EVNNE Are Here To Cause 'Trouble' (In The Best Way Possible)
Meet EVNNE, a seven-member group of reality competition runners-up already winning hearts around the world.
EVNNE are a boy group who debuted in September this year with the EP Target: ME and title track “TROUBLE”. The seven members, Keita, Park Hanbin, Lee Jeonghyeon, Yoo Seungeon, Ji Yunseo, Mun Junghyun, and Park Jihoo, were runners-up on the reality competition show Boys Planet, the winners of which formed Zerebaseone, a boy group which debuted in July. Less than a month later, it was announced a second band would be created from the show, and EVNNE (formerly known as BLIT) was born.
I recently had a chance to chat to the members of EVNNE about their debut experience, their fans, their creative process, and their future hopes.
Congratulations on your recent debut! How are you feeling now that it’s happened?
EVNNE: First of all, as trainees, we've always looked forward to our debut and worked hard through appearances on programs like Boys Planet. We are incredibly happy and thankful for this opportunity. Our debut as EVNNE, in particular, wouldn't have been possible without the continuous love and support from our fans. We are even more grateful for that.
How has debuting met or differed from your expectations?
Park Hanbin: First of all, while experiencing various new things, I often find myself thinking, "So this is what music activities really feel like.” Through my appearance on Boys Planet, I had the opportunity to experience certain activities such as performing on stage and communicating with fans. However, with this debut, I'm experiencing a wider range of activities for the first time under the name EVNNE, such as shooting music videos and pictorials, fan signing events, and more. I'm learning a lot from these diverse experiences.
How did the experience of a survival reality show shape you as trainees and influence how you came together as a group?
EVNNE: Participating in the survival program allowed us to experience things that we could never have experienced in our usual trainee lives, and it had a significant impact on our growth. We had the opportunity to appear on broadcasts, stand on stages watched by countless people, and receive advice from the masters who taught us stage manners and skills. This experience helped us grow a lot.
Of course, we still have much to learn, but the experiences we had from our trainee days were truly irreplaceable.
What do you do as a team to enhance your teamwork, or work through challenges together?
Ji Yunseo: All members get along very well, so there aren't many troubles within the team. To enhance teamwork, we often exercise together because we all really enjoy sports.
Your name represents your aim to “steal people’s attention” by “shining” — how would you describe your “shine”, both as a group and as individuals?
PARK HANBIN: I think the versatility of our group EVNNE can capture the attention of many people. Through our album Target: ME and the title track ‘TROUBLE’, we showed our mischievous side with intense and addictive music. In the future, by presenting a contrasting image to this album, we hope to showcase how diverse and versatile EVNNE is in handling various atmospheres and concepts, thus attracting people's attention. Personally, I think my passion and enthusiasm are the most shining aspects of myself.
Ji Yunseo: As all our members are all-rounders, being able to take on various positions while being growth-oriented is the most shining aspect of our group and, personally, my most 'shining' aspect. As time goes on, I hope our members can enhance their skills in various aspects and focus people's attention even more.
Park Jihoo: First of all, I think the stage is where we can shine most brightly. I hope that through our members enjoying the stage and conveying that energy to the fans, we can naturally become a group that collects people's attention. I think my strength lies in such energy. I believe my most shining moments are when everyone is happy and in a lively atmosphere.
What is each of your favorite song off your debut EP, and why?
Keita: I think our favorite song that best represents the exciting atmosphere and energy of our members is ‘Role Model’.
Park Hanbin: I believe my favourite song is the title track ‘TROUBLE’ because it's intense and catchy. The musical style and how well it showcases what EVNNE is as a group and what we are capable of make it my favorite track.
You Seungeon: I really like the relatively calmer atmosphere of ‘Even More’, which is distinct from the rest of the songs in this album.
Park Jihoo: I enjoy ‘Role Model’ with its hip-hop vibe, as it's both exciting and suits my style the best!
Ji Yunseo and Lee Jeonghyeon participated in writing on ‘Jukebox’, while Keita and Ji Yunseo participated in ‘Even More’ — can you tell me about your writing/creative process?
KEITA: In the case of ‘Even More’, it's a track we included as a fan song in this album. We felt the need to express our gratitude to the fans who continuously supported us even after the conclusion of Boys Planet. EVNNE wouldn't have come together as a group without the constant support of our fans. Therefore, we wanted to convey our gratitude through ‘Even More’.
Lee Jeonghyeon: ‘JUKEBOX’ is also a song that conveys a message we want to share with our fans. While ‘Even More’ expresses our gratitude to the fans, ‘JUKEBOX’ conveys a message to our fans, encouraging them to enjoy our music and lean on us. When you're tired of daily life or going through difficult times, we hope that by listening to EVNNE's songs, you can forget the hardships and enjoy the moment. Through ‘JUKEBOX’, we tried to express our hope that EVNNE and our music can bring energy to our fans.
You have a track called ‘Role Model’ — who are your role models?
Lee Jeonghyeon: I consider artists like DEAN and PENOMECO, who showcase their skills in both rap and vocals while working in their own unique style, as my role models.
Yoo Seungeon: I was inspired by Charlie Puth's song ‘Light Switch’, after seeing the behind-the-scenes of his work process where he was flicking the light switch on and off. It made me think, ‘Someday, I want to become an artist who can draw inspiration from everyday life, from anywhere’.
Mum Junghyun: Watching the performances of Wanna One inspired me to become a singer. Even now, I learn and feel a lot from their performances.
What does being a “role model” mean to you? Is this something you aspire to be?
Yoo Seungeon: Many artists currently active in the industry probably share a similar sentiment, but all of us in EVNNE grew up watching and aspiring to be on the stage as K-Pop performers. Now, we hope to be a group that can plant similar dreams while showcasing various performances on stage. We especially hope that EVNNE can be a group that delivers the joy of performing on stage and passes on that energy to the audience. It would be amazing to put on a stage that embodies the desire to learn and emulate how to enjoy the stage and transmit that energy to the audience.
Mun Junghyun: In truth, achieving my dream of debuting through EVNNE, it seems that “becoming a role model for someone” that you asked about has become my new goal. Just as I once harbored the dream of becoming a singer while watching the performances of Wanna One and thinking ‘I want to shine on stage like them’, I hope that someday EVNNE can grow to the point where we can shine on stage and nurture dreams in those who look up to us, just like we did.
As you mentioned, ‘Even More’ is a fan song — why was it important to include one on your debut album? What do the fans mean to you?
EVNNE: While our group name stands for ‘Evening’s Newest Étoiles’, it is the fans who have truly been like stars that granted our wish. Without them, we wouldn't have existed. Up to this point, our fans have sought us out and allowed us to come together again and debut. We are so happy that this gratitude can be conveyed, even a little bit, through ‘Even More’ on our debut album. We hope to continue conveying this feeling through various stages and music in the future.
From ambition, to falling in love, to enjoying the moment, to your feelings for fans, your EP explores different topics — do you have one that you haven’t explored yet that you’d like to in future? Or perhaps a genre you’d like to try?
Ji Yunseo: Our members are so versatile that there are truly numerous concepts that would suit EVNNE well. For this album, we tried to showcase various aspects by decorating the album with songs of different vibes. Considering the unexplored concepts, I'd really like to try something sexy or dreamy. Personally, among these, I would love to have a comeback with a dreamy concept like BTS' HYYH (The Most Beautiful Moment in Life) series.
Where do you hope to travel to and perform? Is there one place in particular you’d really love to go?
EVNNE: From our trainee days and during the airing of Boys Planet, we received a lot of support and votes from fans abroad. If given the opportunity, we would love to express our gratitude by meeting each and every one of our international fans, enjoying performances together, and showing our appreciation. EVNNE is ready to go anywhere as we’re open to all opportunities!
You must be very busy right now, how do you recharge and stay motivated?
Keita: I usually get some sleep.
Lee Jeonghyeon: I've always liked solving Rubik's cubes, and these days, I'm practicing solving new types of cubes!
Yoo Seungeon: Lately, I find myself watching music live performances quite often. I also enjoy going for walks and exercising!
Mun Junghyun: When I face difficult or tiring moments, I like to lie down comfortably and organise my thoughts. Sometimes, while contemplating, I fall asleep, and it helps relieve stress.
Park Jihoo: Recently, I've developed an interest in fashion, so I spend time looking at clothes, studying fashion, and learning about current trends.
What is one thing you’re really proud of regarding EVNNE?
Keita: I'm most proud of the fact that our members showcase excellence in various aspects. Each member takes on vocals, rap, and more, and we are all all-rounders to the point that it wouldn't be strange if any member stepped into a different position. We take pride in this aspect, and we look forward to utilising it fully. We believe that by leveraging our versatility, we can bring freshness to our fans each time we come back with new music, incorporating different genres, styles, and combinations. It's something we're really excited about.
Where do you hope to see EVNNE on your one year anniversary? What do you picture for your group on that day?
EVNNE: It's a response similar to the one for the previous question, but we genuinely hope to prove that every member is a main position and an all-rounder. Over the course of a year, we aim to continuously grow by diligently presenting new music to our fans as often as possible. We strive to show that in EVNNE, each member is capable of excelling no matter the role he takes on.
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With love,
Jenna