P1Harmony get emotional with 7th Mini-album ‘SAD SONG’
The incredibly charismatic K-pop group talk to Rolling Stone UK about complex emotions and exploring a new sound on their latest mini-album
K-Pop idols P1Harmony are working through some complex emotions for their seventh min-album, ’SAD SONG.’ The title track of the album immediately showcases the depth of exploration the group has done for the record, subverting the idea of loneliness, paring romantically fraught lyrics with a sonically thumping rollercoaster of a song. The track has a post-relationship-cursing your ex-vibe similar to that of Cheryl’s iconic ‘Promise This’ or a more uptempo Adele song. Listening to the album, it’s easy to imagine KEEHO and THEO doing justice to a ‘Rolling in the Deep’ cover, with their soothingly strong and syrupy vocals. JIUNG, JONGSEOB and INTAK rip through their raps as KEEHO and THEO’s raspy vocals do tricks and put on a melodic masterclass complimented by SOUL’s softer tones, floating over the top of heavy a thumping track. ‘It’s Alright’ carries on the theme of prideful solitude as ‘Last Call’ penned and produced by JIUNG, lightens things sonically before amping up the rock with ‘Welcome to” The brooding INTAK, who really relishes the bruised-up bad boy role in the ‘SAD SONG’ music video, has teamed up with fellow rap-unit member JONGSEOB on ‘WASP’ -a much grittier, bass-filled R&B track, that’s a departure from the group’s more uptempo sound. The freedom they’ve displayed venturing out with their sound in ‘WASP’ is indicative of the mini-album as whole, that lyrically contains plenty of lack of inhibitions and unapologetic raw emotion, including ‘Last Call’ that has plenty of levels and gear changes for an eclectic collection of songs with common themes and threads.
The group, compared by the devastatingly charming Canadian KEEHO, sat down with us to chat about loneliness, their favourite U.K artists and sad songs that make them emotional.
SAD SONG as an album has concepts of embracing and indulging in loneliness. How was exploring more complex emotions in your music?
KEEHO: I think loneliness is an experience and an emotion that we all feel. I feel like speaking about something that someone can resonate with and relate to is really important to us because we want to be able to experience it truly. We want to speak from experience as well and we want our fans to find a certain comfort from us when they listen to our music, so I think it was really fun to put it into the music, but not in the way that was so deep and kind of depressing, because I think that when you do sing about emotions that are a little more on the negative side, it tends to get a little darker. That’s what was super fun about ‘SAD SONG’ because the track itself is so energetic and fun. So being able to speak about those emotions but also have a contrast sonically made it a lot more fun to work with and we hope our fans can enjoy ‘SAD SONG’ but also learnt to embrace loneliness and win over (loneliness.)
Everyone has a playlist or a song they put on repeat if they want to heighten their emotions/cry or indulge in their sadness. What would your song or playlist be that makes you cry or emotional?
JIUNG: I think ‘Breathin’ by Ariana Grande. That’s always on my playlist when I am (feeling) sad. The chorus of the song repeats the words ‘Breathin’ which helps me a lot to feel the emotion more. I can literally just focus on my breathing when I listen to the song. I’m able to focus on the emotions as well, and just thinking about the emotion helps me overcome it.
How has your sound and your lyrics changed as a group over the years? Do you have a common musical or lyrical threat that is at the heart of all your music?
KEEHO: Sonically, for me personally, our leading singles they have been consistent with the fact that they’re super energetic and they’re up tempo and they’re fun to perform. With our growth, we have become so much more comfortable and more confident in our vocal techniques. Our rappers write their own lyrics for their raps and being able to have that personality that’s truly us shown into the music (through our music). As we grow older in our years- even though we are young still, we’re able to add our own personalities and our own experiences that we feel on a day to day into our music. So as we grow our music matures and grows with us. The energy and uptempo sound is consistently there, but as we grow as people, our music becomes deeper and more genuine and meaningful as well.
Do you have a track from SAD SONG that you resonate with more or that you’re excited to perform on tour?
JONGSEOB: For the first time ever in our career, I’ve got to do a unit song with with INTAK that’s called ‘WASP’ and because I was so heavily involved with the production and the making of it, it’s very personal to me, because I have been really able to put my own stuff into the song. It’s also one the songs that I’m really looking forward to performing as our fans really really want to hear it live, first off and I feel like it will be a different and fun setting to be on stage with just the two of us and be able to perform a song in that genre that we have never really performed before.
How does WASP differ from other P1Harmony tracks?
INTAK: Since it’s our first rap unit track, it seems like the hip-hop sound stands out much more compared to our previous P1Harmony songs! Also, you’ll notice a difference in the chemistry between just the two of us, which the P1Harmony rap line hasn’t been able to show before.
Is travelling on tour and living in hotels lonely? Who is the best person to travel on tour with to help with the mood?
SOUL: I don’t particularly feel lonely, because when we are in hotels, we don’t have our own rooms, we share. Two members per room. I don’t feel lonely, but I want to try sharing a room with KEEHO.
KEEHO: A long time ago, SOUL and I went on a trip to Jeju. it’s an island in South Korea where a lot of people go on vacation. SOUL and I went and we had a little fun travelling and exploring.
SOUL: If I were to share a room with KEEHO when we went on tour. I think I would be able to travel and explore a lot more and explore and see stuff outside of touring with him.
Do you change your roommate pairings a lot?
KEEHO: We stay in pairs. The fixed pairings are INTAK and I, JIUNG and THEO, and then SOUL and JONGSEOB. It’s been like that for the past three years and it’s never changed but it works. We don’t have any complaints, so that’s why it’s never changed. But I think we like to spend time with each other, but not just with each other. When we’re on tour, we really like to experience the city that we’re in. It really depends on who you room with, because if the person you room with doesn’t want to go out, you kind of end up staying home. But if the person you room with goes out, then you kind of end up following along. So think that’s why SOUL picked me as someone who he would like to room with next, because I am always out! I love to go out?
You’ve performed in London before. Is there anything you particularly loved about it?
THEO: I really liked the overall vibe that London gave. Every time I walked down the street, it seemed like a movie. I just loved going to London.
KEEHO: One time JONGSEOB and I- I remember it was super super cold- we went out and we had fish and chips. It was a really popular street with decorations hanging above?
Carnaby St?
KEEHO: Yes yes yes yes yes! I remember we walked around and we looked at the stores and we ate fish and chips and it was so so cold, but it was so beautiful. It was a weekend, so many people were out. Just seeing all the people in the UK and how they live their lives was really fun as we don’t get to see that very often.
Carnaby St is known to have lots of shops and fashion brands and as a band, you guys are really into your style. What styles or accessories/jewellery are you feeling at the moment?
INTAK: Lately, I’ve been really into accessories like bandanas and scarves! I want to buy a cute bandana and hang it on my bag.
Do you have any British artists you love? Or any UK songs you are obsessed with at the moment?
THEO: Queen, Oasis. There is a band we collaborated with a year ago called New Hope Club. We love them.
INTAK: Central Cee!
KEEHO: I really like Pinkpantheress
She’s a huge Kpop fan!
KEEHO: She is, and I can’t wait to hopefully meet her one day!
Have you learnt anything interesting about each other from travelling/spending so much time with each other? Like funny or cute habits etc that P1ECES might not know about?
JONGSEOB: I’m not sure if P1ECES have noticed it, but whenever we do shows, JIUNG loves to beat his chest. It’s a habit, like a gorilla. He pounds on his chest!
JIUNG: I will say something about this (laughs) it wasn’t a habit, but it became a habit maybe like a few months ago. I started this pounding my chest, because there is a message (to it) that it’s in my heart- the feelings, the atmosphere the love from our fans. Everything is in my heart and I’m going to remember and keep it with me forever.
THEO: Whenever we’re done with a show and we change out of our clothes, every time I see JIUNG after the show, his chest is always red (everyone laughs)
Is there anything you’re excited about for the rest of the year and 2025?
KEEHO: 2024 has been such a crazy year for us. Being able to kick off our tour, getting our first music show win and everything with ‘SAD SONG.’ It has been a great year for us. We can’t wait for what 2025 will bring for us. Even the rest of the year we have so much left. We have the Jingle Ball and a bunch of other festivals coming up, so being able to be a part of these amazing festivals and be on these amazing stages and perform on them. We’ve always dreamed about them and they’re coming true, so we’re very thankful.
P1Harmony’s seventh mini album ‘SAD SONG’ is out now.