In 2023, when H1-KEY’s “Rose Blossom” skyrocketed to organic popularity in Korea a month after its release, no one saw it coming. The emotive, midtempo track about the resilience of Korea’s young people struck a chord with listeners, bringing attention to a K-pop quartet that didn’t hail from any of the major entertainment companies. Three years later, and four years after their debut as a group, H1-KEY has settled into a groove that builds on the success of “Rose Blossom” but isn’t afraid to experiment away from it. Mini album LOVECHAPTER is grounded in the kind of big, bright rock sounds that make Japanese rock so energetic. Lead single “To. My First Love,” with its jags of electric guitar and haze of nostalgic synths, wouldn’t be out of place in an anime opening, while album opener “Be full of Romantic” bursts into crescendos of vocal color to express a youthful, overwhelming affection. In a contemporary K-pop landscape where many girl groups are leaning into global easy-listening trends, H1-KEY is staying traditionally K-pop in their maximalist exuberance.