[HT Interview] BOYNEXTDOOR, Who Had Been Knocking on the Door, Finally Finds Home…Releases 1st Full-Length Album ‘HOME’ (Comprehensive)

Group BOYNEXTDOOR has finally found its own home with its 1st full-length album 'HOME.'

BOYNEXTDOOR met with Hanteo News at a cafe in Seoul on the 5th and talked about its new album and promotions. WOONHAK explained, “This album contains the process of leaving our old home and finding our home,” adding, “In the end, we realized that all emotions, such as gratitude, longing, and love, were thanks to the fans, and we found our home.” When asked whether they had found their home, he answered without hesitation, “We made a home, a home in our hearts.”

At the interview, MYUNG JAEHYUN, who had announced his ankle injury, drew attention by appearing on crutches. MYUNG JAEHYUN said, “I felt pain and visited the hospital, where I was diagnosed with a sprain, so I have been going to the hospital,” adding, “It is an album we prepared for a long time, and I have a very strong will to participate in the promotions, so I am focusing on the activities and devoting myself to recovery while talking with my doctor about how I can take part in the comeback.” LEEHAN said, “JAEHYUN has such a strong will to promote that the members are actually trying to stop him right now,” adding, “He is doing his utmost to recover so that there will be no disruption to music show promotions or activities for this full-length album, so we hope you look forward to it.” MYUNG JAEHYUN added, “I am still not exactly sure what will happen, but I think the biggest thought I have is that I want to participate in the performance.”

The lyrics of the title track 'VIRAL' contain witty expressions. MYUNG JAEHYUN explained, “It is about saying to an ex-lover, ‘We are going to become so famous that you will hear this song and cry alone in secret without anyone knowing. I’ll bet my copyright on that,’” adding, “We wanted to tell the story of hoping this song would linger in the ears of people around the world and continue to go viral and spread, by comparing it to love, the most universal emotion.” He continued, “Copyright is something truly precious, and I wanted to say that I am confident enough to bet even that.” The lyric was reportedly gifted to WOONHAK by ZICO, who produces BOYNEXTDOOR, because he thought it would suit him well. When asked whether he could bet his copyright that 'VIRAL' would do well, WOONHAK answered, “I can,” and MYUNG JAEHYUN also chimed in, “I will bet mine too.”

There was a reason behind their change from their existing friendly and bright concept. WOONHAK said, “It is true that we wanted to make a change as BOYNEXTDOOR,” adding, “We thought doing something new would actually be the most BOYNEXTDOOR-like thing, and we thought it would be good to show a newer BOYNEXTDOOR in Chapter 2 through a full-length album.” He continued, “There are also B-side tracks with an innocent atmosphere that may remind people of the previous BOYNEXTDOOR, but since the overall album is serious and sincere, we thought it was right for the title track to carry a unified mood.” LEEHAN said, “We are a team that always tries to transfer the emotions we feel at the time into our songs when we work,” adding, “We started making the album with the thought that, at this point in time, if we showed our honest and human sides, people might be able to love us more deeply.” MYUNG JAEHYUN said, “While preparing this album, I felt a lot that youth itself is something that cannot be expressed in a superficial form,” adding, “The anxiety we felt, the pain we went through, and the happiness we felt because of something all actually felt like they took the form of youth. So, as we naturally thought about wanting to tell this kind of story through the title track and what kind of music could express it most effectively, I think this kind of music came out.” WOONHAK added, “We thought it was time to bring out the emotions we had set aside.”

The reason they included autobiographical stories in the album was also clear. SUNGHO explained, “Over the past three years, as the members have grown, I thought we had accumulated a lot of things we wanted to say,” adding, “We talked about using this full-length album to express our inner stories and more honest words, and then move forward.” He continued, “We were able to naturally unfold stories about our parents, as well as the emotions we felt from before debut through the period after debut.” LEEHAN said, “In the CD only track 'I Wonder, Always,' I unfolded my trainee days in lyrics and melody for the first time,” adding, “At that time, I always thought I was too lacking, so I originally really disliked talking about those things, but I made a big decision with the hope that ONEDOOR who listen to it would like it.” MYUNG JAEHYUN said, “The act of bringing out the parts that had been knotted up inside was difficult in itself,” adding, “While working on it, TAESAN often said, ‘I hope this story does not sound like complaining,’ and we worked while being very cautious of that part.” He continued, “Because we are living a life we are more grateful for than anyone else and a very happy life, we worked while paying a lot of attention to controlling the temperature between those feelings. We made a lot of effort so that our sincerity could be felt, while also making the gratitude we feel and the way we love music come through in the lyrics.”

The members’ participation in this album is at an all-time high. WOONHAK said, “All the members were together from the kickoff of this album, and from the process of selecting each theme for the title track and B-side tracks, everything was inspired by the conversations we had.” He continued, “For songs with BOYNEXTDOOR’s name in the credits, such as '06070,' 'Please Remember Me,' 'I Wonder,' and 'I Wonder, Always,' we all participated and included our stories, and we also tried to put our emotions into the other songs.” Regarding work on the title track 'VIRAL,' MYUNG JAEHYUN said, “It is a song we made together while talking from the very beginning, starting with selecting the song’s theme,” adding, “WOONHAK and I participated in the work, but we were also inspired a lot by the members.” He continued, “Since Producer ZICO is always looking at the overall picture, he filled in many parts that we wanted to add to the song.”

Producer ZICO’s support also continued during the album-making process. MYUNG JAEHYUN said, “Producer ZICO came to the choreography practice room and watched us from the front, really like when we were trainees, and told us, ‘In a really good way, you feel like a rookie team re-debuting. I can feel the hunger to succeed in each of your eyes so much that it reminds me of the old days and makes me feel emotional.’” He continued, “Even after the album was completed, he contacted us separately and said the album came out well and that we did not need to worry, so we thought that what we wanted to deliver had been delivered well.”

'HOME' is an album that wraps up BOYNEXTDOOR’s Chapter 1 while also hinting at Chapter 2. SUNGHO explained, “Over the past three years, I think the members have gained more depth, both in terms of personality and in being able to tell many more stories, so by putting that depth into this full-length album, we wanted to show more diverse colors and show that we are friends with depth.” He continued, “In the track composition, there are songs that tell serious stories, while also including songs with the bouncy mood we originally showed, such as 'ADIOS!' and 'Upside Down,'” adding, “I think it is an album we wanted to turn the page with, as if foreshadowing that BOYNEXTDOOR going forward has become a little deeper and has a more diverse spectrum.”

MYUNG JAEHYUN said, “We really had a strong desire to make an album that felt like our original mindset,” adding, “We talked a lot about making an album that, if we ever lose our original mindset 20 or 30 years after debut, we could say, ‘Listen to this album and come back with that mindset.’” Regarding Chapter 2, he said, “We have a strong desire to show it through a new album, so we hope you continue to follow our music,” adding, “We started working on this album even before 'Hollywood Action' and worked on it for nearly a year, and even now, we are continuing to plan Chapter 2 in our heads.”

The album’s storyline also draws attention. LEEHAN said of the first track '06070,' “06070 is the postal code of the area where we continued practicing even after the company was acquired by HYBE,” adding, “It is a place filled with our memories and various emotions, so we chose it as the title.” WOONHAK explained, “This album contains the process of leaving our old home, 06070, and finding our own home,” adding, “There are happy emotions, sadness about youth passing by, and songs that contain the earnestness we had. The reason all of these emotions unfold and the final track ultimately ends with 'I Wonder' is because we realized that all those emotions, such as gratitude, longing, and love, were ultimately thanks to the fans, and because we found our home.” When asked whether they found their home through this album, WOONHAK said without hesitation, “We made a home, a home in our hearts,” adding, “The reason the album is named HOME is also because we hope it can become a home where the public and fans can comfortably come and lean on anytime when they listen to it.”

Stories from their trainee days also came up. SUNGHO said, “Because RIWOO and I were longtime trainees at the company, I think back then, we only tried to look good,” adding, “As we have promoted as BOYNEXTDOOR, we have come to know each other’s human sides much more deeply, and because of that, we were also able to become much more diverse in expressing ourselves musically.” MYUNG JAEHYUN said, “The time when I quit being a trainee and gave up on becoming an idol comes to mind the most,” adding, “I often think about whether I would have been able to do music if I had not met KOZ, who held onto me back then, and these members.” He continued, “WOONHAK once told me, ‘Until you joined the company, hyung, we were never BOYNEXTDOOR for even a single moment,’ and for me as well, until I met the members, I do not think there was a single day when I could laugh comfortably, so I am so grateful to have met them.”

They also honestly opened up about the anxiety they felt during the long hiatus. SUNGHO said, “When we first faced such a long hiatus, it is true that all the members felt very anxious,” adding, “Now, I think all the members have become stronger.” He continued, “We tried to stay closely connected with the fans who were waiting for us, and we also had conversations that helped us come together more tightly mentally, so I think we were able to spend that time in a slightly more mature way than before.” RIWOO said, “Every time we make a comeback, there is pressure that comes from wanting to live up to the fact that fans are waiting for us and looking forward to us,” adding, “Rather than only practicing during the regular practice time in our schedule, we looked at the calendar and said, ‘Let’s stay and practice on this day,’ and even at dawn, we continued to create more time on our own to practice, preparing because we wanted to show a more complete stage.”

Their goals were also clear. TAESAN said, “Honestly, I really want to take No. 1 on the annual chart of a music streaming site,” adding, “I want us to win No. 1 on every music show, become a team that has grown enough to receive the grand prize at every awards ceremony, and also take No. 1 on the Billboard chart.” LEEHAN added, “Since this is a full-length album, I hope we can achieve a career high.”

Next month, the group will also hold concerts in Seoul and Busan. TAESAN said, “Among ourselves, the setlist has already been completed, and we have also decided how it should be structured,” adding, “It is right before promotions, but we are also practicing for the concert at the same time.” He continued, “Personally, I think 'ADIOS!' from this album will be really exciting when performed at the concert,” adding, “Since it is a song with a band sound, I thought that if we perform it at the concert, everyone will really be able to run around together.”

They also shared their thoughts on their 3rd debut anniversary. SUNGHO said, “During the three years that feel short, I think so many things happened, and within that, we came to have various colors, so I feel proud in a way,” adding, “Through this album 'HOME,' I hope you look forward to the many sides we will show in the next three years, or even 10 years.” RIWOO said, “As the numbers 1st anniversary, 2nd anniversary, and 3rd anniversary get bigger, I think the meaning that approaches us becomes a little greater,” adding, “Before, because we were rookies, we could do everything with spirit, but as time passes, I think we feel a sense of responsibility that we have to do even better.” MYUNG JAEHYUN said, “When we talk with fans, we say that we have become one, two, and three years old, and I heard that babies usually start talking when they turn three,” adding, “There are so many things we could not say to fans over the past three years, and now I think a lot about wanting to say all the things we could not say, and I think the beginning of that was the content of this 1st full-length album.” TAESAN said, “Looking back on the past three years, the most memorable moment was when we held our final concert at KSPO DOME. About less than a week after our debut, the first stage we ever stood on was the KSPO DOME stage,” adding, “At that time, I wondered whether we would ever be able to fill that venue with our fans, and we achieved that last year, so I remember feeling really overwhelmed.” LEEHAN said, “I feel very proud because I can truly feel that our memories with fans are gradually increasing and piling up more deeply,” adding, “I am 21 years old in international age this year, and I think it is very romantic that we can leave records of all these moments when we are this young and shining.” WOONHAK said, “Since three years have passed, I am looking forward to the next three years and many more days ahead,” adding, “With this album, we are organizing the emotions of the past three years and moving on to the next version of ourselves, so I also have a vague anticipation about how much we will have grown next.” He continued, “If I had to choose the most memorable moment, I think it would be the working period for this album,” adding, “It was such a precious period because it was a moment when I felt so many joys, sorrows, pleasures, and pains, and this period once again gave me time to look back on myself and on us.”

BOYNEXTDOOR’s 1st full-length album 'HOME' will be released today at 6 PM. Attention is focused on what record BOYNEXTDOOR, which achieved two consecutive initial chodong million-seller albums by recording initial chodong sales of 1,041,802 copies with its previous work 'The Action,' will write this time.

BOYNEXTDOOR's interview articles
'발목 부상' 보이넥스트도어 명재현 "퍼포먼스 참여하고 싶지만.." [인터뷰 ①]

보이넥스트도어 운학 "신곡 'VIRAL' 잘 된다에 저작권 걸 수 있다" [인터뷰 ②]

7월 월드투어 앞둔 보이넥스트도어 "이미 세트리스트 나왔다" [인터뷰 ③]

보이넥스트도어 재현 "지코, 안무 연습 보더니 재데뷔 같다고" [인터뷰 ④]