Kang Daniel Returns to Spotlight with Debut Solo Album

Kang Daniel performs at a showcase for his new album in Seoul on Thursday. /Yonhap

Kang Daniel, formerly of now-disbanded boy group Wanna One, released his debut solo album on Thursday. His much-anticipated album, "Color on Me", features five songs, four of which include lyrical contributions from the singer. 

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The lead track, "What Are You Up To", is a dance song. "I wanted this song to be a gift to my fans, who've waited to see me on stage again", he said.

Kang rose to stardom upon winning the second season of the audition show "Produce 101" on cable channel Mnet in 2017. He and 10 other top winners formed Wanna One. They were supposed to work as a group for just 18 months before being dissolved, but enjoyed massive popularity unmatched by other K-pop groups.

As agreed at the outset, Wanna One disbanded in January this year. Most of the members then launched solo careers, but Kang was trapped in a legal battle. In March, he filed a lawsuit against his former agency LM Entertainment, claiming it sold the rights to his exclusive contract to a third party without his consent. He requested a suspension of the contract and the Seoul Central District Court ruled that he was free to engage in activities outside of the agency in May. 

"I had to wait until the court made its decision. I'm so happy I can finally meet my fans", he said.

His album had already sold over 450,000 copies in pre-orders as of Tuesday.