The five members of ARTMS know a thing or two about success in the K-Pop industry. JinSoul, HaSeul, Kim Lip, HeeJin, and Choerry are former members of the twelve-member K-Pop girl group LOONA, which formed in 2016 and paused activities last year after all twelve members left their previous agency. As they have ventured through their music careers since LOONA’s halt, JinSoul, HaSeul, Kim Lip, HeeJin, and Choerry joined a new label and entertainment agency, MODHAUS, and have expressed themselves through solo and unit music. HeeJin and HaSeul released solo songs and Kim Lip, JinSoul, and Choerry put out more music under their trio unit, ODD EYE CIRCLE. Continuing on their path of new beginnings, they joined together to form the project group ARTMS and release a new full-length album called Devine All Love & Live, also known as Dall.
ARTMS covers many themes throughout the eleven tracks on Dall, including their endless love for their fans, OURII, togetherness, and perseverance. Additionally, they sprinkle in elements of prior releases by including samples of past songs throughout their album. Some of the samples are present within “Candy Crush,” a song referencing HaSeul’s debut city pop single “Plastic Candy,” “Air,” which samples “Air Force One” by ODD EYE CIRCLE, and “Flower Rhythm,” a fusion of HeeJin’s “Kehwa” and “Algorithm.”
Prior to their album’s release, it was announced that ARTMS will embark on a world tour this summer entitled 2024 ARTMS World Tour Moonshot. They will perform in Korea, Japan, and America, beginning with Seoul, South Korea in July. As they celebrate their album’s release and upcoming tour, ARTMS revealed intricate details about Dall, the differences and similarities between ARTMS and their previous group and solo work, their excitement for touring, and more in an exclusive interview with Kpopconcerts.com.
KPC: Congratulations on the release of your new album, Dall, and your upcoming tour! Does putting out music as ARTMS feel the same or different from your previous eras?
Kim Lip: Of course, we were very happy with the release of our previous albums, but this debut album by ARTMS holds even more significance. We actively participated in the process, and it carries great meaning not only for us but also for fans who have waited for it. This album is very precious to us.
KPC: It was revealed that Dall is an acronym for “Devine All Love & Live.” Can you give some details about the meaning of this phrase and how it ties into the album?
HaSeul: Was the angel in “Virtual Angel” a typical and dogmatic one? Rather than providing an answer, we prefer to explore this question together with our fans. Is love a blessing or a gift? Or is it a corrupted emotion with a cruel side? This album encompasses all the dualities of love and life. That’s why we wanted to twist the word from “Divine” to “Devine.” This is possible because ARTMS, rather than being a totally new project, has risen above many wounds and adversities from our previous agency.
KPC: Your title track, “Virtual Angel,” contains beautiful lyrics about being a source of comfort for someone when their heart breaks. How do you hope these lyrics will resonate with listeners? What do you want listeners to take away from hearing “Virtual Angel”?
Choerry: “Virtual Angel” also contains the sentiment of filling the empty and lonely feelings within. When you listen to the song, it builds up a sacred vibe reminiscent of a cathedral, so I hope our fans can feel that overwhelming emotion as they listen.
KPC: There are some songs on Dall that describe feelings of love, such as the sweet city pop song, “Candy Crush,” and fun electronic-pop number, “Flower Rhythm.” How did conveying young love on the album assist in carving the narrative of Dall?
HaSeul: I think “Candy Crush” from the Dall album is the most enjoyable song to listen to. When we recorded it, we thought of it as a love song confessing to our fans, which made the final product even better.
KPC: “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” has an intriguing title and electronic-pop sound. Can you give some background into creating this song and its title? Did it take any inspiration from Douglas Adams’ science fiction novel of the same name or was that merely coincidence?
HeeJin: This song was inspired by Douglas Adams’ sci-fi novel. Like the very witty story in the novel, it was completed with the intention of showing our new image to not only the fans who have loved us since LOONA, but also to new fans.
KPC: The music videos that have been released thus far have all been extremely different, with the visuals for “Birth” being especially gothic and eerie. What went into this filming process and how were you able to capture the essence of the characters portrayed in the “Birth” music video?
Choerry: “Birth” is truly a type of music rarely seen in K-Pop! To capture the eerie atmosphere, an illustrator actually drew a picture for us, and the song expresses ARTMS’ unique darkness with its scary and spooky vibe.
KPC: It is impressive that you sampled some of your past songs on Dall. Why was it important to take pieces of your previous works and incorporate them into this new project?
Heejin: Before ARTMS started promoting as a full group, we released albums as the unit ODD EYE CIRCLE and as solos by HeeJin and HaSeul. The fact that we’ve come together to form ARTMS as a complete group is an important key point in the storytelling of this album.
KPC: It is super exciting that your tour is starting next month. What are you most looking forward to on the tour?
JinSoul: Since this is our first tour as ARTMS, and most of the stages we’ll be performing on for the first time, I’m very excited and curious to see fans’ reactions. This time we’ll also be visiting more cities, so I look forward to meeting many more fans.
KPC: From the songs on Dall, which do you hope to perform for fans the most?
JinSoul: Personally, I really like the song “Butterfly Effect.” It has fantastic choreography and a grand sound, so I want to showcase it well on stage.
KPC: Would you like to share any messages with OURII?
Kim Lip: OURII, thank you so much for being with us from the beginning of ARTMS. Seeing such positive responses from you makes all our hard work feel worthwhile. Thank you for always giving us so much love, and let’s stay together for a long time. 💘
Tickets for 2024 ARTMS World Tour Moonshot are available for purchase now.