Q&A: VERIVERY Is Finding Their Own Color — The Group on “CONFETTI”, Creative Freedom and What’s Next
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY ALICIA ZAMORA ☆
Jellyfish Entertainment
VERIVERY IS FINDING JOY IN THE LITTLE THINGS—For VERIVERY, their eighth mini-album CONFETTI is about finding happiness in places that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Whether it’s sharing a conversation after a long day, exploring a new city or simply taking a moment to appreciate something small, the members have learned to find those little moments of joy in their everyday lives. That idea became a big part of what they wanted CONFETTI to represent.
The album also gave the members more room to be involved creatively. They’ve always shared their music with each other and exchanged feedback, but this time they were more deeply involved in the process than ever before. That meant being honest with each other, even when the feedback was difficult to hear. For DONGHEON, being told that the members didn’t like his part on “Way to Zero” only pushed him to make it better. After years together, they’ve built the kind of trust that allows them to challenge each other without losing sight of what they’re working toward.
Now, VERIVERY is looking ahead to what comes next. With their GIVE ME FIVE, KEEP THAT VIBE tour and more music on the horizon, the members are excited to see where their renewed passion takes them. For now, they hope CONFETTI can do exactly what its name suggests: add a little celebration to someone’s day and remind them that happiness can be found in the smallest moments.
Read Luna’s conversation with VERIVERY below to get to know more about the group.
LUNA: For readers who may be discovering VERIVERY for the first time, could you each introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about your role in the group?
VERIVERY: Let’s Face! Who We Are! Hello, we’re VERIVERY! We’re back with our eighth mini-album, CONFETTI, which is filled with great songs, so we hope you’ll give it lots of love and support!
DONGHEON: Hello! I’m DONGHEON, the oldest member and leader of VERIVERY! Nice to meet you!
GYEHYEON: Hello! I’m GYEHYEON, the lead vocalist of VERIVERY!
YEONHO: Hello! I’m YEONHO, the main vocalist of VERIVERY!
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YONGSEUNG: Hello! I’m YONGSEUNG, the main dancer of VERIVERY!
KANGMIN: Hello! I’m KANGMIN, the youngest member of VERIVERY!
LUNA: Every group has little habits that happen when everyone is tired. What is one thing you guys always end up doing when you’ve been practicing or working for a long time?
YEONHO: I take my makeup off quickly so I can go home as soon as possible. At the end of a long day, taking off my makeup makes me feel like I’m finally resting and switching into “off” mode.
YONGSEUNG: We talk. When the day gets long, there comes a point when everyone is physically exhausted and only our mouths are moving. Our conversations range from completely unproductive chatter between the members to big discussions about planning our concerts.
LUNA: You’ve experienced a lot together since your debut. When you look at VERIVERY now, what part of your identity as a group feels the strongest?
DONGHEON: This is something that really struck me while working on this album, but I think the idea of being “colorless” fits VERIVERY very well. At first, the word could be interpreted negatively, as if it means that we don’t have a distinct color of our own. But paradoxically, I think it represents VERIVERY’s endless possibilities because we don’t have one predetermined color; we can be filled with any color. Whether it’s the music we want to make, the performances we want to show, or the stories we want to tell our fans, we can lead ourselves in whatever direction we want and change our color each time. That’s why I’d like to describe us as “colorless” in a positive manner.
LUNA: Do you think your members know you better than you know yourself in some ways? What’s something they would probably notice about you before you did?
DONGHEON: Sometimes I think I’m doing a pretty good job of keeping a poker face, but the members still notice how I’m feeling. Whenever that happens, I realize just how well we know each other because we’ve spent so much time together.
KANGMIN: The members know me so well...Sometimes they actually recognize how I’m doing more quickly and accurately than I do myself. For example, when I’m unconsciously feeling tired or when I seem to be in a bad mood, I think the members sometimes notice it before I do.
LUNA: How do the members influence each other creatively? Is there something you’ve started doing or thinking about differently because of another member?
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YEONHO: Whenever we’re producing an album or simply working on music, we’ve always had a process where we share what we’ve created with one another and exchange feedback, so I think we have a lot of creative influence on each other. If one member brings in a new song they’ve written or plays a part they recently recorded, the rest of us listen and give feedback like, “I think it might be better if you approached it this way,” or “This part is really good.” I think that process helps us continue growing as artists.
DONGHEON: In the feedback process YEONHO mentioned, we can sometimes be pretty critical with each other. Because we’ve been together for such a long time, I think we’re able to have conversations that could otherwise hurt someone’s feelings or lead to an argument because we understand that the feedback comes from a desire to help one another and make better music.
For this album, for example, the other members honestly told me that they didn’t really like the part I recorded for “Way to Zero.” That feedback actually motivated me and ultimately helped lead to a better result.
LUNA: What’s something you’ve discovered about yourself through touring, performing or traveling that you didn’t expect?
YONGSEUNG: Through our overseas tours, I’ve realized that whenever I travel abroad, I’m someone who likes to constantly go out and explore. I want to take in as much as possible because I never know when I’ll have the chance to come back. If I can’t find a member to come with me or no one is available, I’ll sometimes even sleep less so I can walk around the city by myself.
KANGMIN: Unlike YONGSEUNG, I think I have pretty low stamina...When we go abroad, I tend to put a lot of my energy into the performances, and when we have free time, I usually just rest.
LUNA: The title CONFETTI immediately brings a certain image to mind. What does “confetti” represent to you in the context of this album?
DONGHEON: Confetti is something that bursts into the air at celebrations, especially during the highlight or grand finale. In the same way, I hope VERIVERY and our music can become that special finishing touch in people’s everyday lives. Even if someone’s day isn’t perfect or they’re going through something difficult, I hope this album can make them smile and give them the energy to enjoy that moment!
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YONGSEUNG: To me, it represents “countless little moments of happiness that may be small but can be found anywhere.” Through this album, I hope VERIVERY can help our fans discover those small moments of happiness in their everyday lives and give them the energy to share that happiness with one another, like countless pieces of confetti flying through the air!
LUNA: If you had to choose one song from CONFETTI to represent another member, which song would you choose for each member, and why?
DONGHEON: I’d choose “Way to Zero” to represent GYEHYEON. The song’s powerful image suits him really well.
GYEHYEON: I’d choose “DRAMA” to represent YEONHO. YEONHO has a warm voice that fits the message of “DRAMA” really well.
YEONHO: I’d choose “Touch” to represent YONGSEUNG. I think the cool and chill house genre suits YONGSEUNG really well when he’s onstage.
YONGSEUNG: I think “Touch” represents KANGMIN. Its fast tempo and powerful rhythm, which give you a glimpse of KANGMIN’s energy, really resemble the way he performs.
KANGMIN: I think “DRAMA” represents DONGHEON. He wrote and composed the song himself, and he also likes watching dramas!
LUNA: Artists often discover new sides of themselves through their work. What did CONFETTI teach you about yourself?
GYEHYEON: Through this album, I realized that I’m someone who can find a lot of happiness in even the smallest things, so I don’t tend to build up much stress.
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YEONHO: I learned that I know how to appreciate even the little things. I’ve always been a positive and optimistic person, but I think I’ve become a little more aware of how to find the sources of that kind of energy in my life. It made me realize, “I’m able to live this kind of life because I know how to find joy in the little things.”
LUNA: Music can mean something completely different to the person who creates it and the person who listens to it. Is there a particular feeling you hope listeners take from CONFETTI, even if they interpret the songs in their own way?
YONGSEUNG: The main message of this album is, “Let’s find small moments of happiness in our everyday lives and share that joy with one another,” and we hope CONFETTI itself can become one of those small moments of happiness. People may interpret our songs in their own ways, but the tracks on this album overall have such an exciting and joyful energy that I hope that energy can spread to listeners and give them the motivation to enjoy their day!
LUNA: After everything that went into making CONFETTI, what are you most excited for people to experience when they finally hear the mini album?
KANGMIN: I hope that when our fans listen to this album and look back on their own lives, they’ll be able to see their usual routines from a different perspective. Just as we’re showing a new side of VERIVERY through the title track “Don’t Panic!” and our first unit songs, “Touch” and “Eye Contact,” I hope our fans can listen to our music and look at their own everyday lives from a different perspective as well, finding little moments of happiness along the way!
LUNA: You’re entering another chapter with CONFETTI, but outside of the comeback itself, what are you personally looking forward to in this next chapter of your life?
GYEHYEON: Aside from the comeback, I think I’m most looking forward to our upcoming GIVE ME FIVE, KEEP THAT VIBE tour. There are many places we’ll be visiting for the first time through this tour, including Europe, as well as places we’ve visited before where we already know how passionately fans welcome us and enjoy our performances. I’m really excited to spend a great time with VERRERs in each city!
YONGSEUNG: I think working on this album reignited all of our passion for making music. We’ve participated in the album-making process for a long time, but we’ve never been as deeply involved as we were with this album. Because of that, we had even more fun working on it, and it also made us much more excited for these promotions. So now I’m even more excited to see what VERIVERY will show in the future and what kind of music we’ll create!
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LUNA: If you could give everyone reading this one recommendation—a song, movie, place, food, anything—what would you want them to check out?
DONGHEON: I recommend “superHuman” by ODRN and VALORANT. When I listen to it, it somehow makes me feel like I’m going to have an amazing day!
GYEHYEON: I hope you’ll take even just a little bit of time to listen to VERIVERY’s “Fine” in the place where you feel most comfortable and reflect on your day.
YEONHO: Pyongyang naengmyeon (평양냉면)! I discovered how good it is about two or three years ago, and I think it’s a food that’s a lot like me. At first, the flavor is very mild and you might think, “What is this?” But it becomes addictive and leaves a strong, lasting impression.
YONGSEUNG: If you ever come to Korea, you have to try samgyeopsal (삼겹살). It’s my soul food.
KANGMIN: I recommend the book Beethoven: The Music of a Genius by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt. I found the author’s philosophy on how people should live through a life of suffering interesting, and there were parts that I agreed with as well, so I recommend giving it a read.
