P1Harmony’s winning streak and steady upward trajectory carries on with their latest release.
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When we talk about modern success stories in K-pop, the conversation isn’t complete without including P1Harmony. The six-member boy group, composed of members KEEHO, THEO, JIUNG, INTAK, SOUL, and JONGSEOB, has been reaching higher and higher with every release, and they’ve gone undeniably global with their new album.
YEAH, WE SLAY
Following their DISHARMONY and HARMONY mini-album trilogies, the group began their 2024 strong with a career milestone, their first full-length studio album 때깔 (Killin‘ It). The ten-track LP is led by the uber-catchy and synth-driven song of the same name, as well as a variety of bangers like Late Night Calls, Everybody Clap, and Emergency.
With the members having a more hands-on approach to making the album, such as co-writing many of the songs, as well as recent career achievements from reaching #1 on the Billboard World Albums chart, #2 Billboard placement on Top Album Sales chart, #10 Spotify placement on the Debut albums chart, attaining their first #1 album in Korea, and getting their much-deserved first music show win at Music Bank, their new chapter as a whole sees P1Harmony prove once again they are an act worth following.
We recently had the opportunity to chat with KEEHO, THEO, JIUNG, INTAK, SOUL, and JONGSEOB as they opened up about their new album, first music show win, the Suicide Squad-inspired visuals of the comeback, going viral, and more. Read on below for what they had to say.
What was it like getting to work on your first full-length album as compared to your past releases?
THEO – Even though the preparation process of previous albums was similar, our participation has increased significantly on this album compared to previous ones. We were more involved in the visual aspects and the songs.
SOUL – Our involvement was higher than in the previous albums.
JONGSEOB – Due to the schedule that we needed to prepare during last year’s tour, it was a bit tighter than before, but we can confidently say that the quality is even higher.
Could you talk about the creative process when it came to writing the songs?
JIUNG – It really varies each time. I prefer not to set fixed rules or templates for making music, so I work according to the songs I’m working on at the time. Sometimes I write lyrics first and then add melody, and other times I write the melody first and then decide on lyrics that fit. For a song like “I See U” in this album, I worked using the second method.
INTAK – For me personally, I gather keywords that I think would be great for this song and combine them as I create melodies and lines!
JONGSEOB – Usually, I organize the overall flow of the song first and then add lyrics. I extract keywords from the song title or overarching themes of the album, and then work on the lyrics based on my own interpretations of those keywords. However, the method can change depending on the circumstances, so there’s no set way of writing the songs.
Aside from the music, fashion and style also play an important part with any comeback. What was the inspiration behind the visual style for your new era?
KEEHO – I was really inspired by the movie ‘Suicide Squad’ and how each superhero had their own style and characteristics but came together and became one team. I thought it represented P1Harmony in the sense that we can be so different individually but when formed together we have this synergy and power that cannot be ignored. Since the movie is darker in theme I wanted to portray that, especially in the “Killin’ It” version.
JIUNG – “Killin’ It” drew a lot of inspiration from the character “Joker” in terms of visuals. The charismatic yet undeniable charm of the “Joker” character was captivating, so we drew inspiration from it visually and applied Joker’s attitude to our performance.
INTAK – Our member KEEHO participated a lot in this album’s visuals. He researched styles that could highlight our body lines, allowing the silhouette to be well-defined.
What do you hope your listeners take away from the album?
KEEHO – We hope that listeners can really understand our sound now. Obviously, there is still so much we want to explore and do, but I want people to understand and realize exactly how strong we are as a team, through our performances and sound.
THEO – Since this album is a full-length album, there are many more songs, which means there’s a wider variety of genres and moods. We hope that listeners think P1Harmony can digest any genre and interpret it with our unique color.
JIUNG – Each song on the album has its own personality and evokes a distinct feeling. We hope fans discuss which songs they’d like to see at concerts or which ones they’d prefer to listen to in a relaxed atmosphere during live performances.
One of the many things that your fans love about you is your social media presence, especially on TikTok. What do you think is the secret behind scoring a viral video?
KEEHO – Just see what everyone else is doing and just do it! TikTok is supposed to be fun and taken light-heartedly. I tend to see the more fun I have with it, the better the response.
INTAK – It seems like we’re popular on platforms like TikTok, which are very popular among people similar to our age in their 10s and 20s, because it’s the app where people can enjoy and have fun comfortably.
SOUL – We think part of our popularity on social media, including TikTok, comes from creating content that’s popular among the general public.
You’ve worked with a lot of artists over the past few years. Do you have a favorite collaborator or a memorable interaction with one?
KEEHO – I can’t choose one favorite but just because “Fall In Love Again” was our most recent collaboration, I will say the creation process for that song was so much fun. Being in Atlanta with Tricky Stewart and making the song from the bottom up really helped us experience something new and put us up for a new challenge. We learned so much and we can’t wait to experience something like that again.
JIUNG – All the artists we’ve collaborated with so far have been amazing experiences and left us with happy memories. Among them, collaborating with Tricky is the most memorable for me. Discussing how to develop the musical flow, and how to paint the picture with our voices, was enjoyable, and the recording atmosphere was new and liberating.
INTAK – Although we haven’t collaborated with him, I really admire Usher, so I hope one day we can collaborate. Watching his recent halftime show reminded me of how great an artist he is. He’s a living legend, and we hope to collaborate with him someday.
Your global presence has increased exponentially in just the past year alone. Has it ever settled in just how far you’ve come just three years after your debut?
KEEHO – I wouldn’t say it settled in yet, but we just recently won our first broadcast music show! Receiving that award really felt something for not only me but the whole team. We hope to keep growing and showing the world the reason why we must be heard and seen!
THEO – I feel like we’ve grown a lot through our tours. Since we perform on stage a lot, we naturally learn about stage manners, how to communicate with the audience, and how to assess our strengths and weaknesses.
JONGSEOB – Yes, it’s great to see P1ece waiting for us not only in Seoul but also in many other cities. Last year, we experienced big stages like the Jingle Ball in the US for the first time, and this year, we’re scheduled to attend the Governors Ball in New York as well. As we experience more of these kinds of big stages, I feel a significant growth.
If you could describe how you would want your 2024 to go in three words, what would those be?
THEO –
Happiness / I hope there are more days to smile in 2024.
Health / I hope everyone stays healthy and does their schedules well in 2024.
Popularity / I hope 2024 is a year where we become more known to the public.
SOUL – Happiness / Challenge / Fighting
I hope we live happily with all the strength(fighting) this year, and I want to take on new challenges.
JONSEOB – Performance / Growth / Identity
I want us to become a group expressing our own identity that excels in every aspect, and I hope we experience more performances. Personally, I want to achieve growth that surpasses my current level.
If you want to see more of P1Harmony this 2024, you’re in luck as the group is going on tour this year with P1USTAGE H: UTOP1A. It kicks off this May in North America. Check out their US tour dates below.
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 @ Houston, TX – Smart Financial Centre
Friday, May 17, 2024 @ Dallas, TX – Music Hall at Fair Park
Monday, May 20, 2024 @ Chicago, IL – Credit Union 1 Arena
Friday, May 24, 2024 @ Toronto, ONT – Coca-Cola Coliseum
Sunday, May 26, 2024 @ Boston, MA – Boch Center Wang Theatre
Monday & Tuesday, May 27-28 @ Seoul, South Korea – Olympic Hall
Thursday, May 30, 2024 @ Washington, DC – The Anthem
Saturday, June 1, 2024 @ Atlanta, GA – The Fox Theatre
Monday, June 3, 2024 @ Nashville, TN – The Grand Ole Opry
Wednesday, June 5, 2024 @ Miami, FL – James L Knight Center
Saturday, June 8, 2024 @ New York, NY – GOVERNOR’S BALL+
Friday, June 14, 2024 @ Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena
Sunday, June 16, 2024 @ Los Angeles, CA – The Kia Forum
Photos courtesy of FNC Entertainment
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