Hwang Chi Yeul's 'Our Summer' hits #1 on Bugs the day after debut summer album drops

Hwang Chi Yeul's Our Summer (우리, 여름) reached #1 on the Bugs real-time chart at 8 AM KST on June 27. The five-track album I LOVE SUMMER had dropped the day before. Every track on it charted. His April digital single 별이 될게 re-entered major domestic charts on the back of the release.

I LOVE SUMMER is his first summer-themed album since debut. A deliberate step away from the ballad-heavy catalog he built his name on. The five tracks are Our Summer, Breath (숨 참고 네 이름), Love, Summer (여름에 말할게), Summer Drive (여름이 불어와), and Unsaid (너를 아프게 하던 내가 제일 미워지는 밤이야).

The title track centers on midsummer love and the longing that follows separation. A bright guitar sound carries the lyrical vocals. The music video uses a road-movie format with Hwang Chi Yeul appearing directly—affectionate dates with a romantic partner, then the emptiness after parting.

Hwang said: "This is my first album with summer as a theme, so I'm very excited." He filled it with "bright and refreshing energy" and hopes it becomes "a cool rest for those tired from the heat." The contrast between the quiet opening lyricism and the vocal burst in the chorus is what he flagged as the thing to listen for.

He is scheduled to perform the new material live for the first time at the solo concert 2026 HWANG CHI YEUL CONCERT '우리, 여름' on July 4 at Nodeul Island Live House in Seoul.