by martina rexrode
photo courtesy of Jellyfish Entertainment
When a K-pop group with as much sincerity and passion as EVNNE comes around, it’s impossible not to root for them. Up until this past April, the five-member boy group was operating as a temporary “project group,” including a larger line-up of members and an altogether different vision for their sound and musical identity. Now, KEITA, PARK HANBIN, LEE JEONGHYEON, MUN JUNGHYUN, and PARK JIHOO are back for the first time as an official group with their first single album. Both the title track “Backtalk” and its accompanying b-side “STAY” introduce listeners to a fresh version of EVNNE that features lyrics written by each member and inspired by their own experiences. We sat down to speak to the group about this new direction, their involvement in their own music, and what fans can expect moving forward.
“Backtalk” is your first single album and your first music release as an official group. As you start to process this release, how does it feel to have “Backtalk” as the single that, in a way, reintroduces you to the world?
PARK HANBIN: “Since this is EVNNE’s first comeback after officially becoming an official group and reorganizing as a five-member group, I think a lot of emotions are crossing our minds at once. We’re thrilled to be meeting fans again with a new side of ourselves, excited to finally share lyrics we personally wrote, and proud that all the hard work we put into preparing for this comeback has paid off. Through this album, we’ll be sharing all the stories we wanted to tell while preparing for this comeback, so please look forward to it!”
How does your vision for EVNNE’s future differ now compared to when you were active as a project group?
MUN JUNGHYUN: “Moving forward, I think our fans will be able to see us approach both our music and activities with more sincerity and initiative. These opportunities were only possible thanks to the endless love and support from our fans, so we believe it’s our responsibility to repay that love. That’s why we want to prepare as much great music and as many amazing performances as possible, so we can meet our fans more often.”
What does the message delivered through “Backtalk” mean to you as a group?
PARK JIHOO: “I think the fact that the lyrics contain our own personal stories is what makes this album especially meaningful. Through references to our BOYS PLANET days, such as lines like ‘that blue-haired kid,’ and even references connected to our previous companies, the album tells the story of how we’ve made it this far and how we’ll continue moving forward no matter what anyone says. I think that message has become especially meaningful and important now that we’re an official group.”
Could each of you share a lyric from “Backtalk” that feels the most important to you in this moment of your life and career?
KEITA: “The lyric that resonates with me the most is ‘뻔한 건 nonsense (Obviousness is nonsense).’ I think it best reflects my desire to always create something new and different.”
PARK HANBIN: “I’d choose the line, ‘포기는 없어 계속 들이받아 / Pave a new wave (No such thing as giving up, keep charging on / Pave a new way).’ I think it perfectly captures our determination to never give up and keep pushing ourselves harder. I also try to live with that mindset in everything I do.”
LEE JEONGHYEON: “For me, it’s also ‘포기는 없어 계속 들이받아 / Pave a new way (No such thing as giving up, keep charging on / Pave a new way).’ I think the message about endlessly challenging ourselves without giving up perfectly represents EVNNE’s ambitions.”
MUN JUNGHYUN: “The lyric that resonates with me the most is, ‘맘대로 되는 게 없는 World / 발버둥 치는 게 답인 격 (Nothing will go your way in this World / Struggling is the only answer).’ I believe it really reflects life itself, and it also represents how our members continue to fight through hardships, no matter what challenges come our way.”
PARK JIHOO: “Mine is, ‘반말로 패도 난 못 느껴 Pain (Talk down to me but I won’t feel the pain).’ I think it shows the stronger version of EVNNE we’ve become after enduring and overcoming many challenges.”
“STAY” leans into hyper pop elements with an important message at its center. What inspired the meaning behind this b-side? Why did you feel this was the best track to pair alongside the title track?
MUN JUNGHYUN: “‘STAY’ was included on the album because, while it also presents EVNNE’s new direction, it shows another side of that direction. If the title track delivers a powerful message through a more hip-hop style, ‘STAY’ highlights the brighter and more energetic side of our members. Through this song, we wanted to deliver the message that we’ll continue preparing fun music and exciting performances like this in the future, so we hope everyone looks forward to what’s next from us.”
What was it like working with one another on the lyrics for both “Backtalk” and “STAY?”
PARK HANBIN: “This was actually the first time all of us worked together on writing lyrics, so it felt very fresh and new. Especially for me and MUN JUNGHYUN, it was also our first time being officially credited as lyricists on an album, so at first we kept wondering whether we were doing things right. But through our lyric-writing sessions and by reviewing each other’s work, I think we were able to create and finalize great lyrics and songs together. It was also meaningful because while writing the lyrics, we were able to reflect once again on EVNNE’s story so far and deeply solidify our determination for this new chapter of EVNNE.”
Do you all have similar methods of brainstorming and songwriting, or was it more of an individual process at first?
KEITA: “For this album, we held lyric-writing sessions where each member would work on lyrics individually, then share ideas and feedback whenever needed. After gathering all the members’ lyrics together, I would record the guide version, and then we’d listen to it together and continue revising things from there. In general, we usually handle the first stage of the process individually, like finding references and writing lyric drafts, and then come together afterward to combine our ideas and shape everything into a unified direction.”
How do these tracks set up your new, bright future?
LEE JEONGHYEON: “Beyond EVNNE’s musical direction, which we introduced through this album, I also hope people pay attention to the message that we plan to become even more deeply involved in the album-making process moving forward and continue creating music that truly represents us. Since all of us participated in this album, we genuinely had so much fun preparing for this comeback, and I think we were also able to confirm each member’s sincerity and passion toward music. So I hope we shape EVNNE’s musical direction together in future albums.”
Is there anything you want to say to fans reading this right now?
KEITA: “ENNVE, thank you so much for waiting such a long time for our comeback! Starting with our new album 뱉어 (Backtalk), we’ll continue working hard on our music and return with even cooler, more EVNNE-like music more often, so please continue to give us lots of love and support! Thank you!”
