Monday Kiz and FT Island's Lee Hongki Just Reunited for 2026

Summary

Monday Kiz and FT Island's Lee Hongki just dropped a 2026 version of "The One Closer to Tears," originally from 2007. They first sang it together on YouTube show "Monday Kiz's Footprints," and people loved it so much they turned it into a full collab project. It's hitting hard with Koreans who remember Hongki as a teenage rocker and Monday Kiz from their ballad days — basically pure nostalgia fuel.

Why it went viral

This hit people who grew up with both acts at completely different life stages — FT Island during their school days, Monday Kiz during their twenties heartbreak. Hearing Hongki's voice mature from that teenage rocker tone into something deeper, singing alongside the ballad group that defined an era, is hitting all the millennial feels. Plus the original song itself was already emotional, and now it's got 19 years of life experience layered on top.

Main Story

Monday Kiz and FT Island's Lee Hongki just released a 2026 remake of "The One Closer to Tears," a ballad FT Island originally dropped in 2007 when Hongki was 17. They sang it together first on Monday Kiz's YouTube show and the chemistry was so good they turned it into a full project album. It's basically a time capsule moment — teenage rocker Hongki meeting ballad legend Monday Kiz 19 years later.

Backstory

Monday Kiz is one of Korea's most iconic ballad groups — think emotional OSTs and late-night karaoke staples from the 2000s. FT Island debuted as a teenage rock band in 2007 and Hongki's been known for his powerful vocals since he was literally a high schooler. This kind of cross-generational, cross-genre collab almost never happens in K-pop, which is why it feels so special to Korean fans who've aged alongside both groups.

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