formed through the audition program “Nizi Project” (2020), which aimed to produce a girl group mainly for the Japanese market backed by K-pop training and production systems. It debuted with “Step and a step” in 2020. The group recently completed the “NiziU: The Cinema” dome tour at the Kyocera Dome Osaka and Tokyo Dome in June.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [[email protected]]