“There’s this saying, it’s an underlying business saying, that you have to make it within the first three years,” P1Harmony’s chief Keeho explains to The Hollywood Reporter. “No matter level you’re at in your third 12 months units the tone and lays out what the remainder of your years are going to appear like.”
Keeho and his fellow group members, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul and Jongseob, have gathered in a Los Angeles lodge room. Within the U.S. for Ok-Pop competition and conference KCON L.A., the six member group have spent the weekend performing on the competition and assembly followers from all over the world who traveled to town for the conference.
Lower than 24 hours after bringing KCON‘s M Countdown crowd at L.A.’s Crypto.com Area to their toes, decked out in princely outfits, the members of P1Harmony are dressed casually however seemingly nonetheless buzzing off the thrill of their packed weekend.
The group, from Korean leisure firm FNC Leisure, made their debut in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in October 2020 and have spent the final almost 4 years steadily placing out music. They’ve gained a loyal fanbase, recognized collectively as P1ece, with a big worldwide presence (The group is represented by CAA within the U.S. as of final 12 months).
P1Harmony’s seventh EP, Unhappy Music.
Courtesy of FNC Leisure
Forward of their four-year anniversary as a gaggle, P1Harmony has launched their seventh EP Unhappy Music. The seven-track album, arguably their strongest to-date, options a number of standout tracks. The titular single, “Unhappy Music,” an upbeat observe with Latin-inspired beats, is addictive and catchy. It’s featured twice on the album, with each Korean and English variations of the tune.
Jongseob, the group’s youngest member at simply 18 years previous, says the group actually likes “Unhappy Music,” noting its “simple to pay attention” to and totally different from their earlier stronger sounding singles.
Jongseob and Intak have a “unit tune” collectively, “WASP,” which showcases their abilities as rappers within the group.
“I talked about many issues with my producer,” Jongseob says of creating the hip-hop observe. “I’m slightly bit afraid of what our followers [will] suppose, nevertheless it’s a really enjoyable course of to me.”
All members of P1Harmony contributed to the manufacturing of Unhappy Music in some type. Keeho, a Toronto native who acts as a translator for his fellow group members all through the dialog, says that he helped produce and prime line “It’s Alright,” the album’s groovy second observe. He provides that Jiung helped produce and prime line “Final Name,” a catchy tune that basically begs to be carried out to an area of followers with confetti flowing via the air.
“That is probably the most concerned we’ve been sonically on an album, so like Jongseob mentioned, it’s very scary,” Keeho shares. “The extra concerned you might be, it turns into extra private and then you definately’re like, ‘Oh my god. What in the event that they don’t prefer it? What occurs?’”
Ok-Pop group P1Harmony for his or her new album, Unhappy Music.
Courtesy of FNC Leisure
Keeho explains that there’s a contact of imposter syndrome that comes together with being creatively concerned in an album. “You can even by no means be happy along with your work,” the 22-year-old says. “Once you write your personal stuff, everybody will be like, ‘It’s so nice.’ However then you definately’ll be like, ‘Is it although?’ Each time we work on one thing, you’ll be able to by no means be tremendous happy, so we simply hope that followers prefer it.”
Their followers, P1ece, will little doubt assist the discharge as they’ve up to now, serving to the group earn their first Korean music present win whereas selling their first full-length album Killin’ It earlier this 12 months. Weekly music reveals are integral to the Ok-Pop ecosystem (suppose MTV’s TRL, that includes performances pre-recorded in entrance of dwell audiences and the top-charting tune awarded dwell on-air). Every music present crowns a winner for the week, marking a significant accomplishment for a lot of Korean acts.
“Clearly, having that first win isn’t all the things,” Jiung says, including that the win has loads of meanings. “I really feel like, in Korea, it’s additionally the best way individuals understand you turns into so much totally different too.”
Ok-Pop group P1Harmony for his or her new album Unhappy Music.
Courtesy of FNC Leisure
The 22-year-old provides that the followers’ dedication to getting the group that first award makes the second much more particular. “Followers work so exhausting to get that first win, and that first win award is the literal physicalization of that work,” he says. “[It’s] the exhausting work that the artist put in, and likewise the followers put in collectively, to create that one outcome. Having that bodily there’s simply sort of the proof of how a lot we’ve actually put into this album and this tune, and the way all of us got here collectively to create this second.”
Killin’ It was a turning level of types for P1Harmony. Keeho likens it to all the things earlier than the album and all the things after it are “two totally different individuals.” He provides: “After we launched our first full size album, I believe sonically and likewise visually, we simply grew to become very distinct.”
“With Killin’ It, we actually sort of sat in confidence of who we’re as a staff and what we wish to painting and what we’re good at,” Keeho says. “I really feel like all the things that’s going to come back after Killin’ It goes to sort of mirror off of that, and perhaps after two or three years it would swap to one thing else once more. For now, I really feel like no matter Killin’ It is, it’s going to mirror the albums which are going to come back after it.”
P1Harmony has, and hopes to proceed, to discover totally different genres. Theo, the group’s eldest member, expresses that he hasn’t been capable of discover his private style in style via the group’s music but. He shares that he’d love to do band music and that he loves taking part in the guitar. Soul shares that he likes and want to attempt incorporating reggae sooner or later.
Ok-Pop group P1Harmony for his or her new EP, Unhappy Music.
Courtesy of FNC Leisure
With Theo being simply 23 years previous, the group has grown from youngsters to younger adults within the public eye. “[I] really feel like within the first few years, it was sort of awkward after we carried out collectively. We appeared like little children,” Jongseob says. He provides that years of occurring tour and creating albums has given the group a way of confidence collectively and as people.
“After we come collectively, it creates this new synergy and that’s so evident within the performances and within the songs, and I don’t know if that’s aligned with age or with simply expertise,” the 18-year-old says. “We did mature and develop so much, and we’ve sort of discovered ourselves and located confidence inside ourselves inside these 4 years.”
Keeho notes that the group was among the many youngest once they first debuted, however that there are “loads of younger individuals now.” He provides: “I imply, it’s a loopy strategy to develop up.”
