Rookie K-pop group ALL(H)OURS recently made their first comeback with their second mini-album, Witness. Featuring “Shock (도깨비)” as the title track, the release also brings listeners four other songs: “Witness,” “Psycho Mantra,” “Bout That Issue,” and “Blah Blah.” Asia Blooming sat down with the seven-member group to discuss their first comeback, as well as their participation in song making and choreography.
Developing their image and sound, ALL(H)OURS is working to make their mark in the increasingly competitive world of K-pop. The youngest of the group, ON:N, explained the meaning behind their latest album title: “It signifies that you’ll be able to witness our growth and potential.” To carry this out, the group decided that “the best way to convey this to the public was through a song that excites and resonates with listeners.” The title track of the album, “Shock (도깨비),” features sonic energy and complimentary intense choreography. On the song’s sound, leader Kunho said, “We incorporated Drift Phonk into K-pop, and we will continue challenging ourselves with new genres to constantly present new versions of ourselves to our fans.”
As for the B-tracks, the group members took part in the songwriting for “Blah Blah.” Once the song’s flow and melody was created, the members were tasked to write new lyrics. Minje shared, “This is a song that we worked on the full lyrics for the first time, and by doing that we can effectively show our own colors.” Xayden added, “It was our first time working on the rap part, and we wanted to showcase our skills within a very short time frame—just 10 seconds. Despite the difficulty, the process of making a rap part that I truly enjoy and cherish was very fun.”
The members also participated in creating their own choreography, with members Youmin, ON:N, and Xayden taking charge during practice. On each dance member’s style, Kunho described ON:N as “clean and defined, making him invaluable for refining details,” while Youmin “exudes energy which translates into powerful dance moves.” He went on to say that “XAYDEN excels in capturing the right vibe for dances, guiding us to express ourselves and discover our unique styles. Together, they know which parts suit them best, who should dance at the center, and where they can showcase their strengths.” ON:N added that for their previous album, they choreographed the entirety of “Racer” and a part in “Wao Wao.” While they did not participate in making choreography for their second mini-album, ON:N hopes to continue making choreography for their future work.
As a newer group in 2024, the competition on the K-pop scene is fierce. As ALL(H)OURS debuted under EDEN Entertainment, led by Cho Hae-Sung, a former JYP executive, some call them the “cousin group to Stray Kids,” which added more pressure. While JYP may be a “distant relative,” he offered some words of advice which ON:N still thinks about: “As for me, our uncle figure, Producer JYP’s advice about it [our career] being a marathon and to maintain our pace until the end has stuck with me.”
Looking beyond their first comeback, ALL(H)OURS is excited about what the future has in store for them, from trying new musical styles to overseas activities. “One of the genres gaining spotlight in the K-pop industry is the band genre, so if we get the chance, I’d love to try it,” Kunho started. “Additionally, the members have always mentioned wanting to try a hip hop genre song. Given our energy and potential, expressing ourselves in a more freeform way would suit the hip hop genre, and I think it could create a powerful synergy.”
The group is also eager to embark on a world tour. Masami shared, “As I’m Japanese, I’d like to perform in my hometown. I want to perform at a large venue like Tokyo Dome and show my parents our stage. I want to make them proud.” Minje chimed in to express his own excitement about touring internationally: “I understand that the way people cheer varies by country, and I want to experience that in person.”
To close the conversation, ALL(H)OURS shared some parting words. “We’re proud to be back with an amazing track, but in case our song doesn’t gain popularity, we’ll keep coming back with even better songs and diverse genres,” Youmin started. “As we move forward, we will draw energy from your support during the promotion of “SHOCK” and in all our future activities. We promise to keep evolving and showing you even better versions of ourselves.”
