EVNNE is no stranger to reinventing themselves. From paint-splattered artists and messy farmers, carefree boys sweating under the summer sun, and sweethearts passing infatuated love notes, EVNNE has made it clear that they’re not confined to any boxes. But with the release of their first single album 뱉어 (Backtalk), EVNNE enters an entirely new era that puts their rebellious spirit on full display. In their first release as a five-piece group, members KEITA, PARK HANBIN, LEE JEONGHYEON, MUN JUNGHYUN, and PARK JIHOO are vulnerable, embracing the toughest parts of their journey to show the most honest parts of who they are.
The single album features the hip-hop-based lead track “뱉어 (Backtalk)” that showcases EVNNE’s explosive energy and serves as a sort of “self-diss” track. All of the members contributed to songwriting for the track, channeling their shared hardships into a declaration of determination. The song sees them pledging to rise above whatever obstacles the universe may throw at them and carve their own path. The album also includes the B-side track “STAY,” an electroclash song that takes influence from hyperpop. The two songs present fans, known as ENNVE, with a never-before-seen side of the group, helping to develop EVNNE’s new era by taking fans in a completely new musical direction.
Kpopconcerts.com spoke with EVNNE about their evolution as a group, how ENNVE influences their work, and what their new paths will look like.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
KPC: 뱉어 (Backtalk) is your first single album. What makes this release stand out from your previous work?
LEE JEONGHYEON: I think the biggest difference for this album is that we explored the digicore genre. It’s still quite an unfamiliar genre in K-pop, but it really complements the album’s themes of “self-diss” and our members’ determination to carve out a new path moving forward. While working on the album, we paid a lot of attention to capturing the raw, intense energy that’s unique to digicore.
KPC: You sing about “paving a new way” in this track. What does that path look like to you?
MUN JUNGHYUN: Out of all the albums we’ve released so far, this is the one we were most deeply involved in creating. Because of that, I think it’s the album that reflects our opinions and the stories we wanted to tell most clearly, and it really allowed us to share something that only EVNNE can express. Even in the lyrics, there are references to our BOYS PLANET days through lines like “that blue-haired kid” and “PLANET’s light.” Lyrics like “We’re the wake on a jellyfish, we go our own way” and “Keep looking, we’re one of a kind” also capture where EVNNE stands now and the direction we want to move toward in the future. Starting with this album, we want to continue being deeply involved in the creative process and keep showing stories that only we can tell, along with performances that only we can put on.
KPC: What was the biggest challenge when preparing for this comeback?
PARK HANBIN: I think the most difficult part was figuring out how we wanted to grow after reorganizing and preparing ourselves to move in a certain direction. We had a lot of discussions about how we could differentiate ourselves from the 7-member EVNNE and other artists, and we began training earlier this year to fully commit to the path we chose. At first, we needed time to adjust because the music and choreography styles were completely new to us, but looking back now, we can definitely say that the training process helped us tremendously with this comeback.
KPC: What was your favorite part of filming the “뱉어 (Backtalk)” music video?
KEITA: On the first day of filming the music video, we shot a scene where all of us were just freely hanging out together with the music playing. It felt really different from the other music videos and content we’ve filmed before, so it was a lot of fun and really memorable.
PARK HANBIN: I really enjoyed the scenes where the members were running around together at the construction site. Since the scene was going to be edited with a slow-motion effect later, we had to make our actions bigger, so I remember all of us just running around the site together.
LEE JEONGHYEON: There was a scene where the lights were flickering while we were all just having fun together and letting out our energy. I remember having such a great time filming it.
MUN JUNGHYUN: I really loved filming at the quarry, which was one of the main sets for this music video. The scenery was so beautiful that it naturally put me in a great mood while filming.
PARK JIHOO: I liked the part where we were dancing together and just having fun while the lights kept flashing on and off.
KPC: For this release, you updated your logos to an edgier, more modern style. How does this reflect in your newest music?
PARK JIHOO: I think the logo really represents our determination to embrace EVNNE’s past while also showing a new side of ourselves. Just like the previous logo, it still incorporates the letters “E” and “V,” but with a more unique design that reflects everything our members have gone through up until now, while also symbolizing the different image we want to show moving forward. In that sense, I think it is closely connected to the message of this single album.
PARK HANBIN: If you look at the logo, the design also resembles a star. I think that detail ties back to the meaning behind our group name and represents the promise we’ve held since our debut, which is to shine at the highest place possible. In many ways, I believe it captures our mindset of wanting to push ourselves even harder again through 뱉어 (Backtalk).
KPC: You recently went through some lineup changes. In what ways has your team adapted to make sure you still put on your best performance?
LEE JEONGHYEON: As we reorganized into a five-member group, we spent a lot of time thinking about what kind of EVNNE we wanted to show moving forward. In particular, the music genre and choreography style for this album are very different from what we have shown before, so while preparing for the comeback, we worked hard to make the new style feel natural to us. Personally, I remember spending a lot of time in the practice room trying to fully capture the relaxed and free-spirited vibe that’s unique to this choreography.
MUN JUNGHYUN: Even with our previously released songs, the reorganization meant that each of us had to take on more roles and responsibilities. With fewer members, there were more parts that each person had to cover, and we also had to work together in new ways again. But because everyone worked so hard in their own position, I think we were able to show a great performance in the end.
KPC: You’re known for your impressive covers that honor the original artists while showcasing your unique style as a group. How do you decide what songs you want to cover while still making sure you are making them your own?
PARK HANBIN: When it comes to choosing cover songs, the members and the company usually gather songs that we think would match both the atmosphere of the performance and EVNNE’s energy, and then we select from that list. Once the song is decided, we work together with the company to figure out how to interpret and perform it in a way that preserves the original vibe while also adding EVNNE’s own style. I think it’s a process that involves a lot of discussion and careful thought to deliver a great cover performance.
KPC: What songs would you like to cover next?
PARK HANBIN: I’d like to cover “Dream Girl” by SHINee. I think it’s a song where we could really showcase our vocals well, and performing with stand microphones could let us show a completely different side of EVNNE’s charm.
LEE JEONGHYEON: I’d love to cover “Chk Chk Boom” by Stray Kids or “WONDERLAND” by ATEEZ. I think our energy on stage and the way we have fun while performing would match those songs really well!
MUN JUNGHYUN: I’d really like to cover a song by Stray Kids someday. EVNNE is known for putting on great cover performances, but we’ve never covered Stray Kids’ songs before, so I definitely want to take on that challenge.
PARK JIHOO: I’d like to cover songs by Block B.
KPC: You’ve continuously been involved in the production of your music with each release. Where does inspiration strike you the most when it comes to writing and producing?
KEITA: I personally draw inspiration from a lot of different places, but I think I mainly get inspired through my hobbies and interests. I listen to a lot of music and watch a lot of anime as well, so the emotions and thoughts I get from those experiences naturally end up reflected in my music.
MUN JUNGHYUN: For this album, I think the biggest source of inspiration was the journey that all of our members have gone through so far. Starting from our BOYS PLANET days, EVNNE’s story and the scars we picked up along the way were all embraced and reflected in this album, which allowed us to tell a story that only EVNNE could tell.
PARK JIHOO: When I work on music, I usually start by deciding what kind of song I want to create. Then I look for songs with a similar mood or atmosphere to the one I have in mind. I think that’s where I get a lot of my inspiration from.
KPC: In just a few years, you’ve gone from debut to Billboard charts to sold-out concerts. If you could send one message to your debut selves, what would it be?
KEITA: I’d like to say, “Keep studying and exploring so you can continue making better music and greater things!”
PARK HANBIN: There’s a saying that comes to my mind, which is that no matter how hard someone works, they can’t beat someone who truly enjoys what they do. I’d want to tell myself always to enjoy the stage, trust myself, and keep moving forward, because that’s how one grows up.
LEE JEONGHYEON: “You’re already doing so well right now, so don’t lose your confidence or the mindset you started with. Just keep moving forward. Do everything you want to do! Love you, fighting!”
MUN JUNGHYUN: I’d tell myself to never stop working on music and to keep going no matter what.
PARK JIHOO: I want to tell myself to believe in who I am and keep working hard.
KPC: You recently made stops in the U.S. and Europe for your SET N GO tour. What was your favorite part about meeting international ENNVE?
LEE JEONGHYEON: Whenever we travel overseas, including the U.S. or Europe, the thing that stays with me the most is how passionately the fans welcome us. We can already feel their excitement even before the show starts, and during the performances, their cheers are so loud that we can sometimes hear them through our in-ear monitors.
PARK HANBIN: I also think it’s really impressive how fans in different regions enjoy our performances in different ways. In the U.S., fans dance along to our choreography during each song, while in Europe, the crowd hypes up the atmosphere together by stomping their feet. Seeing that gives us an incredible amount of energy from the fans, and it makes us enjoy performing on stage even more.
KPC: In what ways did performing abroad and meeting international fans influence this single album?
KEITA: I think performing on so many stages overseas and meeting fans from different cultures helped us become more natural and energetic on stage. I also think the tracks on this album were created to really capture and showcase that side of us.
PARK HANBIN: International fans send us a new kind of energy that is different from the energy we receive in Korea. While working on this album, their energy made us want to create songs that people could jump to, have fun with, and enjoy together.
PARK JIHOO: As we performed overseas more often and met more international fans, we prepared this album with songs that everyone could have fun and enjoy together.
KPC: Lastly, do you have any final messages you would like to say to ENNVE?
KEITA: Hello, ENNVE! This is EVNNE! We’ve finally made our comeback with our first single album, 뱉어 (Backtalk)! We hope you’ll listen closely to the story we want to share with you through this album, and please continue to show lots of love and support for the music and performances we’ll keep bringing you in the future as well. Thank you!
The new era of EVNNE is shaping up to be one ENNVE and casual fans alike can look forward to. EVNNE’s first single album 뱉어 (Backtalk) is out now on all streaming platforms!
Thank you to Jellyfish Entertainment for the interview opportunity!