The group POW has made a comeback with the release of their third EP album and talked about the album production process.
POW (Yochi, Hyunbin, Jeongbin, Dongyeon, Hong) made their comeback on the 27th with the release of their third EP album 'Being Tender.'
POW, a five-member multinational boy group under Grid Entertainment that debuted with the EP album 'Favorite' in October 2023, is showing off their versatile capabilities in various areas such as music, acting, and content production, embodying the group's name that expresses the ambition to provide fresh and fun experiences to the music industry, as if bursting like the English onomatopoeia 'pow.'
The third EP album 'Being Tender,' released on the 27th, is based on European sensibilities and youth culture, capturing the matured and deepened music of POW (POW), with leaders Yochi and Jeongbin overseeing overall production. The album includes various genres of songs such as the title track 'Being Tender,' 'Reason,' 'Celebrate,' and 'Fingerprint,' indicating that it will be a gift-like album for fans who have been waiting for their music.
The title track 'Being Tender' is a song characterized by a refreshing and lyrical melody and unique vocals, containing the real stories of the members who find it difficult to treat precious people tenderly. It promises an energetic and expanded POW music universe compared to before.
After a rapid comeback in four months, POW is currently active in music broadcasts and has expressed their determination to fill 2025 by meeting with fans through a tour in the second half of the year.
Below is the Q&A interview for POW's third EP 'Being Tender.'
Q. (Yochi, Jeongbin) You led the overall production, surpassing just writing and composing in this album. At a point less than two years after your debut, was there a moment or opportunity that made you confident, saying, 'Now we can do this'?
Yochi: It feels too much to say that me or the members have completely taken the helm. Thankfully, the company has been attentive to our ideas and opinions, helping us to realize them as much as possible. I'm not yet at the point of saying, 'Now we can do this' confidently. We still lack experience and need to study much more. But we aim to learn and tackle more things, with the mindset of 'Let's try.' The reason we feel this way is indeed thanks to our fans. Hearing from fans who were comforted by the song 'Sunset,' which we worked on for them, made us realize that we could do something like this.
Jeongbin: I don't yet have the confidence of 'We can do this.' I think of us as still knowing very little, like a newborn baby that's just flipped over for the first time. It started from the thought of wanting to include our music and our stories. Above all, because we have fans who always pay attention to and listen to our stories, the words that it has become a comfort for them strengthen our desire to keep going.
Q. (Yochi, Jeongbin) Knowing the members' voices and charms best, what aspects did you particularly want to highlight while producing this album? Also, could you share your thoughts on what aspects you remembered while working on the songs?
Yochi: Knowing the members' voices and charms is a big help when working on songs. Each member has their individual characteristics, which are crucial elements in creating POW's unique color. I tend to think about maximizing the unique vocal tones or on-stage presence of each member. I believe this results in a more perfect and harmonious outcome when the song is completed.
Jeongbin: I like to capture the members' true voices when working. I want their vibes and sincerity to come through rather than technical skills. Hyunbin has a unique and charming tone, Hong has a sense of rhythm, and Dongyeon expresses emotions well. Yochi has precise expressions which are great. I think about how to naturally showcase those within the song. When I first played the lyrics and song I created to the members, I felt shy and nervous. I was really thankful when they liked it and participated sincerely. It felt really happy to work on a song together with the members.
Q. The album title 'Being Tender,' meaning 'the way to be tender,' incorporates the process and growth. Can the transition from the energetic appearance of your debut to the theme of 'tenderness' be seen as a natural growth process of POW? As you made this album, did each member learn something new about 'tenderness'?
Yochi: While preparing this album, I newly realized that tenderness is not simply being soft and quiet but is about caring for, understanding, and listening to each other. I have learned that this power is genuinely strong and connects people more closely. When you're young, you think more of 'me' rather than others, but as you become an adult and as time goes on, I believe there are more moments where you consider the position of others. I think tenderness is learned in that process, and it signifies that we are growing and moving toward the next stage.
Hyunbin: I have come to think of tenderness as delicately looking at precious people. As I grow and become an adult, it seems there are many situations that require delicacy, not just joyful and energetic ones. I believe being able to address such stories means we have matured.
Hong: The tenderness I believe starts from thinking of others before yourself. I think that considering the emotions and perspectives of others, rather than my own feelings and positions, is true tenderness. In a way, I think this process broadens the scope of understanding and is related to growth.
Q. You mentioned that the title track 'Being Tender' reflects the members' real stories of how treating precious people tenderly is still a challenge. What experiences or emotions inspired this song, and why did you choose to express clumsy feelings through refreshing keyboard sounds and bouncy rhythms?
Dongyeon: When we received the demo song 'Being Tender,' we all wondered what it meant to be tender. We pondered about this for a long time. The answer came from Yochi's social media post. There are a few street cats living near our dorm. Some members take care of those cats, and Yochi always bought snacks to give to the cats when meeting them, keeping them in his bag. Even when wanting to approach and touch a sensitive cat, he would hold back and just give snacks while keeping a distance to observe; I thought that's what it means to be tender! The refreshing keyboard sounds and bouncy rhythms represent the sounds of our thoughts rolling around as we searched for this way of being tender. When people hear just the title of this song, they'll probably have a question in their heads, wondering 'What does that mean?'
Q. The included song 'Reason' is a track filled with comfort and support for fans. With what kind of intention did you work on this song for your fans?
Yochi: I want to be someone who is always with the fans and do something special for them.
Hyunbin: I worked on the song with the intention of being a partner who lives life together with the fans. So during the recording, I thought about recording my voice as it is, without embellishment.
Jeongbin: Just as the lyrics suggest, the reason for our existence and why we sing is always because of our fans, so I included the hope that they will always be happy. Just like our slogan 'Creating Culture Everyday', we hope that when fans wake up in the morning and listen to our music, they start their day feeling good, or that our music helps ease their weary day and makes their daily lives feel a bit special.
Dongyeon: 'Reason' is a song that contains the story conveyed to our fans through the lyrics. With lyrics like 'You're my muse' and 'the reason I sing', I expressed our sentiments toward the fans directly. I want to continue to share this kind of music forever.
Hong: I worked with the hope of always being a vitamin for the fans. I think I tried hard to express our sincerity and the words we wanted to convey in the lyrics.
Q. 'Celebrate' is the first song that directly includes the group's slogan 'Creating Culture Everyday' in the lyrics. What was the experience like turning this slogan into a song, and what 'moments of everyday life' do you want to celebrate with your fans through this song?
Hyunbin: Making a song with this slogan was really meaningful. We had mentioned our slogan 'Creating Culture Everyday' before, but this is the first time we've included it in a song. The everyday moments I want to celebrate with fans are really trivial. Just small and simple things. For example, during a solo project I did for a while, I used to gradually increase my push-ups by one each day. I managed to do this during the planned schedule, increasing by one each day. Although it seems trivial, it was a moment of pride. I believe there are similar moments in your everyday life. If the fans feel happiness and smile, I want to convey a congratulatory message about that.
Jeongbin: To be honest, I wish every moment with our fans is special. Not just on commemorative days like birthdays, enrollments, or graduations, but also on ordinary mornings when fans wake up to see our messages and start the day pleasantly or wrap up a tiring day happily while listening to our music; I hope we become a presence that makes their everyday life special.
Q. The last track 'Fingerprint' is impressively compared to the memories with fans as 'fingerprints.' Where did this idea come from, and how did you want to express the future you want to create together with fans through the grand trumpet sounds?
Yochi: 'Fingerprint' is a song that compares the memories and bonds between us and our fans to fingerprints, which are unique and will not be erased. This idea came from the desire to express our memories and relationships that do not change over time. It signifies that each has a unique and special connection. The grand trumpet sounds are used to convey our commitment and hope for the future we will move toward together. This sound feels like a declaration that we will create new stories and grow strong and magnificently with our fans. I hope this song conveys warmth and the feeling of becoming one with us, just like the enduring connections that survive both good times and tough times.
Hong: When I first heard the demo, the image of jumping and playing with fans at a concert came to mind first. So, I requested the members to rewrite it into the current version, as the demo lyrics didn't reflect this idea. The song was made with the expectation of the memories and time we will create together in the future, and the bittersweet feeling of having to part even if we meet again tomorrow.
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