November 12, 2024 (Los Angeles, CA):
Hello Hallyuplussers! Today our Hallyu+ Press Team is back with an exciting exclusive update related to the hard-of-hearing idol group, Big Ocean! The trailblazing hard-of-hearing icons made their return today with their brand-new mini-album, Follow. The album — which will feature previously shared digital singles including ‘Glow’, ‘BLOW’ & ‘SLOW’ — will also include a brand new title track, ‘Flow’, produced by the Grammy-winning producer Mark Batson, whose extensive resume includes song credits for artists including Eminem & Alicia Keys.
The group, who were recently recognized as Billboard’s Kpop Rookie of the Month (September 2024) will be traveling across New York between November 11–13 to promote their latest EP, Follow before their appearance at the Cayman Islands to attend Cool Out 2024 as a musical guest.
The rookie idol group, whose debut purposefully coincided with the South Korean National Day of Disabilities has brought a voice to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community while also shattering preconceived notions related to the hard-of-hearing community throughout the entertainment industry.
With their 1st EP, Big Ocean has launched the genre of Free-soul Pop which the members have defined as a sound that celebrates the joy and fulfillment of self-acceptance through music. The group’s new album, Follow perfectly resonates with this concept. Speaking of the recent collaboration with Mark Batson, the members of Big Ocean shared that they were “So excited” to collaborate with such a legendary producer who has “shaped countless genres”. The members additionally shared that they had begun working with the producer even prior to their debut. Explaining that “Our partnership began even before our debut, and ‘FLOW’ was crafted just for us” sharing that the award-winning producer [Mark Batson] “Understood the nuances we needed. From easy-to-follow rap for non-English speakers to the powerful beats that resonate with our hearing abilities”. The members shared how it feels “truly mind-blowing” to be able to release the song after several months of hard work and that they are “honored to be the first Kpop artists to work with him”.
Additionally, the music video for ‘FLOW’ further amplifies the group’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. The group has sought to redefine what it means to be a Kpop idol by bringing diversity and inclusion to the forefront of their music. Their latest release, ‘FLOW’ uses the National Insititute of Death Youth in Paris, France as a backdrop to display their dedication to the cause.
Unlike many other artists, Big Ocean took a different approach toward their initial debut by choosing to release a consecutive series of digital singles. Now that the group has been given the opportunity to release a physical album the members have shared their excitement by stating that they are “over the moon and can’t wait for fellow PADO’s to enjoy the album” alongside the members and are looking forward to celebrating the release of ‘Flow’ “in New York with our U.S PADO’s”.
Mark Bastion has additionally commented on the release of ‘FLOW’ by stating that “It is a great honor to work on such an important piece of music during this milestone in human creativity. When I first heard about the project I was amazed at the talent of Big Ocean’s performances and what they were able to accomplish. This is my first time working with Korean Kpop artists, and to combine the use of digital technology with this amazing group has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience, which dictates to me a future in which anything is possible for all of humanity”.
In their performances, the group is able to successfully utilize a vibration-beat metronome within their specially programmed smart watches and often incorporate sign language into their choreography. This, in addition to flashing lights employed for rhythmic counting, has allowed the members of Big Ocean to synchronize their choreography and performances despite their hearing challenges. Their dedication to innovation has earned them praise from industry seniors — this can be seen through our prior interview with LIONESSES on Hallyu+ — as well as recognition from the President of South Korea.
Going forward, Big Ocean looks to extend its reach far beyond the Kpop sphere through partnerships with fellow celebrities such as SEVENTEEN, RIIZE, ITZY & Day6’s YoungK — who collaborated with the group on their 3rd digital single, ‘Slow’ — as well as partnering with global organizations such as the UN body: The World Health Organization (WHO) & the International Labor Organization to become advocates for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
This news was made possible through the communication between our team members and Big Ocean’s label, Parastar. You can find out more about Parastar here.
You can find out more about Big Ocean via their sns links below:
YouTube: youtube.com/@BigOcean.official
Twitter/x.com: @Big_O_cean
Tik Tok: @big_ocean.official
Spotify: Big Ocean
