All eyes are on ALL(H)OURS so be prepared to be in “SHOCK!” The seven members — KUNHO, YOUMIN, XAYDEN, MINJE, MASAMI, HYUNBIN, and ON:N — promise to dedicate all their hours into all they do. Equipped with a bold sound and fierce aura, these rookies are making their presence known. With the release of their EP WITNESS on July 2, ALL(H)OURS have introduced a new genre into the K-pop sphere. To learn more about their growth and their new album, EnVi spoke with ALL(H)OURS in an exclusive email interview.
Rising As Rookies
Celebrating their 200th day since their debut on January 10, the group has already released two mini albums. ALL(H)OURS’ sound is confident and unapologetically honest. In such a short period of time, the group has developed their own signature spirit.
When asked what they felt changed most since their debut, leader KUNHO noted, “I would like to point out that as an artist, we began to think more about what kind of performances we would like to show to the audiences, what kind of voices we would like to make to suit the vibe of the song.” He added, “Prior to our debut, we were more focused on showing how good we are, showing off ourselves individually. After debut, we try to focus on standing out as a group, working as a team.”
Even as they shift their focus, music remains their one constant. For the youngest member ON:N, music has been essential to his life since he was small. “Ever since I was a baby, I loved listening to music and dancing,” he wrote. ON:N attributes his dream of becoming an idol to the global phenomenon, PSY. “When I saw him performing in front of the audience, it really overwhelmed and inspired me to become someone who can also overwhelm others by performance. I want to become just like PSY, who can also inspire others or a person who can give such a powerful energy just by watching him perform.”
Trusting the Process
YOUMIN, XAYDEN, and ON:N are in charge of dance in ALL(H)OURS. In their debut album, ALL OURS, these three members are credited with working on choreography for “WAO WAO” and “Racer.” From leading dance practices to creating new choreography, this trio brings precision and passion. Furthermore, collaboration and communication is essential to refining the group’s dance formations.
“ON:N and I usually start by creating the choreography from scratch and making the guideline of which kind of vibe we want to give within the song. Then, usually, XAYDEN comes into play by adding extra gestures and making our choreography more dramatic and more playful,” explained YOUMIN. The three work together to perfect details among themselves until they’re satisfied. “Then we present it to the other members for their opinions, and they usually give feedback to make the choreography smoother, or such that fits into the overall vibe of ALL(H)OURS. We take into account every member’s idea when making choreography because then we are able to see the whole performance more objectively,” YOUMIN said.
While the seven of ALL(H)OURS exude charisma onstage, so much preparation goes on in the studio as well. Together, the group has written and composed two songs, “ALL OURS” from their debut EP of the same name and “Blah Blah” from their second EP, WITNESS.
HYUNBIN told EnVi that the members’ participation in songwriting was planned before their debut. “We actually prepared “Blah Blah” prior to preparing for ALL OURS. The actual plan was to have “Blah Blah” as one of our B-side tracks for our debut album, ALL OURS.” As developing artists, the members found themselves stuck often. The rapper added, “As it was our first time writing lyrics to our own song, it was a bit challenging, and I think it has been a challenge for [Japanese member] MASAMI, especially because writing lyrics in a different language is not easy at all. We helped each other out as a group, whenever someone had trouble finding the right word for a specific part.” Just as the lyrics of “ALL OURS” convey, the ALL(H)OURS’ members were ready to help each other in this new experience together.
Time to Recharge
The intensity of preparing for performances is physically exhausting. Months of preparation are involved with each new release. Between composing, writing, practicing choreography and vocals, and live performances, the group is busy. In order to gather the energy needed for the stage, the members shared the ways they wind down.
YOUMIN talked about centering himself by listening to music and reading. “Reading is one of my favorite hobbies and one of the ways I use to relax myself during off-schedule days,” he said. “It helps me to think about different things, and to charge myself before I get busy as well.” As he reads, he nurtures his mental state and regains his strength.
Maintaining his condition with physical rest is both a need and a hobby for MINJE. “I am sure a lot of people know about this by now, but one of my hobbies is to sleep. I can sleep throughout the whole day without waking up,” he wrote. When he’s not sleeping, MINJE likes to spend his time gaming. “I also like to play video games when we get home, and my game buddy is XAYDEN!”
ALL(H)OURS Through Songs
With their recent title track, “SHOCK,” ALL(H)OURS conjure up the mythical Korean dokkaebi, or a goblin. The goblin is a symbol of physical prowess and fortitude, which the group channels through their lyrics and performance. Exploring beyond their title tracks, EnVi asked the group which songs they felt best represented their unique strengths.
KUNHO, YOUMIN, and XAYDEN all agreed on “’Bout That Issue,” a track with an addictive chorus. Leader KUNHO broke down the song’s composition and the ways it spotlights the members’ live vocals. “The beat itself is flexible — it has both the fast and slow paced beat within the song,” he explained. “The mood and the member who sings each part change very frequently; and therefore, I think the audience will be able to observe and listen to different unique voices of ALL(H)OURS.” YOUMIN added, “The lyrics of ‘’Bout That Issue’ raises the question of ‘Who is ALL(H)OURS?’ and through this song, you can find the charms of ALL(H)OURS one by one.”
Part of the group’s identity is found in the way they allow themselves to enjoy every show they do. Dancer and vocalist YOUMIN enjoyed the song’s message, while rapper XAYDEN liked the performance aspect. “When all the other songs needed some add-ons when performing it, ‘’Bout That Issue’ is the song where we can just perform it on-stage freestyle and still be able to pull it off nicely because it just represents who we are as ALL(H)OURS,” said XAYDEN.
The resolute and gritty track “PSYCHO MANTRA” is vocalist MINJE’s choice. “It well describes what our concept is within just the beat of this song, and the lyrics which states that we are going to lure all the audiences with our special mantra, suits our intention and ambition.” Periodic whistling and smooth harmonies make this track especially catchy, further echoing the song’s theme.
Rapper MASAMI loves the new concept shown in “Racer.” “‘Racer’ is different from our concept and what we are trying to pursue as a group. It’s more of a melodic song, but if you pay attention to the lyrics of ‘Racer,’ it portrays what we are going through right now,” MASAMI explained.
He also broke down the lyrics and their significance to the journey that ALL (H)OURS are pursuing together. The pre-chorus part, “Trials come coldly blooming within the pain,” stands out to him. “In this particular part, we are going through a lot and there’s so much to overcome, but it is followed by the next part of the lyrics, ‘Together we overcome, now ready to run, throwing ourselves on the pedals,’ which then portrays that although we did go through lots of obstacles, we will overcome these easily together as a group,” he emphasized.
“ALL OURS,” meanwhile, has a special place in the hearts of rapper HYUNBIN and youngest member ON:N. As it’s the first song the entire group participated in writing, the two have strong emotional connection to it. “We wrote the lyrics based on what we experienced together from the beginning, when we first met each other, or days we spent together as trainees,” HYUNBIN recalled. “By listening to this particular song, the audience will be able to have some peek at our friendship, what we went through together, basically the history of ALL(H)OURS!”
Through the good and the bad, the group has found that each others’ support holds them together. Energetic and playful, the heartfelt song invites fans to see the group in a new light. “Since we wrote the lyrics of “ALL OURS” ourselves, it contains the story of ALL(H)OURS from our own perspective, and thus, by listening to this song, you can see what we went through, experiencing parts of ALL(H)OURS in our own shoes,” said ON:N.
Bringing a New Beat
“SHOCK” falls within the drift phonk genre, which isn’t heard often in K-pop songs. Fast-paced and layered with electronic beats, the track induces an adrenaline rush. “It was nice to be the first artist to introduce Drift Phonk into K-pop, it was a new challenge and experience for us,” XAYDEN wrote. “Not many of us listened to Drift Phonk before so we also learned something new through our second mini album as well.”
When asked what other genres the members would like to introduce to K-pop, XAYDEN had an unexpected idea. “I listen to a variety of different genres, and one of them is country music. I think it would be very interesting to introduce country to K-pop, since I don’t think many artists have tried it yet,” he observed. Indeed, while there are plenty of cowboy and wild western concepts, not many tracks have explored the country genre. If ALL(H)OURS’ adaptability to new concepts and genres is anything to go by, country could be incorporated in their next album.
Love For Every MIN(UT)E, Every Minute
Just as they pour everything into their music and performances, ALL(H)OURS also love giving back to their fans, Min(ut)e. MASAMI expressed his desire to establish stronger personal connections and communication. “Apart from our music and performances, we would like to develop our ways of communicating with our fans, Min(ut)es. We gain so much energy from our fans, both on and off stage,” he said. “As they inspire us, sending unconditional love, we would also like to show them how much we think about them, how much we appreciate their love, and of course, how much we love them as well. We would like to return the support and love to them!”
As they made their closing remarks, ALL(H)OURS gave a direct shout out to their fans. “Hi Min(ut)es! Thank you for sending unconditional love to ALL(H)OURS!” KUNHO professed. “Your chant and cheers inspire us the most and become the strength for us to practice harder and to become a better artist! We can’t wait to show more of what we have in us! I hope you enjoyed our interview with EnVi [Media] as well.”
Keep up with ALL(H)OURS on Instagram, TikTok, and X. You can stream their music on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music.
Translations provided by Helix Publicity Team.
Looking for more rookies to keep an eye out for? Read about Korean pop-rock band Catch The Young here.
