Seventeen’s Vernon to Release His First Solo Mixtape ‘Black Eye’

K-pop boy group Seventeen’s rapper Vernon has had a pretty incredible year with his band members. It is difficult to highlight every achievement the band stamped their name against this year, but here are a few highlights so far. Seventeen released their first official English single “Darling” in April 2022 followed by their double-million album, Face The Sun, in May. Keeping the momentum intact, the band released their repackaged album Sector 17, shortly after which they embarked on a world tour. While on tour, the group swept awards at national and international award shows including the MTV VMAs and EMAs.

It is thus only fitting for the 24-year-old rapper to wrap up the year on a soaring note with the release of his first solo mixtape. 

Titled Black Eye, the mixtape follows Vernon’s previously released solo project “Beg For You (Remix),” Charlie XCX’s single, where he featured alongside A.G. Cook and Rina Sawayama, and Omega Sapien’s “Wrecker.” Vernon is the third member of the 13-piece act to release a mixtape, following Hoshi’s Spider (April 2021) and Woozi’s Ruby (January 2022).

Considering that the rapper has previously shared his admiration for an array of artists including Green Day, Avril Lavigne and Willow, some fans suspect Vernon’s mixtape will be rooted in pop-punk. As for his musical sensibilities, Vernon has extensively contributed to Seventeen’s discography as a composer and lyricist. The rapper also recently dabbled with the rock genre alongside fellow band member Joshua on “2 Minus 1” — a bonus track from the group’s 2021 EP Attacca. It is safe to say all signs point towards Black Eye branding itself as a release you cannot afford to miss out on.

Announced via Seventeen’s social media handles, the poster exudes youthful rebellion-like energy with its graffiti-inspired illustrations. Additional visual elements such as flames, the mixtape’s title pasted in magazine cut-out font and an illustration of the rapper standing atop a monster truck further dial up the drama and allure of the poster.

Vernon’s Black Eye is scheduled to release on December 23rd at 2 pm KST (10:30 am IST).