Free'sm
{{Infobox album
| name = Free'sm
| type = EP
| artist = CLC
| cover = CLC_Free'sm_EP_Cover.jpg
| alt =
| caption = From left to right: Seunghee, Elkie, Yeeun, Yujin, Seungyeon, Sorn and Eunbin/Digital version and colormatic version stylised as colours and standard edition.
| released = {{Start date|2017|08|03}}
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = {{hlist|K-pop|R&B|City pop|New jack swing|Future house}}
| length = {{Duration|m=21|s=16}}
| label = {{hlist|Cube|CJ E&M}}
| producer =
| prev_title = Crystyle
| prev_year = 2017
| next_title = Black Dress
| next_year = 2018
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Free'sm
| type = EP
| single1 = Where are You?
| single1date = August 3, 2017
| single2 = Summer Kiss
| single2date = August 27, 2017
| single3 = I Like It
| single3date = September 29, 2017
}}
}}
Free'sm is the sixth Korean extended play (eighth overall) by South Korean girl group CLC. It was released on August 3, 2017, by Cube Entertainment and distributed by CJ E&M Music. The EP consists of six songs. "Where are You?" was released as the title track and it was promoted for their first week of promotions followed by "Summer Kiss" on several South Korean music programs, including Music Bank and Inkigayo.
The EP debuted at number 10 on the Gaon Album Chart.
Background and release
On July 24, 2017, the first video teaser was released featuring Cube Entertainment trainee and former Produce 101 Season 2 contestant, Yoo Seonho. The clip shows Seonho in a bedroom searching and finding an old VHS tape labelled "1982.3.8" with "Where are You?" instrumental as background music.{{Citation|last=CLC 씨엘씨 (Official YouTube Channel)|title=CLC(씨엘씨) - FREE'SM Teaser - TAKE 1|date=2017-07-24|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah-_frMsjnA|accessdate=2017-08-08}} Two days later, the second and final video teaser was released. The clip shows Seonho playing the VHS tape found. The group is watched through a retro-style television set, the footage shown came from their album photo shoot.{{Citation|last=CLC 씨엘씨 (Official YouTube Channel)|title=CLC(씨엘씨) - FREE'SM Teaser - TAKE 2|date=2017-07-26|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szIfalOfLns|accessdate=2017-08-08}} On July 30, an audio snippet video was released, showing a preview of each song.{{Citation|last=CLC 씨엘씨 (Official YouTube Channel)|title=CLC(씨엘씨) - 6th Mini Album "FREE'SM" Audio Snippet|date=2017-07-30|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNCjLAd-Vp0|accessdate=2017-08-08}}
The EP was released on August 3, 2017, through several music portals, including MelOn in South Korea, and iTunes for the global market.{{Cite web|url=http://www.melon.com/album/detail.htm?albumId=10085147|title=FREE'SM|website=Melon|language=ko|access-date=2017-08-08}}{{Cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/freesm-ep/id1267083629|title=Free'sm - EP by CLC on Apple Music|website=iTunes|access-date=2017-08-08}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
Promotion
=Singles=
"Where are You?" was released as the title track in conjunction with the EP release on August 3. A music video teaser was released on August 1, with the full music video being released on August 3.{{Citation|last=CLC 씨엘씨 (Official YouTube Channel)|title=CLC(씨엘씨) - '어디야?(Where are you?)' M/V Teaser|date=2017-08-01|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7XvR2b6Dzo|accessdate=2017-08-08}}{{Citation|last=CLC 씨엘씨 (Official YouTube Channel)|title=CLC(씨엘씨) - '어디야?(Where are you?)' Official Music Video|date=2017-08-03|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khEW_JABKjw|accessdate=2017-08-08}} The song was used to promote the EP on music programs for two weeks, starting on M Countdown on August 3 and ending on Inkigayo on August 13.
"Summer Kiss" promotion followed "Where Are You?" promotions for another fortnight , starting on MBC Music's Show Champion on August 16. A choreography practice video was released on August 20.{{Citation|last=United CUBE (CUBE Entertainment Official YouTube Channel)|title=CLC(씨엘씨) - 'SUMMER KISS' (Choreography Practice Video)|date=2017-08-20|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V331Tvsyc3w|accessdate=2017-11-28}} The group ended the promotions on August 27 on Inkigayo, after two weeks of promotions.
The group started performing "I Like It" at events starting from September 29. A performance video was later released on October 26.{{Citation|last=United CUBE (CUBE Entertainment Official YouTube Channel)|title=CLC(씨엘씨) - '즐겨 (I LIKE IT)' (Performance Video)|date=2017-10-26|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ2u7pIyV9I|accessdate=2017-11-28}}
=Live performances=
The group held their first comeback stage on Mnet's M Countdown on August 3, 2017, performing the title track "Where are You?".{{Citation|last=Mnet K-POP|title=[CLC - Where are you?] Comeback Stage {{!}} M COUNTDOWN 170803 EP.535|date=2017-08-03|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq6MGr3qotE|accessdate=2017-08-08}} They continued on KBS's Music Bank on August 4, MBC's Show! Music Core on August 5 and SBS's Inkigayo on August 6.{{Citation|last=KBSKpop|title=뮤직뱅크 Music Bank - 어디야 - CLC (Where are you? - CLC).20170804|date=2017-08-04|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqxYz9q_dkM|accessdate=2017-08-08}}{{Citation|last=MBCkpop|title=[Comeback Stage] CLC - Where are you?, 씨엘씨 - 어디야? Show Music core 20170805|date=2017-08-05|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCqYishcKd0|accessdate=2017-08-08}}{{Citation|last=SBS Inkigayo|title=《Comeback Special》 CLC - Where are you? (어디야?) @인기가요 Inkigayo 20170806|date=2017-08-06|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz97LT2yFL4|accessdate=2017-08-08}} From August 16 onward, CLC began performing the song "Summer Kiss" a week earlier than planned, thus shortening promotions for "Where Are You?" by a week and lengthening "Summer Kiss" promotions by a week. Many fans had concluded that this was due to a demand for a song more suited for the summer season.
Commercial performance
Free'sm debuted at number 10 on the Gaon Album Chart, on the chart issue dated July 30 - August 5, 2017.{{Cite web|title=2017년 31주차 Album Chart|url=http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=&targetTime=31&hitYear=2017&termGbn=week|access-date=2017-08-10|website=Gaon Music Chart|language=ko}} The EP placed at number 41 on the chart for the month of August 2017, with 4,355 physical copies sold.{{Cite web|title=2017년 08월 Album Chart|url=http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=&targetTime=08&hitYear=2017&termGbn=month|access-date=2017-09-07|website=Gaon Music Chart|language=ko}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| all_writing =
| headline = Digital download
| extra_column = Arrangement
| title1 = Where are You?
| note1 = 어디야?; eodiya?
| length1 = 3:40
| lyrics1 = Armadillo
| music1 = Armadillo
| extra1 = {{hlist|Armadillo|Dani|Gu Seongcheol}}
| title2 = Bae
| length2 = 3:33
| lyrics2 = {{hlist|Big Sancho|Park Haeil|Jang Yeeun}}
| music2 = {{hlist|Big Sancho|Park Haeil}}
| extra2 = {{hlist|Big Sancho|Park Haeil}}
| title3 = I Like It
| note3 = 즐겨; jeulgyeo
| length3 = 3:32
| lyrics3 = {{hlist|Seo Jaewoo|Big Sancho|Jang Ye-eun}}
| music3 = {{hlist|Seo Jaewoo|Big Sancho|Nick Holiday|Nikki Paige}}
| extra3 = {{hlist|Seo Jaewoo|Big Sancho|Nick Holiday}}
| title4 = Call My Name
| length4 = 3:04
| lyrics4 = Shin Agnes (MonoTree)
| music4 = {{hlist|Chu Daegwan (MonoTree)|Nopari}}
| extra4 = Nopari
| title5 = Summer Kiss
| length5 = 3:27
| lyrics5 = {{hlist|Sweetch|Jerry.L}}
| music5 = {{hlist|Sweetch|Jerry.L}}
| extra5 = {{hlist|Sweetch|Torry K}}
| title6 = Hold Your Hand
| note6 = 잡아줄게; jab-ajulge
| length6 = 4:00
| lyrics6 = {{hlist|Son Youngjin|Kang Dongha|Jang Yeeun}}
| music6 = {{hlist|Son Youngjin|Kang Dongha}}
| extra6 = {{hlist|Son Youngjin|Kang Dongha}}
| total_length = 21:16
}}
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
!Chart (2017) !Peak |
| scope="row" |South Korean Albums (Gaon)
|10 |
|---|
| scope="row" |US World Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|title=CLC Chart History: World Albums|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/clc/chart-history/wlp/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302210714/https://www.billboard.com/music/clc/chart-history/WLP|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=September 23, 2020|archivedate=March 2, 2020}}
|14 |