[Herald Interview] Evnne shows off vulnerabilities as 'rascals' in 'Un: SEEN’

Evnne (Jellyfish Entertainment)

Behind every stage beaming with blinding lights are hours spent in the dark, getting ready for that moment in the limelight.

The road to debuting as a K-pop artist is likewise a difficult and exacting one. It is a journey that Evnne sings about in its second EP, “Un: SEEN,” released Monday.

“We tried to talk about our hidden scars in this album. Such scars represent the difficult journey we’ve been through trying to debut as a K-pop act. As you know, our group consists of those who failed to make it to the top nine on Mnet’s K-pop idol survival program, ‘Boys Planet.’ But in the end, the process made us stronger and we are so thankful for having debuted as Evnne,” said member Ji Yun-seo during a group interview with local reporters in Seoul on Thursday.

The seven-member group debuted with under the concept of being "little rascals" in September with its first EP, “Target: ME.”

In its second release, the group tried to show its vulnerabilities, which are hidden behind the tough and confident troublemaker image.

“The lead track, ‘Ugly,’ has the characteristics of tech house and R&B composed with strong beats that accentuate our rascal image. In the music video, you can see that we show off our scars for the first time which makes us look ‘ugly.’ But we love that part of ourselves, which makes us confident little rascals,” said Ji Yun-seo.

“The song was meant to be ours because most of our members are rappers and this song has lots of hip-hop sources. Plus, the chorus is perfect for showing off our dance skills.”

Evnne's members have grown as musicians, with members Keita, Ji Yun-seo, Yoo Seung-eon and Lee Jeong-hyun all taking part in composing and writing the lyrics to three of the album's five songs.

“We are all devoted to studying composition," said Yoo Seung-eon, adding that composing and writing lyrics helps to add the group's unique musical identity to the album.

The group has also tried to diversify the style of its performances for the new release.

“'Ugly’ also has a fast tempo, just like our previous lead track, ‘Trouble.’ But the choreography has both soft and powerful moves, which makes the performance more flavorful,” said member Park Han-bin.

The rookies hope their album lands on major music charts, including Billboard, Spotify and Melon.

“We hope our music can stay on listeners’ playlists for a long time. Until then, we will do our best to make our names known, so when people hear our music playing, they will immediately know it's Evnne’s song,” said Lee Jeong-hyun.

By Hong Yoo(yoohong@heraldcorp.com)