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| Photo Credit: MYSTIC STORY |
Multinational K-pop group ARrC has released a new single album, CTRL+ALT+SKIID, which includes the title track “SKIID” that was teased during the promotion of their most recent mini-album, HOPE, and a second track, “WoW (Way of Winning)” with MOON SUA and SIYOON of the popular K-pop girl group, Billlie.
“This collaboration went beyond just working together—it was a time that inspired me greatly musically.” - HYUNMIN, member of ARrC
“SKIID” introduces a new groove called the “SKIID rhythm” by placing a unique upbeat on the snare within a 4/4 rhythm. Although the overall arrangement is minimal, each sound used in the track has a distinct character, creating a richly textured sonic palette. The song is meant to reflect the reality of teenagers who feel as though they are slipping through life inside “errors” while being stuck and frozen within the endless loops of exams, competitions, and feeling helpless. These ideas are expressed through digital language such as “404” and “system down.” Everything slides ("skiid" is meant to be skid, but the extra 'i' represents ARrC’s reinterpretation of the familiar shortcut combination CTRL+ALT+DEL, the first keys people think of when the system stops, by replacing the final key “DEL” with “SKIID” they have created their own unique form of reboot), smears, and loops. Yet even in that state, the song’s lyrics say “turn it back on” and “reboot everything,” offering a playful and realistic language of recovery instead of a rigid solution in order to share the message that even within an endlessly collapsing loop, we keep turning ourselves back on and continue living.
“Working with MOON SUA and SIYOON was a meaningful experience, where I learned how to truly enjoy performing on stage.” - ANDY, member of ARrC
“WoW (Way of Winning) (with MOON SUA X SIYOON)” is a pop-house dance track based on the UK garage genre, but like the title track, it also has a minimal structure overall. This ensures each sound carries a clear character, resulting in a three-dimensional, meticulously crafted sonic arrangement. Lyrically, the song depicts the attitude of choosing to “Restart” instead of choosing “Game Over.” Lyrics like “an anti-climax with no finish line” and “Game over ain’t over” capture the irony of youth being pushed along without clear answers, while also conveying Gen Z’s rebellious spirit and resilience to move forward with a sense of humor.
“WoW (Way of Winning)” features members MOON SUA and SIYOON of Billlie, who are labelmates of ARrC, who participated in this track as vocalists but also as lyrists for the song.
“As musicians who love music, it was a great experience to share this creative journey together. I hope that our collaboration on ‘WoW (Way of Winning)’ serves as a meaningful opportunity for growth for all of us.” - MOON SUA
“Inspired by ARrC’s passion, I really enjoyed recording and working on this track. It’s a song where different generations and emotions naturally come together, and I hope many people will listen and connect with it.” - SIYOON
The album was released in three versions: CTRL, ALT, and SKIID, and is available in both “platform album” (a smaller album with a QR code for album streaming through the EVER MUSIC app and exclusive photocards) and ‘beauty album’ formats. The “beauty album” has been produced in collaboration with the global K-beauty platform JOLSE and the beauty brand KEYTH, featuring unique album items, including a hand cream.
The release of CTRL+ALT+SKIID comes along with many of ARrC’s activities in Asia. They recently were guest performers on Vietnam’s major audition program, Show It All. The program is produced by Vietnam’s largest media group, YeaH1, and premiered on October 4th via national broadcast channel, VTV3. To ARrC, Vietnam holds a special place as a member, KIEN, is from the country. Recently, ARrC won the Most Anticipated Male Rookie Idol award at the Korea First Brand Awards 2025, and the Male Idol of the Year - Rising Star award at the 2025 Brand of the Year Awards (both awards were voted by the Vietnamese audience), proving the group’s strong fandom and popularity in Vietnam.
ARrC will continue expanding their global reach throughout Asia and the rest of the world for the rest of the year. In August, the group visited Indonesia to appear on national television shows, including Brownis on Trans TV and Inbox Nite on SCTV, perform at local schools with students, and open a pop-up store as part of a collaboration with Karafuru, one of Asia’s most popular digital character IPs. In early September, ARrC held their first fan meeting in Tokyo, Japan, titled 2025 THE 1ST FAN MEETING IN JAPAN 'We ARrC : We Awesome.’