P1Harmony Embraces a Spectrum of Emotions With New EP SAD SONG

Since their debut, the K-pop boy group P1Harmony has never failed to utitlize the element of surprise.

Whether it's releasing their own movie alongside their debut album or making an appearance at the American Country Music Awards, they always manage to have all eyes on them, and with their most recent release, SAD SONG, they've once again managed to pique fans' interest. Since their inception, the six-member group has curated a unique sound that includes upbeat and encouraging songs, so when it was announced that their most recent comeback would be titled "SAD SONG," fans weren't sure what to think. It seemed like a sharp departure from their typical sound but, once again, the group has proved that they are masters of intrigue.

(Photo credit: FNC Entertainment)

Contrary to its title, the title track "SAD SONG" is driven by a powerful beat, but the lyrics give the title a more literal meaning as they detail the feelings of sadness and loneliness that P1Harmony's superhero personas overcome. Throughout the rest of the EP, the group shows off their versatility with rock, trap and Latin-infused sounds while weaving their ever present theme of encouraging their fans to be their own heroes. For P1Harmony, this EP comes at the tail end of an exciting time in their career as it follows their first full-length album and their massive headlining world tour. Despite these major events, they have remained the same group that fans fell in love with. They continue to embrace their signature style of energetic and encouraging music without shying away from trying new things, like their first unit song, "WASP," performed by Intak and Jongseob.

Over the past four years, the group has soared to new heights and achieved milestones such as a number one on Billboard's World Albums chart, a performance at the Gov Ball music festival and more than one million monthly Spotify listeners, all while maintaining a humble and gracious attitude. Just like the superheroes they represent, you can't help but root for them. We caught up with the group to hear what they had to say about the true meaning behind "SAD SONG," finding creativity and a possible sequel to their movie!

Sweety High: You recently completed your UTOPIA tour, which included solo stages. Why was it important to highlight the individuality of each group member through these solo stages? 

Jongseob: In our previous world tours and concerts, we had done a lot of unit stages and some solos here and there, but we really wanted to elevate that by giving all six of us a solo stage. There's also a little bit of us wanting to prove to the audience that, with the group, we're able to put on a great performance but also as individuals we're able to completely cover the stage and put on a show that is just as good. We wanted to show through our performances things that we like or songs that we're currently listening to and songs that we feel like suit us the most, which might be different from what we perform as a group.

 

SH: When "SAD SONG" was announced as the title track, it surprised a lot of fans. Can you explain more about the meaning behind "SAD SONG?" 

Keeho: I'm going to be honest with you, we had the same reaction. When we heard the title was going to be "SAD SONG," we were like, "What?" cause we didn't know what it was going to be about originally. So we just heard the idea and we listened to the music and we also created a backstory for it and it all kind of came together like a puzzle and then we decided that it's just like a fun explicit way to express that emotion.

To talk about what the song actually means, starting from our debut movie and debut album, all the way back then up until now, we've always had this keyword and theme of being heroes and we really wanted to show and implement that into this album as well. It's just about when the hero saves the world and saves the day and when he goes back home and he feels that weird feeling of loneliness and emptiness and kind of sadness in some ways and how P1Harmony kind of overcomes that same feeling of sadness and emptiness after saving the world. We really want to put that into the song in a fun and cute and funny way, so we hope our fans didn't expect the song to sound like super emotional or sad literally. We wanted it to be more fun in contrast.

 

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SH: Why was it important to include an English version of "SAD SONG" on the album? 

Jongseob: Whenever we release music in Korea, there are always fans translating and making sure the songs are understood in different languages. We just thought that if the fans are doing it themselves we might as well release it so it's easier for them and we really wanted more and more people around the world to just enjoy the song. It's not our first time releasing an English version of our singles and it's always the same music, just so that more people can listen to it and relate to it and understand it easier.

 

SH: "SAD SONG" has a Latin influence that can be heard throughout the beat. What inspired that Latin sound? 

Jiung: Every time we come back and release a new album or single, we try to show new things. We try to do everything we can. One of our favorite genres is Latin so that's why we picked this instrumental.

(Photo credit: FNC Entertainment)

 

SH: On the album, you've included your first unit song "WASP," performed by Intak and Jongseob. What was the process of working together on the song like? 

Jongseob: It's our first unit song, so it's very nerve-racking and hard to make a good song. First, we made the beat with our producer. Then, in my room, I recorded a guide with Intak. We made the hook, the chorus and each of our verses. It's a very fun and experimental process and we hope the fans like it.

 

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SH: You have done so many different unique concepts and tried a lot of different sounds. How do you keep coming up with fresh ideas? Where does that creativity come from? 

Keeho: I think, for me, it really helps that we have the "hero" keyword. You know how in superhero comic books every comic book has a different story and the superhero or the antagonist is going through a certain emotion or obstacle? I kind of think of albums that way too, in the sense that every album release will speak about a different topic with us as superheroes. I think it just becomes easier that way because now you have a theme to stick to and can kind of mix and match what works visually and conceptually and it's always fun to come up with new ideas. We're always looking at different things and seeing different things outside and just living life helps to get inspiration.

(Photo credit: FNC Entertainment)

 

SH: When the title poster was released, it had a few references to your debut movie. Was that an easter egg? Can fans expect a sequel to the movie? 

Theo: As long as the time and the opportunity arises and we're able to, we would love to. Because it's in the title poster, I don't want to spoil anything, but that doesn't explicitly mean there's going to be a second movie coming out. We just really wanted to reference back to our roots and kind of have it connect to our new album as well so that's why we had that in the poster. But as long as we have the time and the money, we would love to create a new movie for you guys because it would be fun. I think there would be something very nostalgic about it too.

 

SH: A common theme of P1Harmony is encouraging everyone to be their own hero. With that in mind, do you guys have any personal heroes or somebody you look up to? 

Theo: The band QUEEN.

Intak: Usher

Jongseob: My heroes are my parents. If I have a problem they always give me good advice. My parents are my heroes.

Keeho: For me too, I think family is where you really develop character and that's where you really learn and mostly get inspired from and that's where you get most of who you are really. I feel like the things you learned in the household really resonate everywhere else wherever you go as a person, so I just want to say my family are my heroes because they really built me into who I am today.

Soul: Floyd Mayweather because of a famous saying that he said. It goes something like, "No matter how good you are and no matter how perfect you may be at a certain thing, you need to constantly work your best in order to achieve and continue it." It was very meaningful so that's why I continue to try my best.

 

Interested in more K-pop groups? Click HERE to read our interview with BOYNEXTDOOR!