Wonwoo, the band's pride packed into 17 tracks: "We will leap forward at our own pace" [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The boy band ONEWE has returned with a full-length album packed with no fewer than 17 tracks. Shedding their signature "universe" concept and donning a new outfit called "fairy tale," ONEWE is launching an unstoppable leap toward bigger stages, including the Gymnastics Arena and festival headliner slots, armed with the tight-knit teamwork of their "pure band" identity forged over more than a decade.

On the 18th, Wonwi (Yong-hoon, Kang-hyun, Ha-rin, Dong-myung, and Gi-wook) held a roundtable interview to commemorate the release of their third full album "Face: Unknown Atlas" at a cafe in Jang-dong, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul.

"Face: Unknown Atlas" is the album that concludes the series of points, lines, and faces that have been developed by WOODZ. From the single second album "Point: The Quiver," through the digital single "Line: The Wake," the musical journey expanded from a point to a line, and from a line to a face, culminating in a world's only map.

The title track "Scenario" embodies the resolve to rediscover dreams and passions long forgotten and to write a new story of one's own, rather than following a predetermined ending. Additionally, all members participated in creating the songs for the new album, further deepening the group's unique musical identity.

Leader Yong-hoon said, "I am excited to release a regular album after a long time. In particular, since it contains 17 tracks, we worked hard to prepare with sincerity and dedication for fans and the general public," adding, "We created and recorded all 17 tracks with as much care as title songs."

The most significant feature of this album is that it is a full-length "regular" album packed with no fewer than 17 tracks. Yong-hoon stated, "Since we had planned the regular album since the end of last year, it was not something that suddenly came upon us." He added, "Rather than feeling burdened by the need to quickly fill up the tracklist, I found myself overwhelmed because there were simply too many songs, making the instrumental arrangement and vocal recording processes quite demanding. There was absolutely no worry about struggling to release a regular album due to a lack of tracks."

Particularly, the quality of the recorded tracks was so high that even RBW, their agency Kim Do-hun (CEO), tried to dissuade them. Dongmyeong said, "During the album preparation process, Kim Do-hun (CEO) suggested, 'There are too many songs for the title track; wouldn't it be better to release some of them in a future album rather than using all of them at once for a full album?'" However, he added, "But we had an unselfish greed. We wanted to create an album where every song felt like a title track, so we prepared everything all at once."

Ki-wook also emphasized, "Since last year, I have strongly expressed my opinions regarding Jung-gyu, and both the members and the agency accepted them positively. Personally, I believe in the power of a regular album. Since this year is the most important for Wonwoo, we prepared 17 tracks with the mindset that if we show this level of quality and sincerity, the public will surely recognize it."

After a fierce internal competition, "Scenario" secured the title track position. Yong-hoon stated, "It took quite some time to decide on the title track. 'Pinocchio' with blood all over it was in contention until the very end. I felt that sharing it only with company staff might lead to an approach based solely on musical perspectives, so instead, I played it for many people with ears of the general public, such as friends and family. As a result, 'Scenario,' which received the most votes, became the title track. It is a song approached with intuitive melodies and sounds that the public would like."

Starting with this album, WOODZ has also brought changes to his signature universe concept. Kang Hyun explained, "We have consistently released albums with a space theme until now, but rather than having the image of 'WOODZ = Space' become fixed, we wanted to express our own new conceptual style musically. In order for us to grow as artists, we deliberately gave up space-related themes and boldly attempted something new."

With the momentum from winning their first music show award for the first time in 11 years since their debut last year, WOODZ is determined to make this year a full-fledged year of proof.

Dongmyeong said, "Last year was the first time we won number one on music shows and also expanded the scale of our venues. This year, we had a strong desire to take another step up. As a band, we focused on returning to our most fundamental roots and concentrating on the quality of our albums. We believed that if we earned recognition from the public through our music, achieving our next goals would naturally follow, and this gave us strength," he said with a firm gaze.

The committee confirmed two years ago that all members renewed their contracts with their agency, RBW, solidifying their steady progress. Regarding this, Yong-hoon stated, "I am not sure if our musical bond has grown closer due to the contract renewal. We have been together since we were very young, so I only thought we would continue making music together; it did not dramatically make us more tightly knit or change our creative direction." However, he added, "Instead, there is certainly a sense of stability now. It feels like 'we can continue our music within the RBW framework.'"

In particular, the band is known as a 'clean band' with no incidents despite its long activity period. When asked about the secret, Yong-hoon burst into laughter, saying, "After being in a band for about 10 years, I sometimes think about the reason, and the conclusion is that all the members don't have many friends around them." He added, "Everyone loves their homes too much. To what extent? The five of us guys go to cafes and jjimjilbangs at night. As a leader, it's something to be grateful for no matter what," hinting at the team's warm and harmonious atmosphere.

Such a close relationship has led to musical synergy and collaboration. Regarding the core message of this regular album, Dong-myeong stated, "We worked on the theme of 'fairy tale,' which is something everyone knows. I hope you pay close attention to this point." Ki-uk added, "The songs we have released so far had quite high performance difficulty, but the difficulty level of these new tracks has increased even further. We hope you listen with a focus on that aspect, as it will make for a more enjoyable experience. We also hope many people cover these songs."

Harin also confidently stated, "While the melody instruments will stand out, you will clearly feel the improved technical proficiency of the drums when listening to the track." Kang Hyun explained, "Through numerous performances, festivals, and concerts over the years, I have gained many insights on stage. I identified the points that fans enjoy most and captured them fully in the recording while imagining that stage."

The next goal of Won Ui, known as the "live performance artisan," is clear: it is to conquer all concert halls. Dongmyeong stated firmly, "I want to visit every gymnasium in Jamsil one by one, categorized by size. We have started from truly small stages and are gradually increasing our scale step by step. While others may think our growth rate is slow, in fact, we continue to achieve our goals at our own pace."

He further stated his ambitious plans: "With another performance scheduled for September this year at the KBS Arena, I hope to successfully conclude that show and then take the stage at three venues within Olympic Park next year—Olympic Hall, Handball Gymnasium, and Gymnastics Stadium (KSPO DOME)—which were not possible to perform in due to venue scheduling constraints this year."

The committee mentioned the solid support from artists under RBW. Dongmyeong said, "We are preparing a 'Vocal Challenge' at Navy Headquarters, and we would like to express our gratitude that Ms. Kwon Eun-bi, who has newly joined our family, is helping us. We expect it to be released soon." He added, "The MAMAMOO sisters have always been supporting us from behind in ways known and unknown. While I am not sure if they can participate in the challenge during their tour, I think we will receive direct contact from them soon."

The challenge is set to feature a diverse cast of characters. Dong-myung revealed that he asked his twin brother, Won-oh's Zion, to help him just once, and they joined forces; he also secured the assistance of his bandmate Dragon Pony's An Tae-gyu.

On the other hand, Ki-wook shared a unique plan, saying, "While famous people receive contacts from their companies, I think it would be fun to reach out to my former high school classmates, juniors, and friends who want to pursue music through my personal Instagram account and challenge them."

Praise from senior musicians also continued. Yonghoon said, "A few days ago, I asked some well-known senior friends to participate in a challenge and told them, 'Our full album is coming out.' Senior Goh Young-bae, Senior Lee Seok-hoon, and Senior Tey were surprised, asking, 'A full album is coming out?' He added, "Since full albums are so rare these days, they expressed their pride and joy, praising us," showing his satisfaction.

Dongmyung added, "Although the content has not yet been released publicly, I first presented the title track live on my senior Ja-urim's YouTube channel. She listened and spoke very highly of it, so I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude."

Thus, the 17th tracks were completed amidst the steady support and praise of those around them. The ultimate goal of Wonwoo is, after all, to head toward a "live stage."

Dongmyeong said, "There are many numerical goals in the music industry that can be achieved, such as topping music shows and digital charts, but our most desired dream is to become a headliner at festivals as 'players' performing songs we wrote." He added, "I really want to visit various overseas festivals next year. If I work hard like I do now, I think it's possible to reach that goal."

Yong-hoon also said, "Many people have expressed a desire to properly experience all 17 tracks live at a concert, and we hope they will visit the venue often. Albums and live performances are definitely different. We want to deliver rich sound in a properly set-up environment at the concert venue. We hope this will spark a longing to attend concerts," conveying the band's romance and aspirations.

"Meon: Unknown Atlas" was released at 6 p.m. on the 19th through various online music platforms.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original