82MAJOR Looks Back at Their Trainee Days with ‘[X-82]’

INTERVIEW

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INTERVIEW ✦

The six-member South Korean boy band 82MAJOR, which debuted in October 2023, takes its name from South Korea's national calling code, symbolizing their shared ambition to become major players in the global music scene. Fortunately, with their energetic performances and catchy productions, they’ve rapidly managed to make their mark.

In fact, the group is officially embarking on a gripping new chapter with their latest mini album, [X-82], presenting their fun, lively style, and musical versatility led by the title track, “Stuck,” designed as an alternative, must-have hip-hop song. Though, in addition to the strong single, each track across [X-82] harmoniously highlights the unique talents of the members, blending various genres to create a fresh and exciting sound that still feels specific to the group.

82MAJOR's new chapter doesn't just stop at their music either, because earlier this month it was also revealed that the group has also been nominated for a prestigious MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards) award, recognizing their outstanding contributions to the K-pop industry. And ultimately, this nomination demonstrates their hard work and inspiring dedication, as well as their ability to repeatedly connect with fans through hard-hitting music.

On the heels of the group’s new drop, the members of 82MAJOR are now delving into their thoughts on [X-82], overcoming adversity, upcoming promotions, and more.

How does it feel to finally release your new mini album, [X-82], just five months after your last album? 

CHO SEONG IL: First of all, we’re excited to meet our fans again. We worked hard to prepare for our new album [X-82], and we’ve been counting down the days to reveal it to our fans! We’ll be showcasing our cool sides until the end of our promotional period, so I hope everyone looks forward to it!

KIM DO GYUN: [X-82] is already our third album release, including our single, and we practiced until late at night every day so that we could show growth since our last album, [BEAT by 82]. We will continue in our endeavors to step up our artistry with each album release!

Did you learn anything from your well-received first mini album that you brought into this new project? 

NAM SEONG MO: We tried to incorporate aspects that our fans love about 82MAJOR! With each promotional period, I think we find out more and more what fans love about us. We felt that fans enjoy the members’ close relationship and the carefree mood when we are with each other. So we captured that chemistry in [X-82], and I think it was represented especially well in the two songs that we produced ourselves, “Face Time” and “Gossip.” The songs are easy to listen to, so I hope fans will listen to them on repeat!

[X-82] is named after the X-files. What initially inspired this title and how does it relate to the album's themes?

KIM DO GYUN: We were inspired by X-files in that we are showing sides of 82MAJOR that have previously not been revealed to the public. Just like the X-files, [X-82] contains our music and charms that we have not shown before in previous albums.

PARK SEOK JOON: There’s also a wordplay element to it. X-file and [X-82] are similar in pronunciation [X-82 is pronounced ‘ex-pal-ee’ in Korean], so we put a humorous spin on the name, in 82MAJOR’s signature witty style. 

YOON YE CHAN: In line with the keyword ‘X-file’, we transformed into secret agents! We are on a top-priority mission to conquer the hearts of listeners all over the world with our music. The ‘X’ also serves as a symbol of confirmation that we have finished conquering the world with our music, like putting an ‘X’ symbol on a map. 

The title track, “Stuck” features a fast-paced and vibrant beat. How would you each say your individual skills are showcased in this particular track? 

HWANG SEONG BIN: I thought hard about how to express this song best in my voice. So I experimented a lot while recording, and especially focused on making my tone sharper during practice. 

NAM SEONG MO: I was in charge of the opening of the song, and I gave a lot of thought to how to convey the song’s powerful energy from the start. I concentrated on intensity control, in order to create a relaxed yet speedy style.

In “Thorns” the message of overcoming adversity is heavily incorporated into the track’s DNA. How did your personal experiences influence this song?

CHO SEONG IL: I was able to empathize with the song more thanks to the experiences I had during our training period. As trainees, we were full of anxiety whether we would be able to debut, and that time to me feels like it was full of ‘thorns’. But even in those difficult times, we believed in ourselves and in our dreams, and made our way to the end of the tunnel by supporting each other. 

PARK SEOK JOON: As a trainee, I thought to myself, ‘Let’s endure this moment well’. I think that experience helped us convey the message of “Thorns” in our own voices. 

“Face Time” is noted for its blend of dark and light moods. How did you approach designing the rap and writing the lyrics for this song?

YOON YE CHAN: “Face Time” is a song that conveys our carefree nature in a fun way! While working on this song, we allowed ourselves to think outside the box and bounced ideas back and forth in a very free manner. It was a lot of fun!

NAM SEONG MO: We also spent some time thinking about how to express each member’s unique charm in a harmonious way. I think the song expresses CHO SEONG IL and KIM DO GYUN’s melodious voice, HWANG SEONG BIN’s powerful energy, PARK SEOK JOON’s low tone, and YOON YE CHAN and my laid-back spirit really well. 

“Gossip” conveys your unwavering confidence amidst the toxicity of rumors. What do you hope listeners take away from this particular track?

NAM SEONG MO: Our fans are called ‘82DE (Attitude)’, and we hope that 82DEs have enough confidence to not be swayed by what people around them say. Whatever path our fans choose to pursue is the right path, so I hope they will keep going down that path! We support you! 

When it comes to the album’s promotional cycle – what are you most excited about getting to share? Like, a certain track, showcasing growth, choreography, etc.? 

PARK SEOK JOON: I’m excited to share the dance performance of the title track “Stuck.” The choreography for “Stuck” is the most difficult of all our dance choreographies, with moves that highlight the key points of the music and lyrics. If you pay attention to the lyrics ‘혀끝[tip of the tongue]’ and ‘꽂혀버릴걸[will be stuck]’ during the stage performances, you will be able to enjoy the song even more.

HWANG SEONG BIN: I’m excited for stage performances of ‘Stuck’! We really enjoy performing live for fans, and we look forward to creating great experiences on stage with 82DE.