Huh Gak is back with a new ballad. The singer released his digital single “Don’t Love Me” on October 29 at 6 p.m. KST through major online music platforms, marking his latest step toward a full comeback after years away from the mini-album format.
According to MBC Entertainment’s report on the release, “Don’t Love Me” (Korean title: “나를 사랑하지 말아요”) captures the heart of someone who chooses to end a relationship for the sake of the person they love. The song turns on a painful paradox: the narrator knows he will keep missing his former lover, yet hopes that person will forget him and meet someone better. Huh Gak delivers that contradiction through his signature restrained emotion and powerful vocals, giving the track what the report describes as a deep, lingering resonance.
The release is more than a standalone single. “Don’t Love Me” serves as the pre-release track for Huh Gak’s sixth mini album, which is scheduled for release in November. That detail gives the single added weight: Huh Gak has not released a mini album since January 2017, making the upcoming record his first in nearly nine years. For fans who have followed his ballad career, the single is therefore both a new song and an early preview of a long-awaited return to the album format.
The music video adds a second draw. Actor Kang Tae-oh stars in the video, which pairs film-like visuals with Huh Gak’s emotive vocal performance. StarNews reported on October 29 that the two artists showed strong synergy in the project, noting that the teaser — released earlier through agency OS Project’s official YouTube channel — had already drawn attention for its cinematic look and for how naturally Kang Tae-oh’s acting sat alongside Huh Gak’s singing. Top Star News likewise highlighted the teaser, describing the video as offering visuals reminiscent of a feature film.
The comeback had been trailed in advance. According to allkpop’s report on the announcement, Huh Gak’s agency OS Project confirmed on October 21 that the singer would release the pre-release single on October 29 at 6 p.m. KST. The early announcement framed the track as a ballad built for autumn, with dense, emotional production designed to suit the season — a deliberate choice for a singer whose reputation rests on songs that soundtrack breakups and farewells.
That reputation is the context for why this release matters. Huh Gak has built his career on ballads that speak directly to listeners going through heartbreak, with a vocal style that moves between controlled, understated phrasing and explosive high notes. Korean reports on the new single describe him as a singer who has consistently stirred listeners’ emotions around parting, and the new track leans squarely into that identity rather than chasing a trend. The song’s premise — leaving someone precisely because you love them — is classic Huh Gak territory, and the autumn timing reinforces it.
The November mini album will be the real test of the comeback. A pre-release single can set the mood, but a full mini album after a gap of nearly nine years will show whether Huh Gak intends a sustained return or a brief revisit. The single’s reception, and the response to Kang Tae-oh’s music video appearance, will likely shape expectations for that record in the coming weeks.
The timing also suits the song’s mood. Late October is prime season for Korean ballads, and both the agency announcement and the release-day coverage framed “Don’t Love Me” as an autumn ballad built on dense, emotional sound. Rather than a loud comeback statement, the rollout has been quiet and deliberate: a teaser first, a single now, and the mini album to come — a sequence that lets the song itself, and Kang Tae-oh’s video performance, carry the return.
For now, “Don’t Love Me” is available on major streaming platforms, with the sixth mini album to follow in November.
