Q&A: 82MAJOR on Growing Together, Finding Their Sound and ‘HEAT’
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY ALICIA ZAMORA ☆
82MAJOR ARE FINALLY GETTING THEIR MOMENT—For 82MAJOR, their first music show win is a moment that means a little more than just taking home a trophy. On September 9, the group earned their first No. 1 win on Show Champion with “Like Fire,” a milestone that came after years of preparing, performing, and growing together.
SEONG IL used his speech to thank the people who have supported them, including their CEO, whom the members see as a mother figure. SEONG MO had his own full-circle moment. Before becoming the artist holding the trophy, he had been on the other side of it as an MC on Show Champion, presenting awards to other artists. This time, he was the one receiving it.
That win comes during the release of HEAT, which gives 82MAJOR two very different sounds. “Like Fire” has a stronger, more intense feel, while “오늘 어때 (wyd?)” is much more relaxed. The members wanted both songs on the album because there isn’t just one side to 82MAJOR. They wanted the music to show that too.
That goes for the members themselves. When they’re together away from a stage, they joke around, eat together and spend a lot of time practicing. Choreography can turn into a long discussion when something isn’t coming together the way they want it to. They’ll go back to it, make changes, and try again. Then it’s time to perform, and the mood shifts. They focus on each other and on the stage in front of them. They’ve had more time to grow into being performers since their debut, and that experience shows.
Now they have their first music show win. It’s something they waited for, worked for and can finally say happened. Read below to get to know 82MAJOR and hear more about the story behind HEAT.
LUNA: Before we get into HEAT, we want to meet the six people behind 82MAJOR. When all the stage lights are off, what do you think is the biggest difference between the group people see and the group that exists when it’s just the six of you?
NAM SEONG MO: As a member of 82MAJOR, I’m gentler and smile a lot more. But offstage, I’m actually ice-cold. (laughs)
CHO SEONG IL: We show our fans a lot of our silly, playful moments. Once a performance is over, though, we spend a lot of time talking about it and reflecting on it. That serious side of us may be the biggest difference.
HWANG SEONG BIN: When it’s just the six of us, we’re like any other group of guys our age. But when the stage lights come on, we focus on giving the best performance we possibly can.
KIM DO GYUN: I always try to show people who I really am, so I don’t think there’s much of a difference. But if I had to name one thing, I don’t act cute unless 82DE are around.
YOON YE CHAN: As an example for me, in front of our fans and in front of the camera, I’m always super high energy, but when the camera isn’t there, I’m quite mellow and chill. I’m not saying both aren’t naturally me. They’re both naturally me, but it’s just a different vibe, you know what I mean?
PARK SEOK JOON: Offstage, we’re just a bunch of boys. We love messing around and having fun. (laughs)
LUNA: There’s a lot of attention given to the sound of HEAT, but the title itself is also about something physical. Did you think about how you wanted this album to feel as much as you wanted it to sound?
HWANG SEONG BIN: With “Like Fire,” we wanted people to feel the heat not only through the music, but also through the visual impact of our performance. By contrast, I think “wyd?” feels more like bright sunlight on your skin, or a soft breeze on a clear day.
LUNA: The “Like Fire” video draws from Fight Club, while the song itself is about an emotion becoming almost uncontrollable. When you were performing it, were you trying to portray the story literally, or were you more interested in creating a feeling people could interpret for themselves?
KIM DO GYUN: I tried to capture in my movements the way the music builds toward the end, along with the sounds of the different instruments. Our performance translates the music into movement quite directly, but because the song’s emotional layers keep building on one another, I think it can also leave viewers with a variety of lingering impressions.
CHO SEONG IL: Fire usually begins with a small spark and grows from there. We wanted to reflect that in our performance by starting out relaxed, then gradually building up the intensity until our energy explodes.
LUNA: “오늘 어때 (wyd?)” has such a different energy from “Like Fire.” What made this the right release to put those two sides of 82MAJOR next to each other?
NAM SEONG MO: “Like Fire” is bold and intense, while “wyd?” is cool and laid-back, so we thought it would be interesting to put them on the same album.
PARK SEOK JOON: We thought our fans would enjoy seeing both our mature side and our chill side.
LUNA: The phrase “raw and cinematic” comes up when describing HEAT. When you listen back to the finished album, is there a particular moment that feels the most cinematic to you?
KIM DO GYUN: I was on a diet while preparing for the album. Once filming wrapped and I finally started eating normally again, I thought I was in heaven. It honestly felt like a scene from a movie. The first thing I ate was actually a banana, and even that tasted like heaven.
YOON YE CHAN: If I had to choose, it would have to be the fight scene I had with SEOK JOON. I didn’t expect the fight scene to come out so well, and it genuinely felt like I was watching Fight Club.
LUNA: “TROPHY” already had its own identity, so reimagining it in Spanish changes the experience without completely changing the song. What was the most interesting part of seeing a song you already knew so well transform like that?
KIM DO GYUN: Performing a familiar song in another language allowed me to rediscover a different side of “TROPHY.” The process itself also gave me a new sense of satisfaction.
YOON YE CHAN: Honestly… seeing how well we actually sing in Spanish. I didn’t realize we had a hidden talent like that, but I think we’re all super happy with the result.
LUNA: With six members, there are probably moments in the studio where one person hears something completely differently from everyone else. What’s the funniest or most unexpected disagreement you had while working on HEAT?
CHO SEONG IL: I participated in creating the performance for “wyd?,” and to be honest, the members weren’t completely sold on the initial draft. But as we kept rehearsing, everything started to click, and we were able to bring out the mood of the song. In the end, the choreography I created was chosen.
LUNA: When you’re preparing for a comeback, there are so many moving pieces happening at once—recording, choreography, styling, filming. Which part of the process do you six enjoy the most when you’re together?
NAM SEONG MO: I have the most fun when we sit down together for a meal after wrapping up for the day and talk about how our promotions are going and our plans for the future.
HWANG SEONG BIN: I think I have the most fun when we’re making music. When we do song camps, I love listening to the toplines each member has come up with and exchanging ideas about them.
PARK SEOK JOON: For me, it’s when we’re onstage. I can feel that all six of us are enjoying the moment together.
LUNA: You’ve gone from debut preparations to a European tour, international awards, and now your second single album. What’s something you used to be nervous about that feels completely normal to you now?
HWANG SEONG BIN: I would say standing in front of our fans and the camera. When we first debuted, I was so nervous to even look into a camera, but I feel much more comfortable now. I still get a little nervous, though (laughs). Greeting and interacting with our fans has also become more natural.
CHO SEONG IL: When we first debuted, I was extremely nervous about every performance. Now that I’ve gained more experience performing in front of large audiences, I feel less nervous. That said, if we get the chance to perform on an even bigger stage someday, I think I’ll feel just as nervous as I did in the beginning (laughs).
LUNA: If you could put one piece of advice from your current selves into the hands of the six members who debuted 82MAJOR, what would you want them to know?
NAM SEONG MO: “Study English harder.” We get to meet so many 82DE from overseas.
HWANG SEONG BIN: “Cherish every moment, and enjoy all the time you spend with the members and our fans!”
PARK SEOK JOON: “Enjoy every moment!”
KIM DO GYUN: I would tell myself, “Don’t rush.”
YOON YE CHAN: “Don’t hold back.”
CHO SEONG IL: “Practice more! You’ll never have more time to practice than you do right now.”
LUNA: There’s still so much of 82MAJOR that we haven’t seen yet. What’s something you’re hoping you get the chance to show people soon?
KIM DO GYUN: I want to take our performances to bigger stages and show people what we’re capable of.
PARK SEOK JOON: I want people to see us continue growing with every performance.
LUNA: As we wrap up, what do you hope people carry with them after spending a little time with 82MAJOR through HEAT?
HWANG SEONG BIN: I hope people come away thinking, “82MAJOR is great to listen to, but even better to watch onstage.”
CHO SEONG IL: I hope our title track, “Like Fire,” becomes one of those irresistibly catchy songs “banned” during exam season. (laughs) I hope it makes people think, “Oh, this is by 82MAJOR,” and want to look us up.
