ARrC conveys hope to global fans with a unique new song infused with their own "Oriental Pop" elements.
On the afternoon of the 16th, a media showcase celebrating the release of ARrC's (Andi, Choi Han, Doha, Hyunmin, Jibin, Kkien, Riyoto) third mini-album "HOPE" took place at the SBS Prism Tower Public Hall in Sangam-dong, Mapo, Seoul.
Leader Hyunmin expressed, "We are honored to greet you with a good album called mini-album 3 'HOPE' after our mini-album 2. I'm glad to show good music and videos to the fans who have waited a long time. We will work harder and evolve as ARrC." Doha noted, "We are thrilled and excited to return with new music. Through this activity, we will strive to establish ourselves as a representative team of the fifth generation of K-pop and become global Generation Z icons."
"HOPE" is an album that tells the story of 'hope,' an emotion that becomes stronger when one blooms and consolidates even amidst the realities of imperfect and repetitive youth. The title track "awesome" is a hype chant track that modernly interprets the hip-hop vibe of the early 2000s, capturing ARrC's musical sensibility and vibe that turns even daily misfortunes into something delightful.
Choi Han introduced, "This album honestly and deeply captures the complex emotions of youth. Inspired by the Canadian band Klaatu's 'HOPE,' it reimagines the message that hope blossoms within complex emotions and that we become stronger when we are together." Hyunmin confidently stated, "I can say that every track is like the title track because we worked hard to create them with quality."
In particular, the included track 'dawns' is the first song written by members Hyunmin and Choi Han, capturing the sensations that begin in the gaps of unstable dawn.
When asked about his motivation for participating in the lyrics of 'dawns,' Hyunmin replied, "I thought it was so good as soon as I heard it, and I wanted to participate in the lyrics. The song's concept was coming together, and I thought the lyrical direction could really shine, allowing me to incorporate my experiences, so I actively appealed. It was my first time participating in songwriting, so I had a lot of expectations and felt nervous. However, I had always been interested in songwriting, so once the ideas started flowing during the process, it felt great. 'dawns' captures the fuzzy and exciting emotions of the dawn hours, and I think if you savor my lyrics while listening, you'll enjoy the song even more deeply."
Choi Han also shared, "I was excited and had a pleasant sense of pressure being listed as a songwriter for the first time. I expressed emotions honestly and calmly that our peers can relate to. I wrote the song imagining a character who stumbles in expressing emotions. I think it will be fun to listen to the song while thinking about that point. I have been consistently showing other works to the company since before participating in the lyrics for 'dawns,' building up my skills. If I get another opportunity to write lyrics, I would like to show even more diverse aspects."
When asked about the aspects they particularly considered for this comeback, Choi Han explained, "Since we, ARrC, have a belief that it is our duty to share good energy with the public in our own unique way since our debut, we thought a lot about how to express the inner world of youth in our own style in this album."
Meanwhile, ARrC is set to showcase five monsters inspired by various Asian shamanistic beliefs, including traditional Korean 'goblin' and 'amulets,' through the music video for 'awesome.' Through their new release, ARrC reinterprets Korean and Asian symbols in a modern way, presenting a new aesthetic of 'Oriental Pop.'
Recently, the Netflix film 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' has achieved global success with Korean-style Oriental elements. Against this backdrop, when asked if they expect success with an album that contains Oriental elements, Hyunmin explained, "It's not simply about including Oriental elements. The goblin appearing in the music video is inspired not only by Korean elements but also by various masks and monsters from countries like Portugal and Indonesia. Please understand this as a means for ARrC to pursue genuine consolidation with fans around the world." Doha added, "The concept of this album is about hope for youth. I hope this hope is well conveyed to the youth, and we have made it to the candidate for No. 1 on music shows with the title track, so this time, we want to achieve No. 1."
Having debuted last August, ARrC is soon approaching their one-year anniversary. Hyunmin stated, "Since ARrC is a multinational group, we have met with fans in Brazil, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, the United States, and recently in Indonesia. We have built many connections while communicating and consolidating with fans around the world. We will steadily create opportunities to meet fans who have liked us until now and those who will like us even more in the future, ensuring that our future activities will be wonderful and successful. We will show an evolved performance and skills, so please look forward to it."
Regarding the growth over the past year, Hyunmin remarked, "I think our participation in the lyrics of 'dawns' is a significant achievement. We are also preparing various music projects. There has been a tradition of previewing songs from the next album, and this time 'SKIID' is a track that ARrC has not tried before, so such things represent new music growth. I think preparing fun and fresh performances in collaboration with various teams is a growth point for ARrC built over the past year."
When asked about ARrC's unique strengths among various boy groups, Hyunmin stated, "Our biggest strength is that we are composed of multinational members, which allows us to communicate with fans around the world in our own languages. Pursuing genuine consolidation, we aim to present a refreshing and unique performance and music that has never been seen before, which is our greatest advantage and charm."
Finally, Jibin stated, "This album is a significant challenge and a record of growth for us. We will show even more wonderful activities in the future, so please give us your interest and love." Hyunmin also added, "This time, with the release of 'HOPE' and the emergence of 'awesome' into the world, we will remain passionate and work hard, so we ask for your continued interest and love."
Meanwhile, ARrC's mini-album 'HOPE' will be released on the 16th at 6 p.m. through music streaming sites.
[Photo] OSEN's reporter Jo Eun-jung
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