INFINITE's Sunggyu Steps Off the Map With His Most Personal Album Yet

INFINITE leader Kim Sung Kyu (김성규) is back. After 2 years and 8 months away from solo releases, he returned on March 2, 2026 with his 6th mini album OFF THE MAP. Not with a reinvention, but with something harder to pull off: a clarified sense of self.

Off the Map, Onto His Path

The album's guiding phrase is "Off the map. Onto my path" and it lands exactly right. For an artist with 15 years under his belt, Kim Sung Kyu could have played it safe with another round of polish-and-go. Instead, OFF THE MAP turns inward. It is an album built around personal songwriting, long-requested guitar playing, and an emotional honesty that veteran K-pop acts rarely let themselves show.

The title track, "When I Think About You" (널 떠올리면), is a cinematic pop ballad that builds progressively, Kim's voice cutting sharper and more emotionally direct as the track climbs. It is composed and written by Kim Jong-wan of indie band NELL, a longtime collaborator and one of Kim Sung Kyu's biggest musical influences. The track carries NELL's unmistakable fingerprints, and Kim leaned into that rather than away from it.

"I'm a huge fan of Jong-wan and I know his musical color is very strong," Kim told The Korea Herald. "But I didn't think about changing his color into mine. Instead, I focused on expressing what the composer wanted as well as I could."

Guitar, Grit, and "Over It"

The album's emotional center may actually be its pre-release track, "Over It," released February 21. An alternative rock song with a rushing chorus, it is the first track Kim has written entirely on his own and the first time fans get to hear him playing guitar on a solo release.

The guitar element is something fans have requested for years. Kim bought a new guitar last year, started practicing, and put it on the record. The result sounds like someone who has earned the right to play their own story.

That story is direct: when Kim was in his senior year of high school, he told his homeroom teacher he wanted to pursue music. Her response was to ask if his family had enough money. He has carried that moment since.

"Whether someone tried to crush my dream or simply mocked and judged it carelessly, it doesn't really matter anymore," he said. "I'm still singing, and I will continue trying new things. I'm fine now. That's the message of the song."

6 Tracks, One Direction

OFF THE MAP runs six tracks: the title ballad, the guitar-driven "Over It," the dreamy "Dreaming," the heartfelt "Picture," the alternative rock closer "Answer," and the title track's instrumental version. Completed by Kim and his band working together, the album does not try to cover every direction at once. It has a sound and sticks to it.

The Title Track MV

Sold-Out Concerts and 15 Years of INFINITE

The album arrives in INFINITE's 15th anniversary year, a milestone that has renewed the group's presence in the Korean live music scene. When concert tickets for Kim Sung Kyu's upcoming solo run went on sale on February 26, all three dates sold out within three hours.

The tour, "2026 Kim Sung-kyu Live [LV4: Leap to Vector]," runs March 27 to 29 at Olympic Hall inside Olympic Park, Seoul. It is the latest entry in his signature LV concert series, running since 2022.

"Seeing so many fans still come to our concerts made me feel like I truly need to repay them," he said in a recent interview. "What I value most isn't just our performances, but our willingness to stay together for so long."

Beyond music, Kim is currently playing the role of L in the Korean production of the "Death Note" musical, adding a third creative lane to an already full schedule. He recently co-founded INFINITE Company alongside the group's other members, taking on the producer and business side of the operation firsthand. "Production costs are no joke," he laughed in a recent interview.

The sold-out dates and the personal turn in the songwriting suggest that for Kim Sung Kyu, 15 years in, the path feels more his own than ever.