'We had a lot of feelings': BoyNextDoor's new EP brings a yearlong love story to a close

BoyNextDoor concludes its 'love story' trilogy with the release of EP 'HOW?' The album delves deeper into the crush and breakup detailed in the band's first two releases.

Boy band BoyNextDoor performs "Earth, Wind & Fire," the lead track of its second EP "HOW?" during a press showcase held Monday afternoon at the Yes24 Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul [DANIELA GONZALEZ PEREZ]

With full approval from Zico, BoyNextDoor is back to conclude its three-episode love story saga with its latest EP, “HOW?”

“Producer Zico told me that there was nothing he wanted to change and that my lyrics were good as is,” BoyNextDoor's Jaehyun, who was involved in the production of lead track “Earth, Wind & Fire,” said Monday during a press showcase at Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, ahead of the EP's 6 p.m. release.

“HOW?” comes seven months after the release of the boy band’s first EP “WHY?” and almost a year after its debut single “WHO!” to wrap up a trilogy of albums centered around “first love.”

The five members of BoyNextDoor took part in producing five out of its seven tracks, with Zico — the founder of KOZ Entertainment and singer-songwriting rapper known for countless hit tracks like “Any Song” (2020) — credited as the EP's main producer. Members Taesan and Woonhak were involved in “Amnesia” and “So let’s go see the stars,” and Jaehyun and Taehyun worked on “Dear. My Darling” while Jaehyun, Taesan and Woonhak are credited for “Earth, Wind & Fire” and “l i f e i s c o o l.” The EP also includes “OUR” — read as "oh you are” — and the English version of lead track “Earth, Wind & Fire.”

But while “HOW?” is the conclusion of BoyNextDoor's “first love” trilogy, its lyrics look not at the future, but rather at the past; they examine the stories between the band's first two releases.

“WHO!” told the story of a crush, while “WHY?” detailed a breakup that followed. “We wanted fans to wonder what happened in between the two albums,” Sungho explained.

“HOW?” aims to satiate that curiosity, at long last, by examining why the split took place.

Boy band BoyNextDoor poses for the camera during a press showcase for its second EP "HOW?" held Monday afternoon at the Yes24 Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul [KOZ ENTERTAINMENT]

Intro track “OUR” sings the fluttering feelings of a first encounter, “Amnesia” details repeated quarrels and reconciliations and “So let's go see the stars” recounts a romantic nighttime date. Lead track “Earth, Wind & Fire” comes fourth and acts as the centerpiece of the storyline, detailing a love relationship that, like the three elements, is “unpredictable and out of hand.”

The members clarified that the title is not a reference to the legendary American band of the same name, explaining that they came across the expression when thinking about “the unpredictable minds people have.”

The highlight of the lead track “Earth, Wind & Fire” comes from its rap-like verse, which members described as “self sped-up.”

“We were wondering if we could sing that part live when we first started practicing for the song,” Sungho said, explaining that the band went through countless practices to “perfectly express” the verse.

“You have to sing fast and have all the tunes just right,” Jaehyun said. “I practiced with a piano, using the piano to match my vocals tune by tune.”

The fifth track “l i f e i s c o o l” then depicts the way friends might frankly discuss life and love with each other, while “Dear. My Darling” accepts the breakup in a calm manner.

Boy band BoyNextDoor poses for the camera during a press showcase for its second EP "HOW?" held Monday afternoon at the Yes24 Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul [KOZ ENTERTAINMENT]

Despite its somber sentiment, members see that track as a positive ending. It wraps the album up with a “calm and neutral mindset,” Sungho said, while "WHY?" then shows the members getting "sad, mad and lost about love."

“It's a complex story,” the member added.

Woonhak added that the members never intended for fans to come away from the trilogy feeling sad. They, personally, are excited for their next chapter.

“We are artists who strive to express a lot of things, and as we worked on our story, we had a lot of feelings expressed in the trilogy of albums,” he said.

“We’ve pursued music that a lot of people can relate to,” Taesan added. “I’m sure BoyNextDoor’s next release will also talk about something that a lot of people can relate to.”

“I think we can relay the everyday story and feelings we feel every day,” Woonhak added.

“Just like boys living next door.”

Boy band BoyNextDoor poses for the camera during a press showcase for its second EP "HOW?" held Monday afternoon at the Yes24 Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul [KOZ ENTERTAINMENT]

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BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]