WONHO EP – CORE (2026)

WONHO EP – CORE was released on July 21, 2026 · Tuesday · 6 PM KST, featuring the title track “Don’t Wake Me Up!”

CORE reveals a more introspective side of WONHO by looking beyond his powerful image and performance-driven identity. The EP follows the emotional journey of someone who hides pain behind a protective shell, only for their true feelings to eventually emerge through the cracks. Built around the ideas of RAW, SHELL, and CRACK, the album moves through vulnerability, self-protection, emotional tension, and release. Rather than simply repeating the intensity already associated with WONHO, CORE focuses on the emotions that remain after the excitement fades. Across seven tracks, he explores longing, attraction, freedom, comfort, and personal honesty while highlighting his range as a vocalist, performer, songwriter, and producer.

Track Highlights

1. Answer
A rhythmic track that compares the frustration of an undefined relationship to a bold warning directed at the other person. Melodic instrumentation and groovy vocals highlight the narrator’s witty yet honest personality as he refuses to hide his growing feelings.

2. Don’t Wake Me Up! (Title Track)
A fast-paced dance track about escaping the pressure of reality and willingly losing oneself in an irresistible fantasy. Heavy bass, powerful drums, and layered synths create explosive energy, while WONHO’s vocals move from a smooth opening into a forceful performance that captures the desire to remain inside an intense, liberating moment.

3. Can’t Get Enough
A dramatic song about longing that becomes stronger as more time passes after a breakup. The track expresses an unfulfilled emotional thirst for someone who can no longer be reached, portraying memories and desire that refuse to fade.

4. Summer Blue
A refreshing synth-pop track that preserves memories of love through the color of a bright blue summer. Crisp guitar and softly spreading synths evoke the freedom and nostalgia of a summer night, reflecting on a relationship whose emotional traces remain even after its colors begin to fade.

5. Down
A danceable track that captures the moment two people become increasingly consumed by their attraction to one another. Rhythmic house beats, sleek synths, and an addictive melody create a natural groove that encourages listeners to surrender to the song’s momentum.

6. Test Drive
A pop R&B track that compares the unfamiliar excitement of a new relationship to taking a car out for its first drive. Its lively bass line and rhythmic production express the freedom of moving toward an uncertain future without hesitation, as long as the journey is shared with someone special.

7. Promises (Feat. Brother Su)
A warm R&B track built around a sincere promise to remain by someone’s side through every situation. Relaxed production and emotional vocals create a comforting conclusion to the EP, gently reassuring listeners who may be feeling exhausted or vulnerable.