“What’s the big deal if there are only five members? I think it’s important to adapt to the situation. Our members are like water.”

Although they weren’t performing as a full group, the members didn’t mind. “On the contrary, this is an opportunity to showcase the individuality of the five members,” they said, raising expectations.

SF9, who debuted in October 2016, has gone through significant changes in the past year. Last year, Rowoon left the group, reducing it to an eight-member lineup, and earlier this year, Zuho moved to a different agency. Now, with Jaeyoon and Dawon serving in the military and Zuho's schedule adjustments falling through, SF9 is performing for the first time as a five-member group (Youngbin, Inseong, Taeyang, Hwiyoung, and c).

The name SF9 stands for "Sensational Feeling 9," meaning "boys who will astonish the world." FNC Entertainment launched the group with the determination to become the top dancing boy group. Since their debut, they have consistently released conceptual songs like “O Sole Mio,” “Now or Never,” and “Enough.” SF9, now a five-member group, plans to surprise fans with a cute and lively concept in their 14th mini album, “Fantasy,” released on August 19 KST.

There is another meaning hidden in the name SF9. The Chinese character for ‘long-lasting’ (久) was shaped into the number 9, symbolizing the hope that the group would have a long career. True to their name, all the members made headlines in 2021, their 6th year since debut, by renewing their contracts early.

Therefore, performing as five might feel unfamiliar. The five members shared, “We only thought about SF9 as a group. While we were busy with our activities, the time for contract renewals suddenly approached. We thought innocently, ‘What’s a contract renewal?’ We always assumed SF9 would be with FNC Entertainment forever.”

Youngbin added that, aside from the success of their new song, what matters most to SF9 is continuing their activities steadily. He also recalled, “When we were rookies, CNBLUE seniors helped us a lot. We also want to become good seniors. The longer our career, the more passionate we must be.”

SEE ALSO: CNBLUE performs live on 'Tiny Desk Korea' with fan-favorite hits