DEAN is back – and this time, he’s turning fragrance into sound. The Korean R&B artist has teamed up with perfume brand aerse for a collaboration inspired by their scent Nocturne 07, released alongside his new single of the same name featuring MISO.

The track moves through the same contrasts that define the perfume: the chill and warmth that hang in late-night air. It’s described as a piece that translates texture into melody, carrying the idea of fragrance lingering long after it’s gone – a moment where scent becomes rhythm and sound returns the favour.

His last release was 3:33 in 2024, a double single created with FKJ. Since then, DEAN’s name has been back on festival posters – HIPHOPPLAYA 2025 in Seoul, HITC LA 2025 in California – both drawing heavy crowds once tickets opened. The response made it clear that his pull, at home and overseas, hasn’t faded.

At HITC LA, he shared the stage with Tabber for a set that revisited favourites like Put My Hands On You (Feat. Anderson .Paak) and love (Feat. Syd). Earlier in the year, he returned to Asia for headline shows in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, later appearing at Kasina x Nike’s “The Basement Powered by 8” – his first wave of domestic activity in years.

A decade into his career, DEAN continues to find new ways to stretch what R&B can look and feel like. Nocturne 07 (for aerse) is another quiet shift in that journey – less a comeback than a reminder that his work still sits somewhere between genres, senses, and worlds.