[INTERVIEW] ALL(H)OURS Discusses Latest Mini Album and Their Growth Since Debut

The Seoul Story had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with seven-member South Korean boy group ALL(H)OURS who made their first comeback with their second mini-album, [WITNESS]! Members KUNHO, YOUMIN, XAYDEN, MINJE, MASAMI, HYUNBIN, and ON:N discuss their latest mini album, songwriting process, and their personal growth since debut, among others.

Q: Congratulations on the release of [WITNESS]! Why did you choose [WITNESS] as your follow-up mini-album?

ON:N: The album WITNESS is named to signify that you’ll be able to witness our growth and potential. Our debut album conveyed our beginnings as rookies and our ambition for the future. In contrast, this album showcases our vigor in a more raw and powerful way.

Q: The intro to [WITNESS] is a purely instrumental track that incorporates House and EDM. Are there any other genres you want to explore for future releases?

KUNHO: I want to challenge myself with a band sound. One of the genres gaining spotlight in the K-pop industry is the band genre, so if we get the chance, I’d love to try it. Additionally, the members have always mentioned wanting to try a hip-hop genre song. Given our energy and potential, expressing ourselves in a more freeform way would suit the hip-hop genre, and I think it could create a powerful synergy.

Q: [WITNESS] showcases a diverse blend of sounds and genres, highlighting ALL(H)OURS’s musical versatility. Which track or genre did you enjoy working on or performing the most?

ON:N: For me, preparing the title track SHOCK was the most fun. We challenged ourselves with a new genre called Drift Phonk, rooted from the EDM scene. Exploring and researching this genre was exciting. Creating a performance for the song involved a lot of discussion about how to pull it off, making the entire process very interesting. When we perform on stage, the EDM elements allow us to truly enjoy it.
XAYDEN: For me, preparing the song Blah Blah was a lot of fun. I have mixed feelings about this song because HYUNBIN and I faced quite a few challenges while writing the rap part for the second verse. It was our first time working on the rap part, and we wanted to showcase our skills within a very short time frame—just 10 seconds. Despite the difficulty, the process of making a rap part that I truly enjoy and cherish was very fun.

Q: Is there a “PSYCHO MANTRA“ you have that helps you maintain a good mindset when performing?

KUNHO: I remind myself that I can do this and reflect on the feedback I’ve received. I also take deep breaths, which not only helps me sing better but also keeps me focused and calm.

Q: YOUMIN, ON:N and XAYDEN are in charge of choreography. Can you each describe your dance style, and will we be seeing your choreography for any songs on this album?

KUNHO: Our youngest, ON:N, has a clean and defined dance style, making him invaluable for refining details. YOUMIN, as he mentioned during his introduction, exudes energy which translates into powerful dance moves. 
YOUMIN: I also have a great core strength.
KUNHO: XAYDEN excels in capturing the right vibe for dances, guiding us to express ourselves and discover our unique styles. They know which parts suit them best and should dance at the center, where they can showcase their strengths. Please pay attention when they take the center stage. The rest of us have roles where we can shine too, so keep an eye out for our contributions as well.
ON:N: In our previous album, we choreographed a part for Wao Wao and everything for Racer. For this album, given the opportunity, I would work hard to choreograph our dances to the best of my ability.
YOUMIN: We’re confident.

Q: Is there a reason you went with such uptempo song to promote this comeback?

YOUMIN: For this comeback, we wanted to showcase our full potential and ambition. We decided that the best way to convey this to the public was through a song that excites and resonates with listeners.

Q: Given that SHOCK is a fast-paced, high-energy song, what was the most enjoyable aspect of learning its choreography?

ON:N: The most challenging part, which we would all agree on, is the dance break. After the bridge, leading up to the highlight, there are several fast-paced and energetic dance moves. It was difficult to express and execute them effectively. We practiced extensively, closely monitored our progress, and worked on enhancing our strength and energy to perform the choreography. On the other hand, the most enjoyable aspect was the paired choreography, which we had more parts compared to our previous title track, GOTCHA. Working on that was a genuinely fun experience for us.

Q: Is there any specific message that you want to show with SHOCK to your fans?

ON:N: Through SHOCK, we wanted to portray the ‘goblin’ within us. Our performance aimed to convey a sense of freedom and novelty. Vocally, since the song belongs to the exciting Drift Phonk genre, we hoped our fans would listen, get excited, and have fun together.
XAYDEN: Additionally, we convey our inner selves through the character of a ‘goblin’. By doing this, we aimed to express our potential for growth. Choosing the goblin character was an intentional decision to intensely showcase this concept.

Q: How do you want your fans to feel when they listen to SHOCK?

YOUMIN: When the music video and performance for SHOCK were finalized, I felt confident that we would be able to showcase a lot of energy on stage. I hope the fans watching our performances feel the same way too, as we put in a lot of effort and tried very hard to transfer our energy to the audience. I hope the audience feels that energy as well.

Q: Can you share any TMIs from music video filming for SHOCK?

YOUMIN: During the music video filming for SHOCK, XAYDEN had to hold a nailed apple to film a sneak peek video for PSYCHO MANTRA. The apple without the nail was left on the table, and I almost ate it, thinking it was meant for us to eat. However, when I realized it didn’t smell like an apple, so I put it down.
XAYDEN: It was an actual apple, but it was polished to make it look shinier, like they do for commercials. That is why it must have smelt like some type of chemical.

Q: Coming back so soon after your debut, what has been the biggest difference this time around, beyond showcasing a new color and discovering a new sound?

XAYDEN: For our debut, we focused on showcasing the songs and dances we had practiced so far. With our second album, based on our prior experience, we learned the importance of even the smallest facial expressions on stage. We paid attention to how we would be portrayed through the lens of the camera and made sure not to show our fatigue while performing strenuous choreography. I think these are areas where we’ve grown.
YOUMIN: I personally think that to pull off the song SHOCK, a certain level of muscle mass was needed. So all the members worked out diligently not only to lose weight but also to build physical strength and power.

Q: Has there been a specific moment or hour in your life so far that you found to be the most memorable?

HYUNBIN: Personally, the time before our debut is particularly memorable to me. With our common goal right in front of us, we practiced intensely, often getting very little sleep.
MASAMI: For me, it’s quite similar. It was during our debut showcase that the reality of our debut truly hit me.
XAYDEN: During the showcase, when we met our fans for the first time.

Q: Was there a moment during the creation of the mini-album that you discovered something new about yourself?

MASAMI: I consider myself introverted, but interacting with fans has revealed an extroverted side of me I didn’t know before—I’m not as timid as I thought.
KUNHO: I’m not the most extroverted person, but performing SHOCK on stage has shown me that I can project powerful facial expressions and presence.

Q: You gained much confidence and trust as a group since your debut. How do you boost yourselves while preparing for your comeback?

YOUMIN: After our debut, the biggest thing we felt was immense gratitude to our fans, Min(ut)e. Thanks to them, we were able to work hard without getting tired. Even when we felt exhausted, their support gave us the strength to stand back up to deliver the best of our performances.
ON:N: As we gained experience from our debut album, we engaged in extensive discussions and practice sessions to achieve harmony and unison.

Q: Looking ahead, what is the next milestone that you individually want to achieve?

MASAMI: As I’m Japanese, I’d like to perform in my hometown. I want to perform at a large venue like Tokyo Dome and show my parents our stage. I want to make them proud.
MINJE: I also want to go on a world tour. I understand that the way people cheer varies by country, and I want to experience that in person.
ON:N: As for me, I’d like to win first place on a music show. When we appear on music shows and see other senior artists win, I imagine what it would feel like if we received the award. I know it would be a great honor. Additionally, the Rookie of the Year award is something you can only receive once in your career, so it is a milestone I’d like to achieve.

Q: What’s a typical day for you like when you are not promoting?

KUNHO: We spend our time working on the basics to improve our performance on stage. For instance, for dancing, we practice isolation, bouncing, and getting the group choreography perfectly in sync. As for vocals, we practice singing individually to improve our vocalization, and we do the same for rapping. Overall, we focus on writing music and practicing singing to broaden our musical horizons.

Q: Which member would you like to bring with you if you were to live in an empty island?

XAYDEN: To begin with, I would choose YOUMIN because he is energetic and strong. I believe he would be very valuable on the island.
KUNHO: I choose HYUNBIN because he does a lot of things that I ask him for, so he can come in handy.
YOUMIN: I choose XAYDEN because he is strong and smart. He’ll be great at maintaining the island, and I feel like we’ll do well together.
ON:N: I also choose XAYDEN because he is strong and smart. I think we can find synergy on the island.
HYUNBIN: I choose KUNHO because he is the oldest member of the team so I think he will be wise in responding to emergencies.
MINJE: I choose HYUNBIN because the island will be boring so I would take the funniest member with me.
MASAMI: I choose MINJE because I think he will make innovative choices.
KUNHO: To elaborate what MASAMI means, he believes MINJE would surely survive by making creative and unique choices, no matter what obstacles he faces.

Q: Who is the tidiest and the messiest member in the dorm?

ON:N: I think the tidiest member is YOUMIN or KUNHO. They always clean after us, just like our parents would do for us. As for the messiest member…
KUNHO: Let me step in. The messiest member are MINJE and XAYDEN because they are the last ones to take the clean laundry back to their rooms, and their rooms are full of mysteries. I would just leave it at that.

Q: Is there a message that you’d like to leave for your fans?

YOUMIN: I always express to our fans how grateful we are for their love and support, and we strive to reciprocate that love through our performances on stage. As we move forward, we will draw energy from your support during the promotion of SHOCK and in all our future activities. We promise to keep evolving and showing you even better versions of ourselves. We love you all!
KUNHO: To our fans abroad, we will engage with you through various media and create diverse video content. Please continue to send us your love and support.

About ALL(H)OURS

ALL(H)OURS is a South Korean boy group under EDEN Entertainment, founded by Cho Hae-sung, the former vice president of JYP Entertainment, who managed groups such as Stray Kids, TWICE, and ITZY. They debuted on January 10th, 2024 with their first mini-album, ALL OURS. The group comprises seven members: KUNHO, YOUMIN, XAYDEN, MINJE, MASAMI, HYUNBIN, and ON:N. The group name, ALL(H)OURS, is a play on the phrases “all ours” and “all hours” which represents the group’s commitment to always give their all in everything they do.

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The Seoul Story would like to thank EDEN Entertainment and ALL(H)OURS for the interview opportunity.

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