Loona is K-Pop Herald’s very first artist of the week, as part of a new series introducing a rising K-pop act every Wednesday.

The 12-piece group Loona is taking the K-pop scene by storm with its debut album “++,” pronounced as “plus plus,” which was released last week.

The music video for “Hi High,” one of the lead tracks off the debut album, has reached 11 million views on YouTube as of Wednesday afternoon, less than two weeks after its release.

(Blockberry Creative)

Loona appeared on a number of music shows including “Inkigayo” and “M Countdown” this month, showcasing its synchronized dance moves.

The group’s Korean name translates to “the girl of the month.” And keeping in line with the name, each member of the group released a solo single between October 2016 and March 2018.

(Blockberry Creative)

Members of Loona also carry out activities as subunits: HeeJin, HyunJin, HaSeul and ViVi make up Loona 1/3; Kim Lip JinSoul and Choerry together form Odd Eye Circle and Yves; and Chuu, Go Won and Olivia Hye make up yyxy.

It is worth nothing that Canadian singer-songwriter Grimes was featured in yyxy’s single “love4eva.”

Recommended track: “Hi High”

“Hi High” has fast become one of Loona’s most popular songs, despite “Favorite” initially being plugged as the lead single.

The upbeat tune is packed with beats that pop and a catchy chorus where the bandmates repeatedly sing, “Hi, Hi, Hi, Hi,” bursting with a feel-good vibe.

(LOONA's YouTube channel)

Adding to the popularity of the song are candid lyrics, such as “Love is even more cruel than the college entrance exam.”

The song peaks toward the end, with the chorus repeating one last time with bursts of energy that characterize the group’s youthfulness.

(LOONA's YouTube channel)

The music video for the song has also received positive reviews.

By Yim Hyun-su (hyunsu@heraldcorp.com)