Percent (album)

Onew's first studio album, Circle, was released in March 2023. His output otherwise consisted of extended plays and singles, despite debuting as a soloist in 2018, and he therefore felt it was time to work on another studio album.^[1] He participated extensively in the album's production, writing lyrics for seven of the songs^[2] and contributing to the arrangement for "Animals". Onew said that working on this album made him realise he couldn't do things alone and that he felt that the album was "only about 60 percent complete".^[3] He chose the title because he wanted to express different emotions in numbers, explaining: "Even when we're happy, there's always that little percentage of anxiety, and even when things are tough, there's still some hope. I tried to interpret those everyday feelings exactly as I experience them in this album."^[4]

Each of the album's eleven songs describe different emotions.^[2] Opening song "Silky" is a "soft and languid" track that focuses on themes of laziness and rest.^[2][5] "Caffeine" describes the feeling of addiction^[2] and is centred around a guitar riff and bassline.^[5] "Marshmallow" depicts the moment of falling in love. Lead single "Animals" is driven by a bassline and acoustic guitar, with sounds resembling animal cries. It also features a rap section.^[2] "Confidence" contains a message about self-belief.^[6] "Oreo Cake" incorporates analog synths. "Far Away" is an alternative rock song reminiscent of the early 2000s. "Mad", which is in English, describes the emotions felt after a break-up, and features drums and acoustic guitar.^[5] "Percent (%)" includes drums, snares and "experimental vocal samples that evoke extraterrestrial sounds", while "Epilogue" is a "restrained" piano track.^[2] Finally, "Happy Birthday" is a "bright" and "festive" song that expresses hope for the future.^[5][7]

In April 2025, Onew's agency, Griffin Entertainment, confirmed that he was planning to release his second studio album in July.^[8] It was preceded by the singles "Mad", an English song aimed at global fans,^[9] and "Confidence", released on April 21 and June 24, respectively.^[6][8] Percent was released on July 15, 2025, alongside lead single "Animals".^[7] It came six months after his previous release, Connection.^[10] Onew held a showcase at the Myunghwa Live Hall in Seoul to mark the occasion.^[3] He also held a pop-up store at the Shinsegae Gangnam Department Store, which featured interactive fan events and attractions.^[4] The pop-up store was later held in Shibuya, Taipei and Kaohsiung as well.^[11] In August, he embarked on a world tour, titled Onew the Live: Percent (%), featuring stops in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the U.S.^[12][13]