K-pop boy group SUPERKIND released their latest mini album, Profiles of the Future (A): 70%, in October. First of its kind, the group features both human members, known as PRID, and AI members, known as NUKE. SUPERKIND is comprised of five PRID members, DAEMON, EUGENE, GEON, SiO, and JDV, and two NUKE members, SAEJIN and SEUNG. This album marks the first release with all seven members participating. Following the release of the mini album, the PRID members (sans GEON) shared their thoughts on the comeback, working with their NUKE members, and what’s next for SUPERKIND.
Each song on the new album offers a different genre of music, and this move was completely intentional, meant to showcase the group’s talent. “As SUPERKIND, we are trying many different genres of music. We choose genres that suit our concept and the worldviews that we want to show, and I think the main theme and the motto of SUPERKIND’s music is diversity. So I hope SUPERKIND to be known for the diversity and creativity in our musical styles,” DAEMON states. “[We’d like to be known for] our commitment to continually challenging ourselves with new music and diverse genres. Each of us possesses unique strengths, and our individual musical preferences may differ, but we aim to be recognized as a group unafraid to explore a diverse musical styles and genres without limitations. Likewise, our future endeavors will remain unrestricted, and our goal is to establish ourselves as artists who boldly explore various musical realms,” added SiO.
The first song and title track of the album is “Beam me up (2Dx3D),” a multidimensional track perfectly suited for the multidimensional group. “Beam me up (2Dx3D)” is a unique mix of acoustic and digital sounds, and it combines two other songs on the album – one by the NUKE members, and one by the PRID members – to fully express the marriage between digital and reality. The song also happens to be DAEMON’s favorite on the album. “I’m a big sci-fi fan and I really liked this concept. Also, I really like the sound of the band music and also pop synthesizers. We combined these genres and sound into one song which is really my type.” As hybrid as the song is, it also features lyrics in multiple languages: Korean, Japanese, and English. “Since this is our first mini-album with a greater number of tracks, the recording process naturally took longer than usual. Also, because we incorporated various languages, we put a lot of thought into how to infuse the unique characteristics and vibes of these languages into our music, striving to make those features come to life in our songs,” shared SiO.
The second song on the album is “Beam me up (3D),” which takes inspiration from the film Men in Black, and represents the 3D aspect of the album with kick and bass rhythms. This song is also half of what makes up the title song, along with the third track, “Speed (2D).” “Speed (2D)” is inspired by the animated series Cowboy Bebop, and represents the 2D aspect of the album with the vibe of a classic anime opening song. For three of the members, the third track on the album is also their favorite one. “As I keep listening to the album, the guitars, drum and the bass, that band sound itself is so attractive and I am a big fan of band sounds, rock music,” started DAEMON. JDV quickly agreed, adding on that “the distinct band sound is incredibly powerful and makes me feel overwhelmed with joy.”
Rounding out the album is “MUGSHOT,” EUGENE’s favorite song, and one that takes inspiration from Latin drill music and K-pop. “The song starts with the lyric, ‘Wherever I go, it becomes the path.’ As the first-generation AI idols, I’m fond of this song because it reflects our role in pioneering the way forward.” “MUGSHOT” is also the only song picked by both SUPERKIND and their fans, known as Players, in the group’s Social Music Mining Game. “We have extensive interactions with our fans and are open to their opinions and suggestions. During the promotion of the track ‘MOODY,’ we even played a game with our fans on X and engaged with them in real time. Each time we did this, it felt like our perspectives were aligned with theirs. We would share our thoughts, and then we would eagerly listen to theirs. I wouldn’t say that one party makes decisions alone, but rather, we collaborate, and this mutual exchange leads to satisfying outcomes,” explained SiO.
Being the first to try something new, like joining a group that features AI members, can be daunting. While the members were made aware of the group’s hybrid AI concept prior to debuting, but it did not deter the members from continuing their pursuit of becoming an idol. “For me, I was really into virtual things like animations, and also I’m a big fan of Gorillaz which is a virtual band, so I’m very familiar with the concept. I really wanted to try those things and I was so excited about the fact that I will debut as an AI idol,” shared DAEMON. JDV added that having the AI aspect of the group prevents them from being limited in what they have to offer: “I find collaborating with the NUKE members to be extremely fun and fascinating because it opens up opportunities to explore various new and captivating ideas. The NUKE members have the ability to execute performances that may be outside our capabilities. For instance, in a recent performance video with SAEJIN, he attempted the iconic Spiderman move in which he drops down from the ceiling.”
Continuing to explore the concept of AI within the K-pop industry, SUPERKIND takes the crown for being the first. SiO shared, “Our group is the first to use the term “A-Idol,” representing an idol group that includes both AI and human members. I believe this is one of SUPERKIND’s most distinctive features. Many people still perceive AI technology as something distant and unfamiliar. However, with our group incorporating PRID, the human members, it allows us to demonstrate how we interact with NUKE members, the AI members, and convey our thoughts on this integration, showing how we all unite as a group. This helps the general public become more accustomed to the concept of AI.” DAEMON also commented on the group’s seamless teamwork, despite the unique group configuration: “The main thing is that we are not trying to synchronize perfectly but we are trying to bring out the chemistry and harmony. We respect their own abilities and try to improve as a team and try to express it better. We are not only focused on synchronizing but we are also trying to cooperate and produce good results as a team. PRID members and NUKE members have different possibilities and abilities so we can cooperate by accentuating each other’s strengths and covering each other’s weaknesses.”
In spite of the many positive aspects about having AI members, there are still hardships for the PRID members. DAEMON believes the hardest part is the lack of communication available. “I think the hardest part is that we have to combine the two universes to show that we are actually collaborating and working together. In the aspect of dancing, we have to practice without SAEJIN and SEUNG, the NUKE members, and then combine it afterwards which is a confusing way of practicing. But we have worked hard on it. Also, we cannot communicate with NUKE members in the digital world because we don’t have any digital bodies. But we are trying to solve this problem by making ourselves as virtual characters and go to the digital world to communicate with NUKE members.” Not only focusing on the verbal communication, DAEMON also elaborates that the restraint of not being physically together can also be difficult. “We cannot be together all the time because of the technical issues. We want to do our schedules with NUKE members but we have to try it out, for example, on the stage or interviews, fan meet-ups. We are trying to gather and involve NUKE members in real life. And also, we want to be involved in their dimensions as well. I think this is the disadvantage.”
Another difficulty the SUPERKIND members face is their quest to meet fans in-person. “We highly value in-person, face-to-face interactions with our fans, and that’s why we want to make an effort to organize concerts and events in as many countries and cities as possible,” began SiO. “We’re committed to creating music that incorporates different languages to make our music accessible to people from various nations, enabling them to enjoy our songs and find solace and inspiration in our music. Apart from our performances on music shows, we haven’t made any other live appearances. To have both PRID members and NUKE members perform on the same stage, there’s a need for comprehensive planning and preparation, which can be time-consuming.” DAEMON shared that they’ve been working hard to make it possible. “We are trying to find out the technology and the skills to perform a live stage with all the members. The current goal would be performing live with all the NUKE and PRID members.”
Wrapping up, the PRID members shared their hopes for this new album to mark a new beginning for the group. Summarizing everyone’s thoughts, EUGENE expressed SUPERKIND’s wishes for the new album and beyond: “Considering that this album marks the first time all seven members are participating, I see it as a new beginning for us. With this comeback, our primary objective is to introduce ourselves to a broader audience, allowing more fans to get to know us. We’ll be highly active, and we’re hopeful for your love and interest in SUPERKIND.”
