''Nu.Clear'' is the fourth Korean

extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

(fifth overall) by South Korean girl group CLC. It was released digitally and physically on May 30, 2016 by

Cube Entertainment Cube Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean entertainment company. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and music publishing house. Cube are known for h ...

, but the selling of physical copies of the album was pushed to June 3, 2016 to change song arrangements. The album contains six tracks, with member Jang Yeeun participating in three of the tracks for rap making. "No Oh Oh" was released as the lead single. The name "Nu.Clear" represents the words "New" and "Clear" (which is taken from CLC's name, ''CrystaL Clear''). It signifies CLC's music transformation as a complete 7-member group, with former ''

Produce 101 ''Produce 101'' () is a reality television talent competition franchise created by South Korean entertainment conglomerate CJ E&M, based around the formation of a K-pop girl group or boy group. The format is noted for having no panel of judges ...

'' contestant,

Kwon Eun-bin Kwon Eun-bin (, born January 6, 2000), also known simply as Eunbin or Eunbean, is a South Korean singer, actress and model. She participated in the Produce 101 (season 1), first season of ''Produce 101'' (2016), before being eliminated in the ...

, finally joining them with promotions.

Background and release

On May 23,

began uploading group and individual photo teasers for CLC's fourth mini-album ''Nu.Clear'' that was scheduled to be released on May 30. From the released images, CLC showed a funky and unique concept with the use of fancy neon colors, highlighting the "sly-dol" image. On May 26, CLC uploaded videos of

I.O.I I.O.I (; also known as IOI or Ideal of Idol) was a South Korean girl group formed by CJ E&M through the 2016 reality show ''Produce 101'' on Mnet. The group was composed of eleven members chosen from a pool of 101 trainees from various entertai ...

members and

Jeon Soyeon Jeon So-yeon (; born August 26, 1998), known mononymously as Soyeon, is a South Korean rapper and record producer under Cube Entertainment. She first gained attention for competing in the television shows ''Produce 101'' and ''Unpretty Rapstar ...

(who were ex-''

'' trainees with Eunbin) showing support for CLC's comeback and Kwon Eunbin's official debut. A music video for "No Oh Oh" was uploaded on May 30. The music video emphasizes vivid colors, as well as the members' visuals showing a sly image with various expressions. The members can also be seen posing on colorful backgrounds, highlighting their fruit characters. Seunghee with green apple, Yujin with strawberry, Seungyeon with orange,

Sorn Sorn may refer to: Places * Sorn, East Ayrshire, a village in Scotland * Sorn Castle, East Ayrshire, Scotland * River Sorn, Islay, Scotland * Sørn and Bernt, rocks off the coast of South Georgia * Sorn, restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand People * ...

with watermelon, Yeeun with tomato, Elkie with cherry and lastly, Eunbin with lemon character. The dance choreography for the performance of "No Oh Oh" is choreographed by Yama&Hotchick's Jun Hongbok and Bae Yoonjung. Bae Yoonjung was Kwon Eunbin's dance mentor on ''Produce 101''.

Composition

The lead single of the album, "No Oh Oh", was produced by the hit-composers

Shinsadong Tiger Lee Ho-yang (June 3, 1983 – February 23, 2024), known professionally as Shinsadong Tiger, was a South Korean music producer and songwriter. After debuting in 2001 at the age of 18, he still worked several odd jobs to fund his music career. H ...

and Beom & Nang. "No Oh Oh" is a dance number made of simple minor codes and sounds full of twists with a strongly addictive rich-sound chorus. It has a unique pop melody enhanced by main vocalist, Oh Seunghee. The lyrics portray the feeling of a shy girl falling in love. The tracks "What Planet Are You From?" and "One, Two, Three" are in the

new jack swing New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Te ...

dance genre. "Day by Day" has a warm

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

rhythm, that expresses the bashful feeling of a girl falling in love. "Dear My Friend" is a medium-tempo

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

song harmonized with acoustic guitar and synth sounds, sending warm and thankful messages to friends. "It's Too Late" is a

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

song, with the elements of

rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in the United States and the United Kingdo ...

, about the story of a girl who sends a message to her loved one that she no longer cares for him.

Promotion

A media showcase for the album was held on May 30 at the Lottecard Arts Center. The group performed the track "High Heels" from their previous album, '' Refresh'', and also performed their new songs "No Oh Oh" and "One, Two, Three". The group also made their first music show performance on the 189th episode of

MBC Music MBC M (formerly MBC Music) () is a South Korean specialty channel, specialty television channel owned by MBC Plus Media. The cable channel primarily broadcasts programming related to music. It was first announced in July 2011, with the announce ...

's ''

Show Champion ''Show Champion'' () is a South Korean music television program broadcast live by MBC M every Wednesday at Bitmaru Broadcasting Center in Ilsan. Hosts * Shindong (February 14, 2012 – December 25, 2012) * Hahm Eun-jung (January 30, 2013 – ...

'', performing both "No Oh Oh" and "One, Two, Three". On June 17, member Eunbin was unable to attend a fansign event, and announced that she would be temporarily halting group promotions due to health issues. She rejoined the group on June 22, after recovering. The group ended their promotions on July 8, with the last performance on

KBS The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS; ) is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters under the government of South Korea. The KBS operates seven radio net ...

's ''

Music Bank ''Music Bank'' () is a South Korean music program which airs every Friday at 17:15 KST on KBS2. the show is also broadcast in more than a hundred countries through KBS World. Episodes are filmed at the KBS New Wing Open Hall in Yeouido-dong, Ye ...

''.

Track listing

Charts

Release history

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 2016 EPs Cube Entertainment EPs CLC (group) EPs Korean-language EPs 2010s Korean-language albums Dance-pop EPs