TEMPEST, a seven-member boy group under Yuehua Entertainment, made its first appearance as a group in the K-Pop scene on March 2, 2022, with the release of their debut mini-album, 'It's ME, It's WE.'

Consisting of the all-rounded and good-looking members HYEONGSEOP, HYUK, TAERAE, EUNCHAN, LEW, HANBIN, and HWARANG, the septet immediately caught the public with the bright pop song "Bad News," a song that contains TEMPEST's desire to conquer the K-pop industry, drawing a bright, illustrious road ahead of them. 

Having been in the music industry for about only seven months, the boys of TEMPEST have already shown huge potential, and they are about to sweep the music industry like a strong storm as they confidently climb all the way to the top. Combined with the members' astounding dance skills, strong vocal prowess, their visuals that can't stop shining, TEMPEST is a group that is worth anticipating each comeback.

The theme of "light," which does not change over time and contains the energy and emotion of endless youth, appears on TEMPEST's second mini-album, "SHINING UP," which sings the love and hope that bloomed in the summer. Unlike the group's debut album, which displayed raw passion and charisma, this album is expected to reveal TEMPEST's color and concept by presenting the group's "Boyhood" and "Maturity" at the same time.

The title track, "Can't Stop Shining," is a refreshing dance-pop song with an impressive rhythmical sound, and it contains the passion and freshness of boys who have just entered the world. Furthermore, the songs "Young & Wild," which unravels TEMPEST's young and rough energy on an intense beat, "Only One Day," which expresses the boy running toward love, and "START UP," which has a funky sound and groove that will mesmerize listeners, are combined in a variety of ways and enhanced the album's musical perfection.

allkpop caught up with TEMPEST to talk about their newest album, 'Shining Up,' share about the fun moments while preparing for the album and the tracks they recommend from the record, and more! Keep reading to know more about the boys of TEMPEST!

allkpop: Congratulations on the release of your new album, 'Shining Up'! This marks your first comeback. What do you consider to be the best aspect of working in the industry and being a member of TEMPEST so far? Is there anything you've realized since becoming an idol?

HANBIN: Being able to meet fans is the best aspect. Especially during this album, many fans came to see us when we performed on broadcasts and concerts. It felt very good to face and hear our fans cheering for us.

HYEONGSEOP: The best part is that we have fans who sincerely love and support us, and we are able to meet them in real life. Also, I realized that I have a more diverse appearance than I thought, and since I have endless potential, I can grow on any path I take.

HYUK: The best thing is that we have fans who love me and TEMPEST! Thanks to our fans, we are motivated and empowered and therefore are becoming a driving force to be able to work happily. Also, since becoming an idol, I realized the power that comes from the support of our fans is bigger and stronger.

EUNCHAN: Performing directly in front of our fans while promoting our second album and holding a fan meeting in person was the best. What I realized is that many people support us. Thank you so much.

LEW: For the first time since our first comeback, we enjoyed the stage with iE, and I think this moment was the happiest and most enjoyable! It felt like I was rewarded for our hard work, and I felt like I was building precious memories one by one while working with iE.

HWARANG: I was sad that we couldn't enjoy our debut stage with fans. But, after coming back, it felt good to enjoy the music while individually sharing our emotions with many people. It’s been a while since I was a trainee, but since it’s my first debut, I have realized there is a lot I need to know.

TAERAE: The happiest moment was when we could meet the fans who love TEMPEST. We gain energy when meeting fans and also get charged up. Another thing is that I could meet the seniors I always respect, and all this makes me realize I have to keep improving myself.

allkpop: What inspired you to name the album "Shining Up"? Could you please share the message your group wants to send to everyone who is and will be listening to the album?

HANBIN: I want to spread positive energy with fans who listen to TEMPEST music. This album has diverse tracks that are tender, appealing, bright, and strong. Through this album, I wanted to show TEMPEST’s bright side to everyone.

HYEONGSEOP: This album contains the message that is TEMPEST’s brightest moment, and it will keep shining. At the start of light, there are members and fans. Every listener, including us, has an indelible light inside. We are young and have infinite possibilities.

LEW: It contains the message that the shiniest moment is now! We all shine now, and nobody can stop us! We are the youth! I hope everyone who listens to our song has a splendor moment!

HWARANG: As TEMPEST is a hyperrealism group, we have a distinct feature that tells our story. We want to spread the message to chase light and fly high!

TAERAE: This album, “Shining UP,” is motivated by “light, time, flower.” We will keep shining and glowing.

allkpop: Did you feel any pressure while preparing to release this record, as this marked your first comeback? What were your thoughts like as you prepared for this album?

HANBIN: We were concerned about portraying TEMPEST’s bright maturity. We practiced a lot for this comeback. We were excited, happy, and nervous because we really wanted to meet our fans, and copious emotions crossed our minds.

HYEONGSEOP: Because music lasts forever, I felt pressure while preparing this album. I tried to put emotions into music to match the song concept and reflect that in the recording session.

HYUK: We practiced and worked harder than on the first album to show better performance and song. But just as much as the first comeback, I believed the fans would like it, so we practiced happily.

EUNCHAN: During the recording, I worried about whether I could perform my part well. However, despite the slightly disappointing part and the part where various clips were recorded to save the music, it was fun. Next time I’m sure I could make a better result.

LEW: The most focused point of this album for me was maturity. We took immense consideration of the details about a boy’s growth and maturation to authentically carry messages into song, from vibes to facial expressions.

HWARANG: I was concerned about filling my missing part and tried putting our story into music for listeners through our debut album. We tried to put our emotions fully in every measure. Also, the song was about our story, so it was funnier than I thought.

TAERAE: In preparing for this album, we wanted to show a better appearance than that of the debut album, so we practiced a lot.

allkpop: Could you please tell us the album's creative process? What was your overall experience of the album-making process?

HANBIN: We wanted this album to emphasize three keywords: “flower,” “light,” and “time,” so we discussed how we express it in this album.

HYEONGSEOP: We are sharing and discussing our opinion with the company about the concept, genre, and style we want to challenge. When we imagined our image, we thought the refresh concept would be the concept that makes everyone cool and joyful, so we shared our opinion with the company for this summer promotion.

HYUK: There were hard parts and parts where it was easily resolved. I just want to say I worked hard and did my best every second.

EUNCHAN: When other members wrote and showed us the lyrics, I thought there were many good parts, and I thought it was cool. So, It made me think about trying songwriting, which is a positive influence.

LEW: Producing an album is fun every time. I am constantly discovering myself, challenging new things, and working hard. While getting more work with the new album, I think I will grow and develop myself.

HWARANG: Storytelling is simple, but I was concerned about how to carry it on. I tried mixing up metaphorical and outspoken expressions to sympathize with my story.

TAERAE: I learned again that producing an album isn’t easy.

allkpop: Are there any memorable behind-the-scenes stories from the recording of the tracks and music video shoot for "Can't Stop Shining"?

HANBIN: The scene we filmed on the beach! It had been a while since I had been to the beach. We filmed “Can’t Stop Shining” on the beach from dawn to sunset. I was so happy and was left with a good experience and memory of filming.

HYEONGSEOP: During the music video filming, we devoted so much to this album during the four days we spent. The dancing scene on the beach mostly remained in my mind. It was awkward and challenging because it was our first time dancing on the sands, but we adjusted quickly and made the visual and performance for the video in the best condition.

HYUK: There were many flowers in the group choreography set. A few flowers fell when we started dancing, and HWARANG caught those flowers in incredible timing without notice. I still remember that moment everyone laughed.

EUNCHAN: In the music video choreography scene, paper flowers were falling. I remember the flowers falling into my mouth, and I just swallowed them while dancing. (laughs)

LEW: We went to the beach to film a music video, which was beautiful. The sky was clear, the wind breeze was so cool, and birds flew so briskly! However, during our break, HANBIN threw snacks at the birds because they were cute, which made the birds gather, so we had to slightly move and step aside from the birds to film.

HWARANG: During the scene, we choreographed for the chorus part in the studio, the flowers kept falling on my head and were most memorable. I danced while kicking them out to avoid fallen flowers captured on camera.

TAERAE: Filming a music video for a long time exhausted me, but I listened to cheerful music to keep it up.

allkpop: What was the most difficult track to record for you out of all the tracks on the album?

HANBIN: In my opinion, it was “Only One Day.” It’s my favorite B-side track. It was a little hard to record because the substantial emotional necessity of the song required singing ability. But the result was pretty satisfying.

HYEONGSEOP: It’s “Only One Day.” It is a mellow and calm R&B song that differs from the funky dance music I have practiced while a trainee. I practiced a lot to make listeners feel relaxed and calm rather than excited.

HYUK: It’s “Young & Wild.” The high pitches were hard to reproduce.

EUNCHAN: It is “Only One Day.” Because I had to put considerable detail into the emotions for a better record, I paid closer attention to the recording process.

LEW: The most challenging track was “Only One Day” because it was a difficult song to control my emotions. It is supposed to be sung with feelings between sadness and happiness, so it was challenging to put this specific emotion into the song.

HWARANG: Since “Only One Day” is the song for iE, I spent a long time debating and kept writing and rewriting the lyrics.

TAERAE: “Only One Day” was the most challenging song. The reason is that expressing the meaning in lyrics was complicated.

allkpop: Which song from 'Shining Up' would you recommend the most to anyone who will listen to the album? And, what is your favorite track, and why?

HANBIN: I highly recommend “Young & Wild” and “START UP.” I believe these two songs will make you brighter and happier with the new style! Whenever I listen to them, I feel like I’m recharged. My favorite B-side track is “Only One Day.” As I mentioned in the last answer, this song contains various emotions, and you can keep listening to the song without feeling tired.

HYEONGSEOP: My recommendation and favorite are the same. It’s “Young & Wild.” The song’s vibe is challenging, limitless, and fearless, which expresses liberty and TEMPEST well. Also, all members said, “This is definitely the one,” when we first listened to the song.

HYUK: My bias and recommended songs are “Only One Day” and “Young & Wild.” I can recommend them because these songs are classy and beautiful, and I worked hard to record and practiced a lot.

EUNCHAN: I recommend “START UP.” This is my favorite B-side track. The reason is that the funky sound and upbeat melody make you energetic, which makes it a perfect fit during a workout, drive, and stroll. So I recommend this.

LEW: My recommendation is “START UP”! It is a really funky song that makes you groove naturally! Also, listening to this song while working out or with friends makes you even more excited!

TAERAE: I will recommend “Young & Wild.” My favorite song is “Only One Day.” I favor these two because I like songs that contain classy melodies and emotional lyrics.

allkpop: TEMPEST appeared to have had a good time filming the music video. All of the sets are stunning and visually appealing! Could you please share your favorite scene from the music video with us?

HANBIN: Personally, I like the cereal scene in the intro. When I saw the music video, I was very shocked about the AR technology. It was very fascinating and interesting to watch pieces of cereal floating in the air like space.

HYEONGSEOP: My close-up facial scene during 3:06 of the music video was my favorite. It only reflected my face, but it matched the atmosphere and came out well. It’s not easy to admire your own face, though. (laughs)

HYUK: It’s the beach scene! It was the first outdoor shooting set, and the sky and sea were so wonderful that it became my favorite scene.

EUNCHAN: My favorite scene is the ending scene where we are standing on the beach together while the sun is setting. I like that scene because every member comes out, and the freshness and warmth during that moment make it my favorite.

LEW: My favorite part in the music video is the scene where we all run into the ocean! Personally, it is my favorite scene because, in part, it looks like a movie scene but also, it feels like such an ending scene of a teen drama!

HWARANG: The studio in the chorus part of verse one was the most memorable. It was my favorite because the clouds filled the stage below and the flowers above.

TAERAE: Personally, I like the hideout scene because the set was cool.

allkpop: What other interests do you have besides music? What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

HANBIN: Whenever I have spare time, I take my camera and take pictures. Otherwise, I spend my day baking at home.

HYEONGSEOP: I’m interested in studying foreign languages. It is a world where different people and different languages coexist. I also dream of communicating, learning, and getting along with more people. Currently, I’m studying Japanese.

HYUK: I mainly play games or sleep. If there is a football (soccer) league, I watch it.

EUNCHAN: I’m interested in exercising. During my break, I mainly sleep a lot or watch dramas or movies.

LEW: Besides music, I’m very interested in exercising! I care about my health, so I routinely work out and eat healthy food as well!

HWARANG: I mainly play games or go shopping during my break time. I think I tend to do something rather than waste time meaninglessly.

TAERAE: I mainly spend most of my free time taking walks.

allkpop: If a genie granted you three wishes, what would you wish for, and why?

HANBIN: I wish that everyone is healthy, everyone lives a full and warm life, and everyone in the world lives comfortably. If that happens, I believe the whole world will become much happier.

HYEONGSEOP: I wish the people who love and are loved by TEMPEST to be healthy and happy for as long as possible.

HYUK: I wish my skin was permanently good, and I want to grow neither more than nor less than 5cm taller. Also, I wish my vocal condition stays in the best condition for the rest of my life! These are what I usually thought, so I sincerely hope these wishes come true.

EUNCHAN: It’s to live healthy and happy as long as I can, speak ten languages, and become much cooler. Living a healthy, happy life and becoming cool is everything I could ever wish for. Speaking ten languages is because I want to communicate with iEs overseas.

LEW: If a Genie grants me three wishes, I will choose “first, to be healthy, second, to be happy, and third, to never get injured.” After all, being healthy, injury-free, and happy is the best!

HWARANG: I want to have the ability to time travel to the past and future to make the perfect scenario; and the most important, to live healthily and be loved by everyone are my wishes.

TAERAE: The first wish is to win the music show in first place! If we win the music show, I want to give back this honor to iE. The second wish is to be healthy as during our work activity there isn’t much time to sleep, so staying healthy is the best. The third wish is to meet our iE as much as I can! These days, with the change from non-face-to-face to face-to-face, I have had more opportunities to meet our iEs often, so it feels good!

allkpop: Do you have any specific goals for your comeback? Are there any long-term goals you'd like to achieve for your group?

HANBIN: This year’s goal is to win The Rookie of the Year award. As for TEMPEST’s long-term goal, it is to become more successful and meet fans through a world tour.

HYEONGSEOP: It’s ‘2022, The Rookie of the Year Award.’ We want to be approved as K-pop's next-generation leader. For the long-term goal, it’s the ‘World Tour.’ We want to be known globally as TEMPEST and meet every iEs worldwide.

HYUK: Our goal is to inform many people about our group and our songs!! Therefore, I want to have a positive impact on many people and give a good image.

EUNCHAN: Our goal in this comeback is the Rookie of the Year award. The goal as a group is to have a long and healthy career.

LEW: This comeback’s goal is to leave a strong presence about TEMPEST to the public! At the same time, we want to show our various possibilities. Also, our long-term goal is to receive the Rookie of the Year award this year and establish a strong presence to be recognized at various awards ceremonies and therefore be loved by many people with TEMPEST's own music!

HWARANG: Our goal is to become a team that people remember, whether ten years or one hundred years. We are working hard to achieve that goal!

TAERAE: Like BTS seniors, I want to become a group that has a good influence on many people while building long-term friendships with other members.

allkpop: Please leave a message to everyone who's reading this as well as to your fans around the world.

HANBIN: I want to say thank you to my fans worldwide. We could have only reached here because of all of you. We will always work hard and grow daily to become successful artists to meet your expectations. Please always stay with us, TEMPEST, and keep looking forward. Our iE~ We love you and always thank you.

HYEONGSEOP: Hello, it’s HYEONGSEOP from TEMPEST. It is an honor to introduce ourselves and tell you about us. The seven-member TEMPEST only dreamed and chased stage and music. With passion, we will show you a diverse appearance by communicating with you, so please give a lot of support. Lastly, thank you to all the iE who always TEMPEST’s dreams come true!

HYUK: Each of the 7 members in TEMPEST is uniquely attractive and flamboyant, so please give us a lot of interest and support. Also, please give our song a try! Please look forward to it, thank you!

EUNCHAN: Thank you so much for supporting us. Thank you for your support, it gives me strength, and I am so happy. I hope you are always healthy and full of good things. Let's see each other for a long time. I love you.

LEW: From now on, we, TEMPEST, will shine brighter and fly higher! I want you to be together on that path with us! Thank you!

HWARANG: The iE who always supports us from close and far! I always wanted to say thank you. We will become a TEMPEST that improves day by day. Until we meet together, stay with us. We love you!

TAERAE: Please give us a lot of love and care!