True to its name, Boynextdoor presents cheeky, relatable teen stories

From left: Boynextdoor members Taesan, Sungho, Jaehyun, Leehan, Riwoo and Woonhak pose for a photo during a press conference held at the Blue Square Mastercard Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Monday. (Kwon Min-seo/The Korea Herald)

Boynextdoor is back, and they have brought their life stories with them.

Speaking at a press conference held at Blue Square Mastercard Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Monday, to mark the release of “19.99,” the group's third mini-album, the group emphasized that they put a lot of effort into incorporating stories that everyone can relate to, as well as their personal stories.

“In the past, we sang about things we imagined or stories of others, but this time, we’ve infused the album with our own autobiographical stories,” said Leehan.

The group is the first to be formed by KOZ Entertainment, founded by Zico, the leader of veteran boy group Block B and a music producer.

The title of the album, “19.99,” represents the age just before turning 20, capturing the expectations, worries, and concerns of the six members who stand on the boundary between youth and adulthood. The youngest member, Woonhak, is 19 years old, while the oldest members, Sungho, Riwoo, and Jaehyun, are 21 years old.

The title track, “Nice Guy,” is an easy-listening song that embodies the confidence of teenagers who want to look cool. “It's a catchy song that even those who don’t know us will enjoy.

The sing-along section in the latter part will get listeners to join in,” said Riwoo.

“Dangerous,” a hip-hop track that contrasts with the title track, was pre-released Sept. 2. The song depicts mischievous kids who secretly engage in small acts of rebellion behind their parents' backs.

Leader Jaehyun mentioned that he wrote the lyrics after visiting the playground and school where he attended, reflecting on what he thought back then. Taesan shared that the lyrics for the song “Call Me” include words from a letter of encouragement from his father.

“We included even an unpolished side of us to make this album more relatable. For example, in ‘Nice Guy,’ we included the childish lyric ‘Seoul is mine tonight,’ and in ‘Dangerous,’ we added the line ‘I’ll go just after 10 more minutes,’ which is something anyone might have said to their parents at some point,” Jaehyun further explained.

The music video includes a stunt where the group had to be suspended by wires.

“There's a scene where we fall through an apartment floor and dance with the downstairs neighbors. It was our first time shooting a scene where we had to fall while harnessed, and it felt like being a hero in a movie,” Woonhak said

Sungho described the group’s music style as “everyday relatable,” promising to continue delivering music that is close to life and resonates with fans.

By Lee Jung-youn(jy@heraldcorp.com)