BOYNEXTDOOR‘s newest single, “Good Man,” begins with the Okay-pop group crooning, “Don’t be such a wuss, Seoul is mine tonight/ Let’s rizz up all night time” for a synth-pop anthem of declarative self-confidence. Whereas it looks like a stark distinction from “Harmful,” the rebellious pre-released buzz single about teenagers pushing curfew which kicked off the group’s 19.99 album, all of it connects into BOYNEXTDOOR’s multifaceted world of limitless freedom and friendliness.
With lower than a 12 months and a half since their debut, Billboard’s Okay-Pop Rookie of the Month for October 2024 is seeing its message reaching audiences worldwide. 19.99 scored BOYNEXTDOOR’s first No. 1 on Billboard’s World Albums chart and prime 40 entry on the Billboard 200, whereas the group has carried out on pageant levels in South Korea, Spain, Japan, Hong Kong, and the USA. The sextet has modeled for Korea’s most distinguished model, Samsung, however can also be the face of Japan’s widespread informal clothes model, WEGO, and has competed for greatest new artist recognitions on the MAMA Awards, iHeartRadio Music Awards, Asian Pop Music Awards and past.
Throughout a weekend morning interview and photoshoot with Billboard in Seoul, any comprehensible tiredness from BOYNEXTDOOR takes a again seat as members Jaehyun, Sungho, Taesan, Riwoo, Leehan, and Woonhak excitedly emphasize their want to attach with audiences via authenticity fairly than simply chart placements and awards. “Rankings aren’t all the pieces,” Taesan says within the Zoom name. “Our precedence is admittedly speaking about what we need to and conveying that to the viewers in a really free type of approach. So, that’s what we attempt to do and I’m glad that’s truly connecting with lots of people on the market. It makes us actually proud.”
These themes are current within the narrative construction of 19.99, which is grounded within the guys’ real-life experiences. With out mounted roles throughout the group, BOYNEXTDOOR satisfaction themselves on a collective creativity, the place members can contribute throughout totally different areas like music, storytelling, choreography, stage route and extra. Whereas half the group is credited as lyricists, and Riwoo added private touches to their new choreographies, 19.99 has the DNA of all six stars divided all through the EP.
That philosophy of inventive expression and prioritizing private experiences and creativity over exterior pressures appears like a founding block of BOYNEXTDOOR’s label KOZ Leisure, based by boy band member-turned-chart-topping soloist-producer ZICO, that’s housed within the HYBE LABELS system. Whereas ZICO has been a presence on the Billboard charts for over a decade (incomes his first No. 1 on a U.S. gross sales chart earlier this 12 months), BOYNEXTDOOR says his mentorship and suggestions have been essential to the group’s spectacular and fast takeoff.
“He at all times instructed us that it’s a must to have a extremely good perspective and be cautious of how individuals would see you,” eldest member Sungho says of their mentor. “He at all times cared a lot for us and gave us loads of recommendation even earlier than we debuted.”
With BOYNEXTDOOR’s first tour on the horizon and a rising international fanbase awaiting the group’s subsequent steps, the “Good Man” singers stay formidable to make Seoul — and each different metropolis — their very own by doing it their approach. Learn extra on BOYNEXTDOOR’s story as the subsequent group to observe as Billboard’s Okay-Pop Rookie of the Month for October 2024.
Congratulations on the most recent chart success with 19.99, BOYNEXTDOOR! Do you’re feeling the influence and that you simply’re rising your viewers abroad?
TAESAN: Sure, we really feel like increasingly more individuals are beginning to like and revel in our music, which we’re very glad about. However you understand, grades and rankings aren’t all the pieces; grades aren’t our precedence. Our precedence is admittedly speaking about what we need to convey to the viewers in a really free type of approach. So, that’s what we attempt to do and I’m glad that’s truly connecting with lots of people on the market. It makes us actually proud and provides us the arrogance to stride ahead.
19.99 begins a really totally different musical chapter out of your earlier trilogy of EPs. What are a few of the variations between your previous releases and this undertaking?
SUNGHO: So, I believe the “First Love” trilogy [the Who!, Why.., and How? EPs] was an enormous narrative that we had and tried to observe. After we had been recording, creating and on stage, we tried to observe the general type of narrative and situation that we had for the trilogy. However after that, with 19.99, fairly than going with a story, this was an album the place we actually infused our experiences and the members’ tales. What we expertise in our day by day lives and what we undergo is admittedly infused within the tracks.
So, after we had been recording or on stage, we felt like we had been talking our personal language and simply speaking about what we skilled as boys. Even after we had been performing, I believe we focus extra on our particular person type and vibes… it’s extra grounded and extra heartfelt this time round. We paid extra consideration this time.
How do you categorical your tales? Is it sharing your experiences with one another? Writing lyrics? The ideas? Acting on stage?
JAEHYUN: I believe my reply to that’s actually the entire above. It actually begins on the very starting of the artistic course of: we focus on lots about what we need to speak about within the songs and within the album, so I believe that naturally infuses into the songs — each within the songwriting and efficiency. So, we’d discuss lots with the efficiency director and the music producers in order that we may add our enter into the lyrics and the general idea of the efficiency as nicely. So, yeah, I believe it’s all components of what you introduced up.
I see BOYNEXTDOOR as having loads of freedom. There are not any mounted positions throughout the crew. Does that freedom help you be extra artistic, or is it troublesome to stability that in a bunch dynamic?
TAESAN: As JAEHYUN stated earlier, we’re very closely concerned within the artistic course of; we have now an enormous say. And as you stated, we have now loads of freedom. As a substitute of considering of that as a stress issue, we get pleasure from it as a result of it provides us the liberty to be extra artistic and I believe we’re much more desirous to take part extra within the artistic course of. So, fairly than discovering it troublesome, I believe it’s our destiny to make these levels.
Even out of your teaser movies, “friendliness” appears like a key phrase for BOYNEXTDOOR. On one hand, artists who’re so pleasant can come off as much less mysterious and intriguing. Do you may have concepts or strategies for bridging that hole?
JAEHYUN: I suppose the key lies in our music. So whereas we’re pleasant as individuals, our music will be mysterious; individuals can at all times marvel what’s coming subsequent. You stated that the identify BOYNEXTDOOR is a really “pleasant” identify, however you by no means know who’s residing subsequent door. That boy is perhaps a hip-hop lover, that boy is perhaps a rock lover or love ballads. So, I believe there may be an charisma to that identify as nicely. So, we type of have each.
You deserve loads of credit score as a result of not many rookies can say that and it feels such as you’re sharing much more on 19.99. Are you able to share extra concerning the title and what the EP represents?
WOONHAK: The six of us talked about what sort of album we wished to make and what sort of music we wished to do…
TAESAN: The producer requested us to speak about how we felt about our 20s one after the other — [asking] “What was it like for you?” or “What do you anticipate from turning 20?” — and we steadily got here up with the theme. After we got here up with the theme of the quantity “20,” we mentioned what sort of tales every of us wished to include into the album. JAEHYUN, WOONHAK and I truly wrote the lyrics based mostly on that. We tried to seize 20 as a lot as doable in our personal approach.
On the subject of 20, the youngest member of BOYNEXTDOOR, WOONHAK, will quickly be turning 20. Have your members shared any recommendation for you?
WOONHAK: So, as a substitute of giving me recommendation immediately in phrases, I believe I simply discovered from them vicariously and naturally. Seeing them, I can perceive that there are specific issues that individuals don’t see or perceive as a result of I’m underage, you understand? They acknowledge after I inform them I’m dealing with sure challenges and say, “That’s okay.” However after I do flip 20, there will likely be extra tasks as an grownup — and I see that via our chief JAEHYUN, our oldest SUNGHO, RIWOO, in addition to TAESAN and LEEHAN. So, I believe I type of study by how they behave and tackle totally different duties. They proceed to show me lots.
Together with JAEHYUN, TAESAN, and WOONHAK’s songwriting, how do you all collaborate creatively?
JAEHYUN: Though there are simply three of us within the album credit, I believe it actually must be the six of us collectively as a result of we discuss lots amongst ourselves and are sources of inspiration to one another. So, we’d discuss to different members and achieve perception from their experiences and tales. So, all six of us are literally concerned within the artistic course of.
SUNGHO: Whereas JAEHYUN, TAESAN and WOONHAK are concerned within the songwriting, when it comes to the stage, RIWOO is admittedly concerned lots when it comes to the stage; after we truly go carry out, he can lead the gang. When we have to rehearse, we observe collectively beneath RIWOO’s steering. He even creates and organizes the setlist and has loads of enter and concepts concerning the setlist. RIWOO is the one who has essentially the most to say about our performances; every of us has such totally different personalities and particular person kinds, however RIWOO is the one who type of turns into the anchor to assist us mix and mix collectively as a bunch.
RIWOO: After we study the choreography for the primary time from choreographers, we often study choreography that’s virtually full, however I really feel like we have now to incorporate our personal type into it and tweak it a little bit bit to make it possible for it actually suits our personal type and never the choreographer’s type. From facial expressions to gestures and actions, I personally give it some thought lots. If our members need to categorical one thing, I need to be sure that we are able to categorical it and edit it a little bit in order that it’s extra BOYNEXTDOOR and our type.
Speaking about stage performances, you lately introduced your KNOCK ON Vol.1 tour. What are you getting ready to your first tour? Do you assume you’ll have extra “volumes” or dates past Asia?
JAEHYUN: Our first live performance is within the planning course of, however there are loads of levels and performances that we’ve saved for the live performance. The levels that you simply’ve wished to see and the performances that you simply wished us to do, we’ve been saving all of them to indicate you at our first live performance so I believe there will likely be loads of levels that our followers, ONEDOOR, will actually like.
LEEHAN: We’ll go anyplace. We’re keen to fly to anyplace the place ONEDOOR exists. And we hope there are lots of extra alternatives going ahead to share these nice occasions with ONEDOOR.
Do you may have any worries forward of the tour?
TAESAN: There’ll inevitably be some challenges as a result of it’s our first live performance and first tour, however I believe we have to deal with find out how to overcome these difficulties. However I believe what’s at all times on our thoughts is our subsequent step ahead — what we’re going to speak about in our subsequent album.
I just lately met with ZICO, and he spoke so affectionately about you. Do you discover that affection or is that this his on a regular basis self? Any enjoyable tales you’ll be able to share about your time with him?
SUNGHO: We truly seen his affection ever since after we had been trainees. He was at all times very fearful about us. He at all times cared a lot for us and gave us loads of recommendation. Even earlier than we debuted and after our debut, after we grew to become “professionals,” he at all times instructed us that you simply at all times should have a extremely good perspective and be cautious of how individuals see you. However the distinction between the times after we simply debuted and now’s that within the early rookie days, he would attempt to actually assist and help us in every kind of the way. However now I believe he actually respects us as professionals and that we have now our personal approach of communication and elegance. After which when he thinks we’d like assist or if there are components the place he may also help us, he’ll type of soar in. I don’t actually keep in mind any particular anecdotes to share…
WOONHAK: I truly do keep in mind one! He stated, “I remorse taking actually unhealthy selfies.” [All laugh.] So, we must always actually make it possible for we take good selfies.
JAEHYUN: My father! There are such a lot of humorous moments. Not too long ago, ZICO has been telling me to indicate him some aegyo, like doing one thing cute or lovely, as a result of he stated that JAEHYUN as a trainee and JAEHYUN as a member of an idol group is admittedly totally different. So, he needs me to indicate him these aegyo moments like I do with ONEDOOR, however for him. So, he’ll type of tease me, telling me, “Are you able to present me some aegyo?!?” [Laughs.]
Every other messages you need to share with worldwide followers or Billboard readers right now?
JAEHYUN: Thanks for loving our tracks. I’m glad to see our songs on the Billboard charts and I hope you all hold loving them.
TAESAN: Please keep tuned for our tour and our live performance. I hope that we’ll have extra alternatives to go to different continents and different nations as nicely!
WOONHAK: Love you!!!
