Despite it being the middle of the night in Seoul, the fourth subunit of tripleS, LOVElution, happily logged on to Zoom to discuss all about their upcoming endeavor: hitting the United States. While saying a brief hello and a mini round of applause, the members’ (Xinyu, Park SoHyun, Seo DaHyun, Nien, Yoon SeoYeon, Gong YuBin, Kaede and Jeong HyeRin) warm and inviting energy was palpable through the laptop screen. Before hopping on a plane for the “Authentic” USA tour, the girls chatted with EnVi for an exclusive interview to give us the 411 on everything, from their new hit single “Girls’ Capitalism” to their very own self-care tips.
First of All, Love Yourself
Despite the heart-fluttering pop tunes featured on the album, the girls emphasized how comfort is a common thread that holds their debut album and music video together. “Dance When You Feel Ugly,” “Don’t Be Scared to Be Crazy,” and “Just Be(You)tiful” are just some of the bold imagery in the “Girls’ Capitalism” music video that brings their message to life.
By challenging societal pressures that girls and women face, the music video for “Girls’ Capitalism” champions for a world in which we can be our own unique individuals. Supporting this message, Sohyun mentioned, “The song is about you may have your flaws and your challenges, but no matter what, please take care of yourself and learn how to love yourself.”
Sohyun continued explaining their wishes for their listeners. “While listening to our music, we want listeners and fans to have self-confidence and really love yourself because you are worthy of that. Taking care of your own self is so important for having self love.”
Smiling gleefully, SeoYeon energetically added, “As you can tell from our unit name, we really wanted to portray that lovely and lively concept through this album. So, we focused on collecting the songs that everyone would enjoy and feel comfortable while listening to it.”
Diving Into LOVElution <ↀ>
All tied together by a ribbon of self love, the extended play LOVElution <ↀ> features multiple genres: K-pop, retro RnB beats, and ever-so-trendy pop rock songs. The group mentioned how they wanted to express their message through different genres because they want a vast group of people to be able to relate to their music. Diving into the specifics of the album, the girls shared their favorite songs off of the album.
Seoyeon chose the 1980s-inspired pop B-side “Black Soul Dress.” Characterized by its signature hook “#DARKMODE,” the upbeat anthem empowers listeners to dress however they like despite societal pressures. Besides its impactful message, SeoYeon chose it for personal reasons, stating, “The most meaningful song for me is ‘Black Soul Dress’ because it was written and produced by Sohyun. She helped us a lot during the creative process and recording. I’m thankful for all her work and it was a really fun experience that we don’t get to do often.”
“Cry Baby” is another B-side off the album with a tender message. With lyrics like “cry baby,” and “You’ll be fine baby,” this upbeat song is a pat on the back to those who feel restricted to freely express themselves. DaHyun chose this ode to self-expression as her favorite. She mentioned, “When I first heard ‘Cry Baby,’ I thought it would be a sad or dark song, but it is a total twist because it is bright and hopeful. The song is so emotional and our members really tried to channel that while recording the song. It is so emotional I almost cried in the recording booth.”
Preparing to Become LOVElution
Ahead of their debut, the girls candidly gave us a peek into what life was like before becoming the fourth subunit of tripleS. “Honestly, we didn’t have much time to practice as just one unit,” DaHyun sincerely explained. Always keeping physical and mental health on the forefront, the girls had some timely tips that any team could benefit from.
Echoing the meaning of the title track “Girls’ Capitalism,” LOVElution focused on showing each other their most genuine selves amongst the long nights at the studio. DaHyun continued her answer by saying, “Our main focus leading up to our debut was let’s make sure we build our teamwork and become one team. We wanted to match each other’s energy so we could lean on each other when challenges come. Now, we don’t have many hardships because we opened our hearts to each other.”
Since the girls went on the fast track to stardom, they only recently filmed their debut music video “Girls’ Capitalism.” Gummy worms, ceremonial dollar bills, and a whole lot of dancing could describe this “love teen” concept music video. As the room erupted in giggles, the group emphasized that the music video shoot was equally as fun and playful on and off screen. “Since it was raining the night before, the grass that we were dancing on was wet and we had to lay on the ground in a heart formation. Our clothes got all wet and there were bugs all over the ground! Our staff and crew members did great work to help and we really tried to end off on a good note,” they recalled.
Self-Care = Self-Love
Kindly take care of yourself as you would a friend or a close relative. This is synonymous to what LOVElution emphasized. As “Girls’ Capitalism” is all about cherishing your inner beauty, we discussed the idols’ favorite hobbies and products they each for when dealing with extra stress.
As the life of a K-pop idol can be hectic, SoHyun shared, “Every day, I try to make sure I take time for myself. But when I really feel like I need to take care of my emotions, I like to meditate, stretch, and listen to my favorite songs on loop.”
Make sure to get a whiff of HyeRin’s aroma at concerts because the maknae shared her adorable way she cares for her emotions. She passionately said with a smile, “I wear rose and floral perfume everywhere I go and I think it’s very uplifting. If I spray my favorite perfume on stage, I think it really boosts up my confidence.”
Finishing up the list of self-care recommendations, Xinyu shared which musician in particular she gravitates towards. “I really like Melanie Martinez’s songs and her music video styles and how it reflects social problems. So if we have a chance, I really want to collaborate with her,” she said.
LOVElution Hit the States
LOVElution are about to be in states near you – this is a statement that fans and listeners are very pleased to hear, and so are the girls themselves. As the group was days away from packing up shop and flying abroad, their first United States tour, “Authentic,” was a hot topic of discussion.
When asked what states they were excited to visit, Seoyeon immediately had an answer saying, “New York! Before debut, I visited the city with HyeRin and it left such a lasting impression. Now, I am really looking forward to getting to meet fans in that city as LOVElution.” Chicago was also mentioned as Nien discussed her excitement of the windy city’s specialty cuisine – deep dish pizza. “Chicago pizza is really popular and famous, and I’d love to try it. I think it’d be a very energizing food that would keep us motivated to finish the tour,” she said.
Since LOVElution are natural storytellers, they share just about anything on YouTube: cooking videos, cafe vlogs, and behind-the-scenes tapings. When mentioning their upcoming travels, Xinyu happily shared her wishes saying, “If it’s possible, I hope we could do travel or tour vlogs while in the United States.”
Meeting WAV
As time was fleeting, the idols quickly discussed their plans and dreams for the future. Since their upcoming travels to the United States were on their mind, they shared this heartfelt message. “This is our first time going on a United States tour and meeting American WAV. This is such a cherishable opportunity we have coming up. We look forward to meeting them and having fun on the tour with them. I hope they consider the moments they spend with LOVElution memorable for life,” they said.
Just a handful of days ago, the girls’ wishes of spending time with fans came true. On September 30, LOVElution attended an event held by EnVi Media at Cafe Joah in New York City. While the cafe was filled with their uplifting tunes, the girls got to chat and relax with their fans. As the afternoon consisted of cute drinks and beautiful memories, we hope this is a day that LOVElution and WAV will cherish forever.
LOVElution <ↀ> and its lead single, “Girls’ Capitalism,” are available for streaming on all platforms. To keep up with LOVElution on tour and future activities, you can follow their official social media profiles.
Want to read more exclusive interviews from EnVi? Check out how cignature celebrated their cheerful ode to summer here.
