Real Sound interviewed H1-KEY while they were in Japan during promotions! Read the interview below (translated by Google).
In the past few years, K-pop has often been at the forefront of trendsetter artists who predict “what’s next.” On the other hand, artists who value the basics, such as beautiful melody lines, emotional vocals, and messages in their songs, have also gained immense support. H1-KEY is a talented four-member group of women known as the representative of the latter, and debuted in Korea in January 2022. With a string of hit songs such as “Time to Shine” and “SEOUL (Such a Beautiful City),” including “Rose Blossom,” which became popular by word of mouth, she gained an unshakable position in the world of strong girl groups. Now that his third mini-album “LOVE or HATE” released in June this year has been well received, and he continues to travel around Japan and abroad, what are his thoughts and what will he stand on stage? The girls, who came to Japan this summer to participate in the event, revealed their honest feelings in a solo interview. (Takuo Matsumoto)
Memories made with fans in Japan
——This is your second visit to Japan as a group. What is your impression of Japan?
SEOI: I’ve always loved Japan, and I’ve always thought that Japan’s sensibilities would suit me. This time, thanks to moving around in my free time, I was able to enjoy Japan in my own way.
——Where did you go sightseeing?
SEOI: I went around Ginza, Shibuya, and Shinjuku with the members and staff. I also wanted to go to Harajuku…… I definitely want to go next time!
HWISEO: In my case, I’ve been to Japan several times in the past. Every time I come to Japan, I go there in between work. And checking out things that can only be bought in Japan and eating a lot of delicious food is very healing.
YEL: Actually, I prefer to stay at home rather than go out (laughs). It’s better to rumble indoors, so I stayed in hotels most of the time in Japan. And I was enjoying the desserts I bought at a convenience store in Japan. I was able to heal well with delicious food (laughs).
RIINA: (in fluent Japanese) I’ve been to Japan many times since I was a child. I like the atmosphere of Japan because it suits me well. The last time I visited Tokyo, I couldn’t do any sightseeing at all, but this time I had a little time, so I was able to go to various places. After all, Tokyo is gorgeous. It’s stylish.
——You speak Japanese very well. Were you self-taught?
RIINA: I was taught by a specialist teacher in Korea. I was also planning to work in Japan. That’s why I studied hard while referring to Japan radio and TV programs.
——What kind of impression did you have when you actually interacted with Japan fans?
HWISEO: All the fans in Japan are very friendly to us, and we were really happy to see the reaction.
RIINA: It was my first time to participate in a music festival in Japan (XD World Music Festival presented by Yogibo held on July 27th and 28th), so I practiced hard to show that I wasn’t embarrassed. When I got on stage, the reaction of the people who gathered at the venue was very good. My worries were quickly blown away. We were also excited and able to have fun…… I was able to say the Japanese I had prepared properly, and I was happy to be able to convey it.
——You made your debut in Korea in January 2022.
SEOI: Before we started as H1-KEY, each of us worked hard as trainees to make our debut as singers. The original members are me, RIINA, and YEL. Later, HWISEO merged to form the current formation. For a while after my debut, I was active while appealing to my healthy visuals, but after joining HWISEO, I decided to show my healthy beauty internally as well. Perhaps because of the change in concept, the number of people who love the songs we sing has increased steadily. From there, we are constantly releasing mini-albums and trying to create our own unique colors. I think “Rose Blossom” was the first time that such an attempt was able to produce good results.
——Released in January 2023, “Rose Blossom” has spread in popularity through word of mouth and has risen to the top of the hit charts over time. In the end, it became one of the most representative songs of the year. What do you think was the reason why it was loved by so many listeners?
YEL: The lyrics of this song are about people who persist and never give up on their dreams. I felt that it was similar to the situation we were in, so I was able to empathize with the world of the song in the recording. However, I think it is a theme that applies not only to us, but also to all people living in this world. Even though each of them has different problems, I think it has been a hit for a long time because it is interspersed with words and expressions that empathize with and heal.
Why we are always challenging ourselves to come up with new colors?
——”Rose Blossom” attracted attention for its girl-crush charm and message, but recently it has also been highly praised for its sound. I feel that they are steadily growing with a variety of music such as “Time to Shine” by New Jack Swing, retro synth-pop “SEOUL (Such a Beautiful City)”, and laid-back guitar pop “Deeper”. I think the fact that we don’t stay in the same style is one of the great attractions of the group, but what do you think?
HWISEO: Thanks to the success of “Rose Blossom,” we became a beloved presence for many people, but we wanted to make it clear that we could respond to a variety of concepts other than the feelings we wanted to convey and the style we wanted to show with that song. We wanted people to know that the possibilities are endless, so we changed the colors of the album’s lead tracks and singles every time we put them out.
——Any sound color is welcome, and sales are going well. I think that’s the best thing about it.
HWISEO: We’ve delivered a lot of different types of songs to our listeners, and we’re also inspired by them. That’s why I always sing, thinking, “I would be happy if the power we received through this music could be conveyed to the listeners.”
YEL: The four of us always love to take on challenges.
——Your third mini-album “LOVE or HATE” was released in June this year, and it has been very well received. What kind of concept was the work based on?
SEOI: Most of our songs in the past have been positive and energizing to our listeners. With “LOVE or HATE,” I wanted to challenge myself to express myself in a more straightforward way without changing much from my conventional image. “Let It Burn,” the lead track of the mini-album, is straightforward with no changes in lyrics or choreography. I wanted everyone’s feelings to be refreshed by the performance of this song. There are many other songs to listen to. There are phrases that come out quickly, there is a relaxing singing voice, and there is a rhythm that makes you want to dance, so there is something for everyone!
——In “♥ Letter,” all the members of the song participated in the lyrics. The lyrics are like a love story, and it also feels like a story that is close to the listener. What did you want to convey with this song?
HWISEO: FOR THIS SONG, WE PREPARED A LETTER WE WROTE TO THE OTHER MEMBERS AND A LETTER TO H1-KEY. What do we think of each other, such as how good it is to be here, and what we want to do as a team? Based on the comments freely written by the four of us, we created “♥ Letter”. I think it’s better to say that this song is a work that reveals our private side.
YEL: Some of you in M1-KEY (a collective term for Mikey/fans) may listen to this song and think, “Maybe I’m talking to myself.” I’m a little sorry for those people (laughs). If we have the opportunity to make music again, we would like to write a song that conveys our feelings for M1-KEY.
——Speaking of music production, “LOVE or HATE” features artists from famous Korean teams such as MonoTree and Sweetune. As a result, I think the album has a variety of sounds. It must have been very difficult from a technical point of view to change the way you sang depending on the sound.
RIINA: It was definitely difficult. However, it was a meaningful experience for us as we learned a lot. I think the time we spent working with various composers during the recording process to think about what would be better, what kind of voice would look good, and what kind of expression would be appropriate was important in the process of our growth.
