EPEX boast tremendous talent and undeniable charisma.
With their latest release, Prelude of Love Chapter 2: “Growing Pains,” this eight-member boy band under C9 Entertainment has once again proven why they are sweeping the global music panorama.
Fans are spellbound by EPEX’s extraordinary musicality and talents as they grace the stage with their mesmerizing presence. Prelude to Love Chapter 2: “Growing Pains” is an introspective trip that digs into the universal issue of human progress and the problems that come with it.
With each track on Prelude of Love Chapter 2: “Growing Pains,” EPEX build a musical narrative that captivates listeners from the first note. The album demonstrates the group’s versatility and ability to smoothly switch between diversified musical styles, from poignant and reflective ballads to vibrant and addictive bops. The thorough attention to every detail across the album reveals Wish, Keum, Mu, A-Min, Baekseung, Ayden, Yewang, and Jeff’s passion for crafting an engaging and immersive experience for their audience.
Panorama.it spoke with them.
EPEX, nice to meet you. Can you please introduce yourself to our readers?
WISH: Hello Panorama readers, nice to meet you. This is EPEX’s leader, WISH.
KEUM: Hello, this is KEUM, the center and main dancer of EPEX.
MU: Hello, this is EPEX’s whimsical MU, and we’re back with our 5th mini album.
A-MIN: It’s a pleasure to meet you! I’m EPEX’s “Pink hair,” A-MIN.
BAEKSEUNG: Hello, this is EPEX’s tallest member BAEKSEUNG, and we’re back with our new song, “Sunshower.”
AYDEN: Hello, this is EPEX’s energy, AYDEN.
YEWANG: Nice to meet you. This is EPEX’s main vocalist with a sweet voice, YEWANG.
JEFF: Hello, this is JEFF, the youngest member and rapper of EPEX. It’s a pleasure to greet you!
Let’s begin by talking about your new album, Prelude of Love Chapter 2: “Growing Pains”. What kind of EP is it?
YEWANG: “Prelude of Love Chapter 2. ‘Growing Pains’’’ tells the story of boys going through their first breakup. It is the story of ordinary boys around our age who grow up while experiencing complex emotions in the process of denying their first breakup and eventually accepting it.
It’s a very deep album. Track after track, you walk the listeners through the different stages of emotions one goes through during their first heartbreak. Was it hard to relieve some of those emotions?
KEUM: In fact, at first, it was difficult to change our emotions from album to album while constantly talking about anxiety and love. However, through this ‘Growing Pains’ album, those feelings become complex emotions while continuing to convey the story, so it was more exciting than difficult.
BAEKSEUNG: These are emotions I have never experienced in my life, so I thought a lot about how to express them by imagining the situation. I tried to convey emotions or practice facial expressions on stage by referring to dramas and movies with similar scenes.
The title track is called Sunshower. Can you tell us more about it?
WISH: “Sunshower” is a refreshing pop dance song with the theme of boys’ first breakup, which is the most painful moment for the main character, but is indeed cute from the observer’s point of view.
A-MIN: It is a song that delivers a sad but beautiful story with the motif from the folktale of the sunshower. Similarly, the choreography was composed of powerful yet soft movements, making it fun in terms of performance.
The Korean title is “Fox’s Wedding Day”, a folk tale. What was your first thought when you listened to the song?
KEUM: When I first heard it, the melody and atmosphere were so good that it stuck in my head. I could imagine how to express this song and it was very exciting to have various ideas. I remember looking forward to this album’s promotions.
JEFF: When I first heard the title, I was a bit confused because it was something I didn’t expect. However, I began to like it more because the contrasting parts of the refreshing, exciting melody and sad lyrics surprisingly matched well. I put a lot of thought into expressing such contrasting parts well.
Which song from this album do you think represents you the most right now, and why?
MU: I think it’s “SKYLINE.” It’s a song that strongly expresses our aspirations for our dreams, and it’s a song that supports not only us but also the dreams of our fans.
BAEKSEUNG: I also think it’s “SKYLINE.” It represents us well because all eight members of EPEX are running toward our dreams. We support all who have dreams, regardless of the scale of those dreams.
All your songs include your own personal stories; you go through interviews with the lyricists to write them in the right way. Which is the most challenging part of telling bits of your life to your listener? And which is the most rewarding part of it?
AYDEN: The most difficult part is making it relatable. It’s a story we felt and experienced ourselves, but I was worried because it might feel unrealistic or not relatable to our listeners. The part I’m proud of is that even though we have a lot more to learn, there are more fans who resonate with our music. That makes me really happy.
You worked on a lot of different themes, some very deep. I’m curious to know: which is your MBTI? Do you think it fits you?
WISH: My MBTI is ISFP. I don’t believe that my MBTI can’t fully describe who I am, but some of the descriptions of ISFP fit me. I could especially relate to the description that ISFP hates to negatively affect other people.
MU: I’m INFP. I don’t completely trust the MBTI personally, but it’s surprising to see the similarities between my personality and INFP’s characteristics.
A-MIN: I’m INFJ. One of the characteristics of INFJ is that they think a lot inwardly. There are good things in terms of self-development, but a downside of that characteristic is that you really cannot stop worrying; you can’t help yourself thinking way too much. Overall, I agree with some characteristics of INFJ and disagree with some.
Do you have any role models in the industry or some artists you look at with admiration and would love to work with?
A-MIN: I want to be like a senior group SEVENTEEN. The relationship and chemistry among the members are so good, and every member has amazing charm and ability, so we wish to become a group like SEVENTEEN.
AYDEN: I also want to become a group with good teamwork and individuality like SEVENTEEN.
JEFF: I want to resemble SAN from ATEEZ, and the artist I want to collaborate with is The Kid LAROI.
In 2021 you were chosen as global super rookie; what do you expect from yourself now?
WISH: It feels like our musical color becomes more apparent as we continue our activities. We are very excited to see ourselves continue to grow. To show a cool side of us, we will become a group that works harder than now.
YEWANG: I’m looking forward to my and EPEX’s diverse and developing charms in the future. I believe in myself and am working hard, so please look forward to it.