[INTERVIEW] Cravity encourages fans to shoot for the stars in 'Sun Seeker'

Just like any other K-pop act out there, boy band Cravity hopes their message will resonate with fans. In Cravity’s new album “Sun Seeker,” members say there are a number of things that young people will be able to relate to.

Boy band Cravity to drop its sixth EP ″Sun Seeker″ on Monday [STARSHIP ENTERTAINMENT]

Just like any other K-pop act out there, boy band Cravity hopes their message will resonate with fans. In Cravity’s new album “Sun Seeker,” members say there are a number of things that young people will be able to relate to.

“Sun Seeker,” which drops today at 6 p.m., is the band’s sixth EP and latest since its last EP "Master : Piece" came out in March.

With the new six-track EP, Cravity aims to give young people sweet solace in “Cheese” and the energy to shoot for the stars in “Ready or Not” — the two lead tracks of the album.

“We debuted right at the beginning of Covid-19, so we feel that our growth as a group is very much in line with the growth of young people,” Wonjin said in an interview with the local press on Thursday at the headquarters of the band’s agency, Starship Entertainment, in southern Seoul, ahead of the release of the album on Monday.

The band debuted in April 2020 when social distancing guidelines were being strictly enforced around the world. Thursday’s interview was members' first face-to-face encounter with reporters, also due to the pandemic. The group consists of members Serim, Woobin, Hyeongjun, Allen, Wonjin, Taeyoung, Jungmo, Minhee and Seongmin.

Boy band Cravity [STARSHIP ENTERTAINMENT]

“It’s as if we ourselves are the youth, which is why I think it’s easier for us to approach our music and relate to it,” Wonjin said.

“Cheese” and “Ready or Not” are both dance tracks, but the former is more casual and easy-going while the latter is more representative of Cravity’s upbeat energy that it has been emphasizing since its debut. Cravity’s popular songs so far include “Party Rock” (2022), “Ready Set Go” and “Groovy.”

“We wanted both to be lead tracks because easy-listening songs are the thing these days, but we also wanted people to see our performative skills, too,” Taeyoung said. “We hope this is a chance for people to see new sides of us.”

One challenge the members had while preparing “Sun Seeker” was that the album had to be made while the band was on its first-ever world tour titled “Masterpiece,” which started last May. So far, it has performed in Japan, the United States, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines. It is set to finish with a performance in Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct. 28.

Boy band Cravity puts on a performance during the KCON music and culture festival held in Los Angeles last month [CJ ENM]

“It was hard going through both the tour and the album, but we pushed through because Luvity was always there supporting us,” Serim said, mentioning the band’s official fan club name, Luvity.

“I took part in writing the lyrics for the songs, and it was a different kind of experience having to do it overseas. I was inspired a lot on the airplane, because I had nothing else to do and I could concentrate on the words that I wanted to use for the lyrics. I think that allowed me to focus on the things I wanted to say and make them come to life.”

The message of “Ready or Not,” and ultimately the “Sun Seeker” album, is for people to just do what they want, whether they think they’re ready or not. The sun symbolizes the dreams, goals and ordeals that come with an aspiration, and shows that it needs to be sought after despite all the hardships that are bound to follow.

“We as a group always sing of youth,” Allen said. “And when you think youth, you think of the words pain, dream and hope. We’re sending a message to cheer on the young people in ‘Ready or Not,’ to not fear and give it a shot. It’s an ode to our youth and to Luvity.”

Boy band Cravity [STARSHIP ENTERTAINMENT]

Being on their very first tour has given members the chance to truly improve their performance skills, they said. The band held its first in-person concert in April 2022, two years after its debut.

“We read letters from fans not only in Korea but also overseas, telling us that they’re waiting for us and always cheering for us,” Serim said. “We’ve always thought that we wanted to hold a tour, and it felt so great to be able to experience everything and see them in person. I hope we get to see them more often.”

“I really can’t forget the look on fans’ faces at the first performance of our tour,” Wonjin said. “I felt the exact same thing when I saw the fans for the first time at a TV music show when social distancing guidelines were loosened. They gave me this indescribable sense of fulfillment, the answer to all the choices I’ve made. I felt like all the hardships were being paid off, and that really gave me a reason to keep going.”

Boy band Cravity [STARSHIP ENTERTAINMENT]

Cravity has been seeing steady growth with its music sales and sold 192,000 copies of its last album within the first week of its release, the highest ever for the group. Competition is definitely tough, especially among the so-called fourth-generation K-pop idols — as the profession is referred to in Korea — that debuted after 2019, and the members are eager to stand out in any way they can.

“Idols can no longer become famous just for being a good singer or a dancer,” Woobin said. “You have to make a lot of effort in other areas, so we’re trying to go on as many entertainment shows as possible, create new content and communicate with fans in the online space. I think it’s important to be just as good off the stage as we are on the stage.”

When asked to choose one word to describe Cravity to people who do not know them yet, member Seongmin chose “dream.”

“The message that we want to send with this album is to follow your dream,” he said. “We will be your supporters, so please take the leap. I hope people find the courage they need with us and try anything whether they’re ‘Ready or Not,’ just like our song.”

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]