How EPEX Explored Themes of a Broken Heart in Prelude of Love Chapter 2. ‘Growing Pains’
After six months, the boys of K-pop group EPEX made an epic comeback last month with their fifth EP, Prelude of Love Chapter 2: 'Growing Pains,' and their new music was well worth the wait.
The eight-member group's latest release continues the powerful story begun in BIPOLAR Pt. 2 Prelude of Love and resumed in Prelude of Love Chapter 1. 'Puppy Love,' this time, showing off a different side of the band as they explore the themes of brokenheartedness. It consists of four new songs, including the effervescent title track "Sunshower," channeling the mythology of a classic Korean folktale to tell a story of a boy and his first breakup. It's an upbeat pop-dance single with a sound that contrasts starkly with the aching reflected in its lyrics, making it instantly memorable. We also got the chance to speak with the group about the comeback, "Sunshower" and their love for their ZENITH fandom, and they shared it all with us in the interview below.
(Photo credit: C9 Entertainment)
Sweety High: Why did Prelude of Love Chapter 2. 'Growing Pains' feel like the perfect title for the new EP?
BAEKSEUNG: From our debut album to the newest album, we continue the story of ordinary boys growing up. The name of this album was chosen because we wanted to symbolize the realistic stories of boys around our age who grow up from experiencing the complex emotions of denying their first breakup and eventually accepting it as growing pains.
(Photo credit: C9 Entertainment)
SH: What are the EP's themes? How did you go about bringing them to life musically?
YEWANG: Following the previous album that detailed the process of falling in love for the first time, this album contains the confused feelings of boys going through their first breakup. We tried to empathize a lot with each song to bring out its unique vibe. Even when recording, we consulted with the composers for every little detail and paid a lot of attention to produce results that matched the theme.
(Photo credit: C9 Entertainment)
KEUM: Especially since the title song, "Sunshower," has a bright tempo but its lyrics are sad, we paid more attention to convey the emotions of such sad lyrics while maintaining a cheerful vibe.
Also read about: LE SSERAFIM on UNFORGIVEN, Disrupting K-Pop and FEARNOT
SH: What was the inspiration behind the title track "Sunshower"? How does it fit into the EP's wider narrative?
AYDEN: The title song, "Sunshower," is a song based on the folktale of the sunshower that has been passed down by mouth. The tale goes like this: The rain that falls momentarily on a sunny day is the tears that the cloud sheds because the cloud loves a fox who is getting married to a tiger, and the reason why the rain stops soon is that the cloud stops crying to wish the fox's happiness. The songwriting process started from the fact that the feelings of a confused boy's first breakup and the tale of sunshine go well together.
(Photo credit: C9 Entertainment)
BAEKSEUNG: This album consists of a glimpse into the complex and diverse emotions of boys dealing with their first breakups and how they are maturing while accepting those emotions. It was elaborately planned so that the theme of the title song, the overall theme of the album and the main motif of the sunshower folktale would go well together.
SH: Musically, how do you think you've all grown since Prelude of Love Chapter 1. 'Puppy Love'? Did you feel that you got to explore more of your emotional range with songs about heartbreak and love, as opposed to the highs of new love?
WISH: There are still so many things we need to learn, but what is certain is that in the process of preparing for a new album, all members are growing in all aspects, including vocal, rap and performance. Of course, we practice and study really hard to continue developing ourselves.
(Photo credit: C9 Entertainment)
KEUM: It is an album with a story that connects to those of our previous albums, and I believe we are able to naturally express various emotions as the continuing story progresses.
(Photo credit: C9 Entertainment)
A-MIN: Every time we release a new album, we certainly feel that we can understand the concepts of our albums and music better. We also believe that the spectrum of music we can work with is growing since we're able to express more various emotions.
Also read about: EPEX Discuss Falling in Love and the Story of Their Prelude of Love Chapter 1. 'Puppy Love' EP
SH: What are each of your favorite tracks from the new EP?
YEWANG: My favorite song from this album is "My Darling." The addictive melodies continued ringing in my head for a long time, so I chose this song as my favorite.
A-MIN: It's so hard to choose one song, but if I have to choose, "Goodbye, My First Love" would be my favorite. It's calm, but it's a song that can grab the audience's attention with both its musical quality and performance.
(Photo credit: C9 Entertainment)
AYDEN: For me, the title song "Sunshower" is my favorite song. All the songs on this album are good, but the title song is the best because it best represents the theme of the album.
SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
WISH: There are so many things we want to show to our ZENITH. We hope you will always keep your eyes on the new side of EPEX.
(Photo credit: C9 Entertainment)
JEFF: We prepared hard for this album. Please give it a lot of attention and love!
(Photo credit: C9 Entertainment)
MU: With this album as a starting point, we are confident that EPEX will grow even more. Please look forward to our growth in the future.
(Photo credit: C9 Entertainment)
For more on the latest from our favorite K-pop artists, click HERE to read our interview with Mamamoo on their first-ever U.S. tour.