Six months after making their first comeback with 'UNCHARTED DRIFT,' 8TURN has once again returned with a new mini-album, dropped right one year later in their debut month. This time, JAE YUN, MYUNG HO, MIN HO, YOON SUNG, HAE MIN, KYUNG MIN, YUN GYU, and SEUNG HEON are all about unity and confidence. "We try to convey that we can overcome any difficulties with self-confidence and conviction," they stated in an exclusive interview with allkpop.
The octet's third mini-album 'STUNNING' showcases their growth, with the boys themselves wielding the pen for some stunning tracks. The title song "RU-PUM PUM" and the B-side tracks "THE GAME," "NOM," "WE HERE," and "GLOW" empower listeners with messages of confidence, action, and embracing challenges.
In celebration of their anticipated return, 8TURN sat down with allkpop to share their insights into the album's creative process, the progress of finding their own team color so far, the members' favorite dramas and songs at the moment, and more. Keep reading to learn more about 8TURN!
Check out our previous interviews with 8TURN here:
[EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW] 8TURN on their debut with '8TURNRISE,' group's concept, 'Rookie of the Year' aspirations, and more
Shout-out video from 8TURN to allkpop readers:
allkpop: First of all, how are you feeling that this year, this month marks your first anniversary as 8TURN and that within that short period, you were able to release three mini-albums already?
MIN HO: I cannot believe that it has already been a year since our debut. I feel very proud to have so many fans who love us and I hope you will look forward to our future activities.
SEUNG HEON: I am more than happy that our comeback coincides with our first anniversary. Also, since it has been a year since our debut, we promise you to show a better and improved version of 8TURN. Please look forward to our projects and give us a lot of support! Thank you!
allkpop: Some artists find releasing mini albums a burden because it entails a lot of preparation and hard work. I'm sure you had some difficulties along the way, but how do you find fun amid these challenges? How do the members help each other, and how do you think this teamwork plays a huge role in your overall activities?
MYUNG HO: I tend to find joy in my daily life! Such as playing video games in our dorm, or eating something tasty. That's where I get my happiness from and this is how I relieve stress.
YOON SUNG: For sure, I did have some difficult times while preparing for this third mini-album. I tend to try to not overthink such moments since I know how much I love my work and that I have ambitions with regard to it! I also find joy in eating delicious food, so I go out and eat food with our members and have small talk with them to overcome those difficult times.
allkpop: Comparing this comeback to your previous two releases, how do you think each of you has improved since then, in terms of your stage performance, presence, facial expressions, etc.?
JAE YUN: We did improve compared to our last promotion. However, I believe 8TURN's strength comes from the fact that we improve after each stage and performance. Dancing, singing, and facial expressions are basics, but in addition to that, our confidence in ourselves has increased.
KYUNG MIN: I believe we have found our charms and are able to be more relaxed due to various performances and experiences that we had throughout 2023. This helped us to better express the message of overloading coolness and confidence in "RU-PUM PUM."
allkpop: '8TURNRISE' and 'UNCHARTED DRIFT' convey such meaningful and timely messages. For this album's message, what do you want to put emphasis on?
HAE MIN: It is the "rizz" that comes from our authentic selves! I think that it also means that we can overcome any difficulties with confidence!
YUN GYU: Our third mini-album contains a message identical to our first and second albums - the one of going our own way. However, this time we also tried to put a special emphasis on determination, self-confidence, and conviction!
allkpop: Tell us more about the tracks including the title song "RU-PUM PUM." Which song do you think is "your song," the one that is closest to your taste?
JAE YUN: First of all, you can feel the dynamics and the energy as if you were watching a football match listening to the first track, "THE GAME." The second track, "RU-PUM PUM," which is also the title track, shows the rizz and confidence of 8TURN. We show overflowing, natural, effortless charisma and style that is uniquely ours. With the third track, "NOM," you can see how we step up to the challenges. You can feel the Western vibes with the attractive guitar sound. The fourth track, "WE HERE," highlights our vocal skills and has groovy rap. You can boost your confidence and feel happy just by listening to it. The last track, and also my favorite track on this album, is called "GLOW." It is the second song dedicated to our fans. You can say it is a love letter from 8TURN to TURNING. Our members, JAE YUN, MIN HO, KYUNG MIN, YUN GYU, and SEUNG HEON, have participated in writing the lyrics for this song expressing how grateful we are for TURNING. We also tried to convey a message to TURNING about the path that we will take together and the new people we will meet along the way.
MYUNG HO: My favorite is "THE GAME," which is the first track of this album! I believe "THE GAME" is very energetic and expresses the confidence of 8TURN in the best way! It is very exciting, impressive, and addictive, so please listen to it a lot!
allkpop: As you said, the members participated in writing the lyrics. How does it feel to at least be able to contribute to the songs' creation?
MIN HO: I am very honored and happy to have had this opportunity to participate in writing the lyrics for our 3rd mini-album. I am even more grateful that the one I participated in, "GLOW," was a fan-dedicated song and allowed me to sing the words that I wished to tell our fans.
SEUNG HEON: We had a great opportunity to try writing lyrics for the tracks on this album! I am very proud to have a song with the lyrics that were written by us. I believe this has also helped us to show how much we've grown.
allkpop: The concept photos for this album are cool. What was the particular look you really liked?
KYUNG MIN: My favorite is all of us together under the red light! Although I like all the individual concept pictures, I think we look our best when we are all together!
YUN GYU: Although I like every single picture, I liked the pictures of us in jumpsuits, where two members matched the colors of the suit. It seemed like we had our own theme! For streetwear pictures, I liked the more natural atmosphere it gave with the night street background! I especially like the group photo!
allkpop: In an interview, you said that with 'UNCHARTED DRIFT,' you felt you've revealed more of your team's unique color. Now that you're in your 2nd comeback, how is the progress of finding your own team color and trademark looking so far? What exactly do you want to achieve in terms of that aspect of your group?
YOON SUNG: Unity as a team and confidence are the trademarks of our group. I wish to become an artist with this in mind and get recognized by many people and bring joy to them as we continue to grow.
HAE MIN: Our team color can be seen from the message we try to deliver. We try to convey that we can overcome any difficulties with self-confidence and conviction. Our trademark is… maybe… our synchronized dance moves…? (laughs) I think so! Yeah! (laughs)
allkpop: Lastly, could you please tell us a TMI, a song or a drama/movie you would like to recommend to your fans and readers, and your final message?
MYUNG HO: I'd like to recommend the TV show called 'Twinkling Watermelon'! TURNING! Please listen to 8TURN's third mini-album since it is very cool, and give a lot of love to it! Let's have fun together in 2024!
JAE YUN: I hope you listen to our third mini-album 'STUNNING,' depicting 8TURN's new challenge, a lot. And also, please look forward to our future projects. Thank you!
MIN HO: Since I love to watch dramas during my free time, I'd like to recommend one of my favorite K-dramas. It's called 'Our Beloved Summer.' I like to recommend this to our TURNING since it left a strong impression on me.
YOON SUNG: To share my TMI with you… I've been applying hair treatment for 10 minutes while taking a shower recently since my hair has been damaged a lot from bleaching. I also have a drama that helped me go through tough times while preparing for our third mini-album! It's called 'Twinkling Watermelon'! I'd love to recommend this to our TURNING! It's very interesting! I am really thankful to TURNING for all the support and love. Since we have put a lot of effort into our third mini-album, I hope you like it! Thanks!
HAE MIN: I'd like to recommend a few songs that I've been listening to a lot recently. These are "Drowning" and "Journey" by WOODZ. They have the vibe and melody that I like! (laughs)
KYUNG MIN: My all-time favorite movie is 'Top Gun: Maverick'! I usually do not watch the movies ever again even if I enjoyed it, but I watched this movie 4 times in the cinema! I would also like to recommend the soundtrack from Top Gun called "Hold My Hand" by Lady Gaga!
YUN GYU: The TMI of the day is that I had sausage kimbap for dinner. It was so good! I also like to recommend a song called "BEEN" by Yebit! It has cozy vibes that are great before sleeping or on your way home! I also want to thank TURNING for supporting us and want to tell you that I love you all!
SEUNG HEON: We happened to come back in winter again! I hope you like this album since all of our members participated in writing the lyrics and put a lot of effort into it! I'd also like to recommend "THE GAME," the first track on our latest mini album. It's very energetic and makes you want to listen more and more! I hope you get some energy from this song!
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jimmyhyden (Banned)-30 pts Monday, February 5, 2024 0Comment has been deleted