Formed in 2022 through the reality competition show &AUDITION – The Howling, &TEAM – EJ, FUMA, K, NICHOLAS, YUMA, JO, HARUA, TAKI, and MAKI – have steadily built their identity around the image of a wolf boy: an outsider searching for acceptance and a place to belong. The Japan-based group, managed by HYBE LABELS JAPAN, have carried this concept through their music and visuals since debut. Their second Korean mini album, Mark on Me, develops that mythology further.

Across six tracks spanning different genres, Mark on Me hears the group move from guarded vulnerability towards connection. FUMA, &TEAM's sub-leader, described the title track's central concept as imprinting, referring to the idea of leaving a lasting mark on another person's heart. The group's leader, EJ, further explained the concept through the experience of meeting someone who accepts you as you are and discovering the capacity to love through that acceptance. Together, their comments suggest a shift in &TEAM's wolf mythology via this latest album: rather than remaining an outsider, the wolf finds connection through another person.

The title track, “Mark on Me,” mirrors that progression in its arrangement. It opens with a restrained piano before expanding into a fuller chorus, with the vocals gradually building towards the song's emotional peak. The shift from a softer opening to a more expansive chorus reinforces the movement from guardedness towards emotional openness. The title track's credits also connect &TEAM to a wider network of pop collaborators. US singer-songwriter Benson Boone is credited as a songwriter, while producer Griff Clawson has previously worked with BLACKPINK's Rosé and NCT. Together, these credits offer a snapshot of the collaborators behind the track.

The music video extends this restrained atmosphere through its visual choices. One setting features tall, arched windows reminiscent of a cathedral, while another centres on ballet dancers whose movements are mirrored and repeated. Deep reds and blacks dominate the colour palette, while slow, controlled camera movements give the choreography an almost ceremonial quality. The music video's final seconds introduce DARK MOON: The Wolf Hunter, an upcoming project connected to &TEAM's wolf mythology and scheduled for release in 2027. The title card makes that connection explicit, linking the album's exploration of acceptance and belonging to the next chapter of the group's wider fictional universe.

The B-side “Good Boy” shifts the album into hip-hop, trading the title track's emotional vulnerability for a chant-led chorus and confident rap delivery. It serves as a counterpoint to “Mark on Me,” giving the wolf a more assertive presence. The credits also connect &TEAM to other acts within HYBE. The songwriting team includes Johnny Goldstein, who has worked with BTS's j-hope, alongside “hitman” bang and Supreme Boi, both associated with BTS's catalogue. Members of fellow HYBE group CORTIS are also credited as writers, offering a glimpse into the wider network of collaborators working across HYBE's artists.

“Love Jang” takes a different approach, stepping away from the album's wolf mythology to explore a distinctly Korean cultural reference. The title, 러브장 (reobeu-jang), refers to a decorated notebook used to express romantic feelings. A 2002 report by South Korean newspaper The Kyunghyang Shinmun described the practice of writing love confessions in notebooks or diaries, often embellished with cut-out text, colourful drawings and other decorative details. The trend was particularly popular among school-age girls, with the report noting that it was also spreading among boys. The track reflects that nostalgia through warm, retro synths and a loose, danceable rhythm, with playful talk-rap sections from EJ and NICHOLAS adding to its light-hearted character. Where the title track builds towards emotional openness, “Love Jang” approaches affection through the more playful language of adolescent romance.

The “Love Jang” production credits add another dimension to the song. PARKMOONCHI and Soma Genda worked on the track, with Genda also credited on releases including TXT's Japanese single “Setsuna Hanabi” and BTS's “Crystal Snow.” His involvement connects a song rooted in Korean cultural nostalgia to a producer with experience on Japanese-market releases – an interesting cross-market connection.

“Accelerate” returns to the wolf narrative through a warmer pop R&B sound, built around a steady groove. Its lyrics express gratitude towards the person who has given the wolf a reason to keep moving forward, developing the album's movement from isolation towards connection. Songwriter Will Jay returns to the group's catalogue after working on their track “Extraordinary Day,” providing a more direct link to &TEAM's own musical history.

That sense of connection continues in “Empty,” an alternative rock ballad that begins with a single guitar before expanding into fuller band instrumentation. Its restrained opening recalls the title track, but the emotional emphasis shifts towards the comfort offered by another person. Within the album's wider narrative, the song suggests a wolf no longer defined solely by isolation, but able to find reassurance in someone else.

The album closes with “Night to howl!,” a pop-punk track drawing on the fast instrumentation and explosive choruses associated with the genre's 2000s heyday. Its energy provides a fitting contrast to the restraint of the album's opening: where “Mark on Me” builds towards emotional openness, “Night to Howl!” turns that release into something collective. The wolf is no longer howling alone, but alongside its pack.

Across Mark on Me, &TEAM develop their wolf mythology from a story of isolation into one of acceptance and belonging. The music video's closing reference to DARK MOON: The Wolf Hunter points towards the next chapter of that fictional world, while the album's varied sounds give the narrative room to move between vulnerability, confidence, nostalgia and collective release.

According to Soompi, Mark on Me sold 1,224,524 copies on its first day, setting a new personal record for &TEAM and marking the group's third consecutive release to surpass one million first-day sales. With their wolf mythology continuing to develop and its commercial momentum intact, Mark on Me gives &TEAM a clear foundation for their next chapter.