Mere weeks after finishing up the North American leg of their 2025 RIIZING LOUD Tour, 5th-generation K-pop icons RIIZE are adding to their diverse portfolio with the 3-track single album Fame. Released on November 24, the lead single “Fame” is accompanied by two tracks, “Something’s In the Water” and “Sticky Like.” The six members of RIIZE — Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Sohee, and Anton — display their diverse musicality within these three unique tracks.
RIIZE has had a jam-packed year, seeing BRIIZE, their fans all over the world. After global performances in Los Angeles and Mexico City for the label-wide concert tour SMTOWN LIVE, they released their first full-length album, ODYSSEY, in May. RIIZE followed the release with another SMTOWN LIVE performance in London before kicking off their 2025 Concert Tour in July, and in October, they became the first K-pop group to perform at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.
RIIZE 라이즈 The 2nd Single 【Fame】
— RIIZE (@RIIZE_official) November 24, 2025
🎧 Listen now on your favorite platform!
➫ https://t.co/8daz3vYkVk#RIIZE #라이즈#RISEandREALIZE#Fame #RIIZE_Fame pic.twitter.com/ByuAvggwpG
LOVE, NOT FAME
The six-member boy group takes a step in a new musical direction with “Fame,” trying their hand at a rage-style hip-hop sound. The track starts with a distinct electric guitar riff behind haunting, echoed lyrics sung by Anton: “They don’t really love me.” What follows is a raw performance that both hypes and cuts listeners to the bone. In one verse, member Shotaro asks, “Do I deserve your faith?” Such an introspective question cements the throughline of this track — how do you sift through fame to find genuine connection? RIIZE answers with unrelenting passion, “Shout, loud, cry, tears / Fear, pain, but keep going.”
“My first impression was a bit dark, but it felt powerful,” Eunseok said about the track in a Genius contribution. “If I had to describe it in one word, it would be ‘inner.’”
Shotaro added that the track is definitely a new style, one that RIIZE hasn’t tried yet (“It feels cool yet free!”), while Sohee points out how the meaning of the track is contrary to the title: “It’s about how love and real emotions matter so much more than fame.” Between lyrics asking themselves the tough questions about their journey, the members showcase a combination of low-tone raps and crisp vocals that drive the track forward to its exhilarating end.
SIREN-ESQUE
“Something’s In the Water” switches gears by introducing a languid R&B track. With layered background vocals and a minor-key bassline, RIIZE beckons the listener in like a siren would do to a sailor. The lyrics reveal the nature of the song, telling a story of how anxiety seeped in and caused them to reflect on all their past mistakes. In the chorus, Wonbin compares the feeling to being watched by a dark reflection, crooning “Something wakes me up / Something’s in the water / Staring me down.”
In a press release, RIIZE encourages listeners to confront these anxieties head-on and “embrace [them] in order to become a better version of ourselves.” The soothing track is the perfect aid for late nights. “I’d recommend listening to ‘Something’s in the Water’ softly at night,” Sungchan says in a Genius contribution, “looking at the stars as you prepare to fall asleep.” The track also made an appearance in the album trailer, setting the dark and mysterious aesthetic of the album.
LIKE HONEY
The third track on the single album is another distinct genre from the others. With a dreamy pop-rock sound, “Sticky Like” is a pure-hearted and dedicated love song. The energetic beat is layered with percussion, piano, and guitar to recall “the charm of 2010s radio-ready hits,” according to a press release. The members band together to sing the infectious repeated post-chorus, unable to let go of their love which is “sticky like honey.” Refreshing and low-key, “Sticky Like” embodies the best of pop-rock, featuring ad-libs and background vocals from Wonbin, Sohee, and Anton.
RIIZE’s year is far from over. They are slated to perform at multiple end-of-year awards shows, including the 2025 Mnet Asian Music Awards and the Melon Music Awards. On Christmas Day, they will appear as part of the lineup for the annual year-end music festival SBS Gayo Daejeon. In the new year, they will continue the RIIZING LOUD tour with several stops in Southeast Asia before the finale in Seoul in March. Stay up-to-date with RIIZE and their performances by following them on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube.
Want to keep up with the latest 5th-gen releases? Check out EnVi’s coverage of the recent mini album from CLOSE YOUR EYES here.
