82MAJOR Brings Every Element of the Group’s Magnetic Sound Into a New Era
82MAJOR has spent much of 2026 finding new ways to stretch the exceptional sound the K-pop group has been building since their debut. In April, the six-member collective—NAM SEONG MO, PARK SEOK JOON, YOON YE CHAN, CHO SEONG IL, HWANG SEONG BIN, and KIM DO GYUN—returned with their immersive fifth mini-album, FEELM, a project whose title combines “Feel” and “Film” and approaches its songs like individual scenes within a larger reel. Across five tracks, including title track “Sign,” the group continued developing a musical identity increasingly shaped by their own instincts as writers, composers, and performers. And they are already moving again.
On September 1, 82MAJOR follows FEELM with their second single album, HEAT, adding another memorable release to what has become an especially active year for the group. Its simmering title track, “Like Fire,” pairs an intense beat with prominent synths and includes YOON YE CHAN among its composers, while “오늘 어때 (wyd?)” conversely shifts into a looser, hypnotic hip-hop groove to bring duality to the project. Arriving only a few months after FEELM, the single album also pushes further into the mature performance style and unexpected sounds they began exploring earlier this year. And that short distance between the two projects also makes their progression easier to see. FEELM moved freely through different moods and textures, while HEAT finds the members building on some of those discoveries with greater confidence in what 82MAJOR can encompass as a group.
Now, in their third conversation with Stardust, the members of 82MAJOR look back on the decisions that shaped FEELM, the ways their individual tastes continue to affect the group’s music, and how those experiences carried forward into HEAT.
With every member involved in shaping the music, how do you decide which ideas best serve a song when several different directions are possible?
CHO SEONG IL: When we have differing opinions musically, we usually gather everyone's thoughts and decide by majority vote. But if we still have a lot of different ideas coming up, we consult various people—like our producers or company staff—and make decisions based on the overall direction and balance.
HWANG SEONG BIN: That's right. We listen to each other, share our thoughts, and adopt the ideas that have the most consensus.
Is there a lyric, production detail, vocal choice, or arrangement idea on FEELM that listeners may not realize originated with a particular member?
HWANG SEONG BIN: I think this is an exclusive reveal, but "W.T.F" was actually originally intended just for concerts and wasn't planned for the album. However, someone suggested that it would make a great opener for FEELM, so it ended up being included. The contrast between its classic intro and the sudden shift in vibe is super cool.
YOON YE CHAN: I did the DJing in the highlight medley for the FEELM album, and that was actually my idea! SEONG MO also pitched the idea of doing a band performance for "CIRCLES" in the highlight medley.
Let’s start with your 2026 project, FEELM, which approaches each track as a distinct emotional scene within a larger cinematic reel. How did you shape the five-song sequence so those individual moments would come together as one cohesive journey?
NAM SEONG MO: Looking at the album as a whole, we arranged the tracklist in an order that flows smoothly.
YOON YE CHAN: We tried to create a sequence that feels seamless and never boring for our fans to listen to. We kept swapping the track order and listening back, tweaking it together by sharing everyone's feedback.
The track “W.T.F” begins with jazzy piano before abruptly shifting into a more unruly hip-hop performance. Why did that track feel like the right opening scene for FEELM, and what expectations did you want it to establish—or disrupt?
NAM SEONG MO: I thought the first track was the most important. I believe people decide whether to keep listening to the rest of the album based on that first track, so I wanted to put an impactful song that would make listeners curious about track two.
YOON YE CHAN: We wanted to showcase a bold, powerful side of 82MAJOR right off the bat. So that the moment you first hear it, you're immediately drawn in—making you go, "Huh? What's this?" right away.
“Sign” is a personal favorite that creates real impact through atmosphere rather than constant intensity. What did you want this change in energy to reveal about the group?
NAM SEONG MO: We put a lot of effort into showing a new side of 82MAJOR through a fresh concept. Unlike the powerful image people usually associate with 82MAJOR, we worked hard to deliver a more emotional and mature vibe.
PARK SEOK JOON: To convey the song's sexy yet restrained mood, we spent time researching our lyrical delivery, facial expressions, and gestures. I feel like we learned how to express emotions on stage in a much more compelling way.
The project moves through influences ranging from grunge rock and baile funk to house music. Which song transformed most dramatically between its earliest demo and the version listeners ultimately heard?
KIM DO GYUN: It's "YESSIR!" It underwent the most changes throughout the process. So many elements shifted—the lyrics, melody, title, and line distribution all changed the most. It ended up taking on a completely different form. It was originally a track posted on SoundCloud, but we decided it had the potential for further development, so all the members pitched in to transform it.
TROPHY carried a bold, declarative confidence, while FEELM expands the group’s identity through a wider range of sounds and emotions. In what ways did the previous project prepare you to take these creative risks?
HWANG SEONG BIN: While promoting "TROPHY," we came to trust the love our fans gave us, which encouraged us to try various new things. That's why we wanted to show a totally different side of ourselves for our "Sign" promotions.
PARK SEOK JOON: Through the experience we built up while performing "TROPHY," we were able to get a solid grasp on what kinds of choreography, gestures, and details would make our performances for "Sign" even better.
What did making FEELM prove to you about 82MAJOR’s capabilities that will influence the music you create next?
CHO SEONG IL: We gained confidence that we can pull off a wide variety of genres really well. With this confidence, I think we can be even bolder moving forward, knowing we can handle any genre.
KIM DO GYUN: I feel like our musicality leveled up once again. It gave us a big boost of confidence, which I think will play a major role in helping us create even better music in the future.
How does “HEAT” carry forward what 82MAJOR explored on FEELM while pushing the group’s sound in a new direction?
CHO SEONG IL: While promoting FEELM, we worked hard on our facial expressions and gestures to match the song’s mood, which earned us praise for pulling off the sexy concept. We worked to bring that side of ourselves out even more for HEAT.
YOON YE CHAN: I think while we were working on FEELM we really pushed a new sound that no one really expected us to do, and from that I think HEAT also branches from our experimentation sonically in the same direction as FEELM. Definitely a more sexy, R&B sound that's for sure.
NAM SEONG MO: Rather than showing a completely new side, we wanted to build on what we’ve shown so far and deliver an even more polished performance.
Is there something about “HEAT” that you were specifically excited for fans to hear or witness?
HWANG SEONG BIN: There’s a signature move in the title track where we strike a match and blow it out. I think it’ll really stick in your mind, so I hope you’ll keep an eye out for it!
PARK SEOK JOON: The title track gets more addictive every time you listen to it. We also took part in writing and composing the B-sides, so I think the album will let you experience even more of 82MAJOR’s charm.
KIM DO GYUN: We took the mature side we showed in “Sign” even further with the new title track.
