WEi concludes "Love" trilogy with refreshing vibe

Boy band WEi is back with a message of consolation for today’s youths wrapped in a bright summer melody. The sextet will drop its sixth EP “Love Pt.3 : Eternally” on Thursday at 6 p.m, concluding its “Love” trilogy that debuted in March last ...

WEi's concept photos for "Love Pt.3 : Eternally" [OUI ENTERTAINMENT]

Boy band WEi is back with a message of consolation for today’s youths wrapped in a bright summer melody.

The sextet will drop its sixth EP “Love Pt.3 : Eternally” on Thursday at 6 p.m., concluding its “Love” trilogy that debuted in March last year.

“This is the final part of the ‘Love’ series, in which we realize a slightly different form of love from what we sang about in the past two EPs,” said member Seokhwa during a press interview on June 22. The members sat down in a cafe in southern Seoul’s Gangnam District to share the creative process behind the new EP.

“It’s more about the love we should give ourselves, rather than the love we give to others, which is what we usually sing about,” he continued. “We tried to express our uniqueness to the fullest through this album, and collaborated with many artists.”

The new lead track “Overdrive” is a breezy, melodic number about embarking on a journey at full speed. The tune is a stark contrast from WEi’s previous lead track “Spray,” released last October, which was a powerful and darker-toned track about passion. After singing about puppy love in 2022’s “Love Pt.1 : First Love” and “Love Pt.2 : Passion,” the band is back with a message that loving oneself can be the truest eternal form of love.

“I believe people our age have a lot of thoughts and worries,” said 24-year-old member Donghan, explaining how WEi wanted to comfort young listeners through “Overdrive.” “During the recording session and performance planning, we pondered how to weave that consolation into the music and lyrics.”

“'Overdrive’ might sound like it’s simply about a summer escape, but the journey is ultimately about finding and loving oneself,” Seokhwa added.

To match the youth anthem, the members shot the music video for “Overdrive” in the Philippines’ Cebu.

WEi's concept photos for "Love Pt.3 : Eternally" [OUI ENTERTAINMENT]

“We got great scenes of the sea, which cools you down just by looking at it,” Junseo said. “The video is full of breezy scenes of us on a yacht, which also fits the song’s theme about getting away for an adventure. All of us singing together in sailor uniforms is the highlight in my opinion.”

“If you look carefully, you can spot me being constantly seasick in the background,” Donghan laughed. “I get really seasick, so I barely remember any moments from filming the yacht scenes.”

As he has done for many of WEi’s previous works, the group’s eldest member and leader Daehyeon participated in the new EP’s production process.

“When I started writing, I went in with the thought that every single person has some kind of worry,” Daehyeon said. “So the very first verse starts with, ‘Don’t be afraid.’ I wanted to convey us saying, ‘Take my hand, let’s go away somewhere together. It’s going to be alright,’ sung over sounds that are comfortable to the ear.”

“I always write songs imagining which specific members are going to sing that part,” he continued. “This part could use Yongha and Junseo’s pretty falsetto voices, then Yohan could take over the chorus; I love Seokhwa’s voice for this part and Donghan’s powerful tone for that part… If I write a hundred songs, for example, I don’t write them all for WEi, but I always envision us performing all of them.”

“And I’m always satisfied with what Daehyeon comes up with for us,” Yohan said.

WEi's concept photos for "Love Pt.3 : Eternally" [OUI ENTERTAINMENT]

“Same here,” Junseo added. “I also think about what lines should go to who, in the larger scheme of things for the team. Sometimes there are lines I want to take, but I consider it objectively and conclude that another member could do this better for WEi as a whole. Then I let go of that line without any hesitation. I consider myself ambitious, but only within the position that I can be best in. All of us have very clear positions within the band.”

The EP’s four other tracks were produced by an “Avengers” team of well-known K-pop composers, including Monotree, Moon Hanmiru, R&B singer Ra.D and Lim Hyun-sik of boy band BTOB.

“We wondered what would sound appealing to the public, so we selected the tracks through a blind-test sort of process,” said Yongha.

“Even we were surprised to see afterward that the songs came from such a formidable lineup of artists. That’s why we’re especially confident this time about the quality of our work.”

Members of WEi also changed aspects of their appearances to best express the EP’s bright theme: Daeheyon dyed his hair bright red, Donghan in pastel mint, and Seokhwa in light pink. The three members usually enjoy more lavish fashion choices, while the others sported black hair with less lavish clothing that best suited them. Yongha is one of the latter.

“As you can see, my vibe as a person doesn’t suit the bright, refreshing concept that well,” said Yongha. “Every time we did refreshing concepts, fans would joke that Yongha is ‘pretending’ to feel refreshed. But this time, I tried to put on a more genuine smile. I even practiced smiling naturally.”

“He still has a long way to go,” Donghan said. “But we love Yongha for who he is.”

“We would like to win a No. 1 on a TV music show with ‘Overdrive,’ and making it onto the Billboard charts one day is always a big dream for me, like a star I want to reach someday,” Daehyeon said, wrapping up the interview. “But most of all, I want people to hear our songs somewhere and think, ‘I don’t know who sang this, but this song is so good.’ It's even better if they look us up afterwards that and get to know us.”

WEi's concept photos for "Love Pt.3 : Eternally" [OUI ENTERTAINMENT]

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]