PLAVE Enters HYPERDRIVE

With Caligo Pt.1 and Caligo Pt.2 behind you, where does HYPERDRIVE take PLAVE next — both musically and in the story you want to tell?

YEJUN: This fifth mini album, HYPERDRIVE, feels like the first scenery you encounter after coming out of a tunnel. Rather than a continuation of the previous story, I’d describe it as the next chapter that became possible because that story existed.

The ASTERUM series was a time for us to introduce who we are, and Caligo was a time when we brought out the stories within us. Now, I think we’re entering a period where we’re exploring and figuring out the stories we genuinely want to tell.

EUNHO: I think HYPERDRIVE really is the beginning of a new story. But we wanted to begin it in a way that felt like us. We talked a lot about changing the direction of our speed itself, rather than simply repeating the intensity we showed in Caligo. Not just going harder or faster, but going somewhere completely different. That’s what the album title itself represents.

NOAH: The two Caligo albums were about building emotional intensity around rock sounds, while this time, we’ve reached into genres we’ve never tried before, including EDM and bossa nova. But one standard has never changed since our debut: the music has to be enjoyable to listen to. I think that consistent goal actually gave us the freedom to experiment as much as we wanted.

BAMBY: I think both we and PLLI went through a deeply emotional journey with Caligo. So while preparing this album, we often talked about “taking a step back and looking at things.”

There are things you can’t see when you’re running full speed ahead, but once you create a little distance, they become clearer — the time we’ve been through, and the feelings of the fans who have waited for us. Rather than saying that a chapter has ended, I think it’s more like looking at the same story again from a different perspective.

HAMIN: We surprised everyone with a pre-release performance at our recent concert! I’m sure you’re curious, but I think it’ll be more fun to discover the connection between the stories for yourselves. We’ve hidden a lot of clues, and I’m looking forward to seeing how PLLI discover and interpret them.

We’re preparing an album you’ll want to watch and listen to over and over again. I think watching PLAVE grow will be another fun part of it.

Your first stadium concerts in Incheon were a major milestone for PLAVE. After performing on a stage of that scale, how do you see PLAVE’s future? What would you like to achieve together next?

EUNHO: We were overwhelmed by the scale of the stage. We even described it among ourselves as a venue with “no roof.” It still doesn’t quite feel real that the stages we get to stand on keep getting bigger.

In fact, we’ve already come further than we ever dreamed we would. So rather than setting a specific goal, I’d say our goal is exactly what the title of this tour says: to “KEEP IT MANIC” with our members and our fans.

BAMBY: Being on such a big stage made me think more about how far every movement and expression would have to travel to reach the audience. I wanted even those far away to feel the same energy.

It also brought me back to the mindset we had when we first began. After the concert, I promised myself I’d always step onstage with that same mindset, so PLLI would leave thinking, “I definitely have to come to the next concert, too.”

NOAH: The bigger the stage becomes, the more I realize how much responsibility comes with filling that space with music. At the same time, it’s incredibly moving to hear so many people singing our songs together.

I heard that many people who were simply curious about us, not just our fans, came to the Incheon concert. It makes me especially proud when I hear someone say, “I became a fan after watching the concert.” I want to keep creating performances that more and more people can enjoy.

HAMIN: At the beginning of the concert, we greeted everyone with a full traditional bow because we wanted to express how grateful we were in whatever way we could. We never imagined that one day we’d be watching fireworks together with PLLI at our own concert.

At the same time, standing on a stage that big reminded me that we need to stay true to the fundamentals so the foundation we’ve built doesn’t crumble. My goal is for the five of us to stay healthy, keep working together for a long time and continue to grow.

YEJUN: Standing together on such a huge stage brought back a lot of memories from when we first started. It made me think about how we’ve come this far thanks to the members believing in one another and PLLI who love us.

We don’t know how far we’ll be able to go from here, but our belief that we can take on even bigger challenges together has grown stronger. For now, we want to meet more PLLI and become a group people can trust to deliver on any stage. Our goal will always be “Pyeong PL” — “PLAVE for life.”

As you prepare to meet audiences in Los Angeles, what are you most looking forward to? What do you hope people seeing PLAVE for the first time will remember about you?

HAMIN: What makes me happiest is finally being able to meet the people who have supported us from afar. Since they’ve waited for us for so long, I want to make sure we give them a performance that reflects everything we’ve prepared.

For people seeing us for the first time, I want PLAVE to be remembered as a group where each of the five members has a distinct charm, while also having great chemistry as a team. Even if there are limits to what we can communicate through words, I’ll prepare every little detail so we can convey our feelings through our expressions, movements and music.

BAMBY: Every venue has a different energy from the audience. I’m most curious about the atmosphere we’ll create together in LA.

I hope people seeing us for the first time can simply immerse themselves in the performance. I want to clearly show the chemistry and energy of the five of us, and when the show ends, I hope they remember us as a group they want to see again.

EUNHO: Audiences come to concerts excited and put a lot of thought into getting ready, too. I love seeing fans express their individuality through fashion and accessories, so I’m already looking forward to seeing how U.S. listeners will add their own color to the LA show.

Even if we speak different languages, once the music starts, we can all move to the rhythm together. Sharing moments like that in person with PLLI in the U.S. is what I’m looking forward to most. I’m also curious which songs will get the biggest reaction.

YEJUN: What I’m looking forward to most is meeting the people there who have been waiting for us. Feeling the support they’ve sent through the screen in person at the venue will be really special.

It reminds me of the scene in E.T. where the alien is welcomed! PLAVE are aliens too, but we’re ready to build a real and wonderful friendship. I want PLAVE to be remembered as a group that is sincere about music and performance. I believe that even when our languages and cultures differ, we can become close the moment we hear a good song. We’ll be the ones to reach out first!

NOAH: Like EUNHO said, I’m curious what the audience will react to most. It could be our voices, the melodies or the atmosphere of the stage. At the Incheon concert, the newly arranged songs and our solo stages got the strongest response.

The same song might feel different when it meets a new audience, so I’m curious. We’ll be waiting onstage, so please come and let us know the answer.

While PLAVE’s recent milestones have shown what the five can do together, their solo stages in Incheon offered a closer look at their individual tastes and creative identities.

YEJUN took on The Carpenters’ “Close to You,” NOAH performed TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s “Good Boy Gone Bad,” BAMBY chose SHINee’s “Sherlock (Clue + Note),” EUNHO performed JUNNY’s “TASTE,” and HAMIN reinterpreted HOSHI’s “Spider.”

For your solo stages in Incheon, each of you chose a song and took an active role in shaping the performance. Were there sides of your musical taste or artistic identity that you hadn’t been able to fully show within PLAVE? What did you most want your solo stage to reveal about you?

YEJUN: Even though I was the only one performing my solo stage, I wanted it to feel as though the fans were sharing the stage with me. Dancing with flowers or with an umbrella was all staged around the idea that PLLI were right there beside me.

Through this stage, I wanted to show the most authentic version of myself — one that doesn’t hide my feelings for PLLI and expresses them wholeheartedly. I love the film La La Land, so as a tribute, I incorporated a lot of staging inspired by it. I hope that whenever fans watch La La Land or listen to its soundtrack from now on, they’ll think of my stage, too.

NOAH: At first, I wanted to give strength to the PLLI watching, so I was planning to perform a calm, message-driven song. But people around me suggested that since it was a world tour, a song that more people could respond to might be a better choice.

That advice drew out a side of me that had been hidden. I wore smoky makeup, put on fangs and became a vampire to show a more mature, sexy side. Maybe what I really wanted was to tell PLLI, “I have this side, too.”

BAMBY: Since I’ve mostly shown myself as a choreographer, I wanted to create a stage that emphasized performance. I left out staging elements that might interfere with the performance so the overall look of the stage could come through clearly.

Rather than showing a taste I hadn’t revealed before, it was more about reflecting the kind of taste I can show best. And since it was a solo stage, I worked hard to prepare a song that matched the performance and gave it everything I had.

EUNHO: When I first heard that I had to prepare a solo stage, I thought a lot about whether I wanted to “show what I like” or “show a new side of myself.” Then I realized I could do both.

I created a bold opening as an opportunity to show a new side of myself, and I paid close attention to the styling and makeup to present myself as “the sexy, icy wolf king.”

HAMIN: This stage was all about spiders. I’ve told fans many times that I’ve loved Spider-Man for a long time, but I realized I’d rarely had a chance to show that side of my taste visually. So I decided to incorporate it into this solo stage.

I danced barefoot to portray a spider-like human and incorporated spiderweb staging in different ways. I was happy that PLLI loved it, too.

The solo stages offered a closer look at who the five members are individually. Looking ahead, however, PLAVE are also thinking about the kind of group they want to become — and what they ultimately want to leave behind.

As PLAVE reaches a broader audience, what do you feel you still have left to prove? Do you think the question is becoming less about what PLAVE represents as a virtual idol group and more about what you want to create and leave behind as artists?

HAMIN: I think every artist is running toward their own goals. Ours are just a little different. We’re already thinking about what we’ll create and leave behind as artists.

There are still people who may find us unfamiliar, but I think that’s because they don’t yet know the journey we’ve taken. So for now, we set those views aside and focus on walking the path that’s right for us.

EUNHO: In interviews, we’re often asked about “challenge.” I think that’s probably because we’re walking a new path, so people tend to focus on that word. Our goal is also to keep challenging ourselves, pushing through and working to grow.

But that isn’t simply because of the prejudice attached to “virtual idols.” It’s for PLLI, who believe in and support us. We want to be their pride. In the end, I think what every artist wants to prove is their music and their performances.

BAMBY: Earlier, YEJUN said that the ASTERUM series was a time to introduce who we are, Caligo was a time to bring out the stories within us, and now we’re exploring the stories we genuinely want to tell. I agree.

Rather than looking for something we need to prove right away, we want to think more deeply about PLAVE and find our own answers. That’s how we’ll be able to clearly explain what we want to create and leave behind.

NOAH: Even now, people are debuting as “virtual idols” all over Terra. So I don’t think being virtual is a limit to success anymore. We’re in the process of proving that hypothesis ourselves.

That’s why we often ask people to set aside just one prejudice — “virtual” — because then they’ll be able to see so much more. We keep trying different things to prove all of that. I think that’s our strength, and it opens up new possibilities.

YEJUN: I want to show that we’re a group whose music people can trust and look forward to. Because we perform in a new way, many people are curious about us, but at the end of the day, what remains is how our songs and stages made you feel.

Being virtual idols is also an important part of who we are. Within that, I want us to keep making good music and be remembered for a long time as artists who gave someone strength in their everyday life.

As PLAVE’s leader, you often seem to be someone who looks after the people around you first. As the group has grown, have you also learned to give yourself the same care and attention you give to others?

YEJUN: I believe I need to keep myself grounded first in order to protect others. So I place a lot of importance on keeping my daily life peaceful.

Taking care of myself is easier than you might think. I turn the most ordinary things, like washing dishes and doing housework, into routines and make them part of my life. Those small things actually protect me. Sometimes I also go for walks or runs to clear my head.

The me onstage and the me offstage are ultimately the same “Nam Yejun,” so I try to keep the two in balance.

Your solo performance of The Carpenters’ “Close to You” felt almost like a scene from a film or musical. Where does “Yejun’s aesthetic” come from? Are there particular works that have shaped the way you see and express things?

YEJUN: I try to draw inspiration from everything around me. When I watch something, I tend to remember the emotion a scene leaves behind longer than the scene itself. With music, too, how it made me feel matters as much as what sounds were used. That preference naturally comes out when I think about stages.

As I mentioned earlier, my “Close to You” stage was inspired by La La Land. What stays with me about the film is its distinctive visual identity and emotional quality.

I find that both music and film can be special because, even after a long time has passed, encountering the work again can take you right back to how you felt the first time. I wanted my solo stage to become something like that — something with its own distinct identity that would live on in PLLI’s hearts for a long time.

For your solo stage, you chose to cover TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s “Good Boy Gone Bad.” As both a vocalist and a producer, how do you think about your own voice as an instrument? Has the way you use your voice changed since becoming part of PLAVE?

NOAH: I like rock-style vocal techniques, and I think breath control and hitting high notes are particular strengths of mine. In that sense, “Good Boy Gone Bad” was a song that suited me very well.

At the same time, since meeting PLAVE, I think I’ve gradually been learning how to use my voice in more diverse ways. I actually like the version of myself I’m discovering as the walls I built around myself come down. It’s fun finding those new sides of myself, and that’s all thanks to the members.

Because of that, I’m now able to think more broadly when I write or produce. I often picture where my voice, and the members’ voices, would work best within a song.

You’ve been involved in creating and producing PLAVE’s music since the group’s early days. Where do you hear your own musical taste most clearly in PLAVE’s songs? What do you think “Noah the producer” brings to the group’s sound?

NOAH: I feel my color most strongly when the emotions and melodies I like are naturally placed within a song. I try to balance impactful “killing parts” with more delicate emotional expression. I think those are the kinds of elements our members and fans sometimes describe as “conceptual.”

That said, PLAVE’s music is completed through the thoughts and ideas of multiple members, including myself, so it’s difficult to say that any particular part belongs solely to me.

As a producer, I think about how to make the members’ voices shine and how to carry the emotion of a song all the way through. I try to find the direction in which the song becomes even better when all five of us sing it together, while still adding my own taste. That’s how I try to bring my identity as a producer and PLAVE’s musical identity together.

During the Incheon concerts, you performed SHINee’s physically demanding “Sherlock (Clue + Note)” twice in a row. What pushes you to keep going when a performance demands that much from you?

BAMBY: I always practice while picturing myself onstage. It’s a kind of visualization training. When I imagine myself up there with PLLI cheering and supporting me, I naturally feel energized. The fans’ love drives me toward a perfect stage.

Maybe that’s why, while preparing “Sherlock,” I kept pushing myself: “Just a little more, just a little more.” My thinking was that if I wanted to perform it once, I needed to be able to do it twice — and for an even better stage, three times.

Of course, practice was tough. But I didn’t want to leave PLLI with a disappointing performance just because I was out of breath. And look! In the end, I pulled it off.

What do you think is the place within PLAVE that only BAMBY can fill? What kind of presence do you hope to be for the other members?

BAMBY: I have the nickname “PLAVE’s Chief of Creativity,” so I’m confident when it comes to coming up with new ideas. When I throw out different ideas freely, there are moments when the members say, “That’s it!” So when they get stuck, I want to be the one who finds a breakthrough with my own playful wit.

As PLAVE’s choreographer, I also want to look at our movements and expressions together and find ways we can improve. But I don’t want to be someone who only talks about serious things. When we’re worn out from practice, I want to create an atmosphere where we can laugh together.

I want to be a dependable alien who speaks honestly, but whom the members can lean on and joke around with whenever they need.

Your solo stage for JUNNY’s “TASTE” included several solo dance sections, even though you’ve said you feel more nervous dancing than singing or rapping. What made you want to challenge yourself in an area where you felt less confident?

EUNHO: The part I put the most effort into was the dance break. I wanted to make the performance fun through shifts in intensity, so I created a stage arrangement that allowed me to include solo dance sections throughout.

I get much more nervous dancing than I do singing or rapping. At the same time, I didn’t like how unconfident I felt when it came to dancing. So I prepared with the mindset of challenging myself even harder in an area where I felt less confident and overcoming that fear.

I practiced really hard, and when I heard the cheers after finishing the stage, I felt so proud.

As PLAVE continues to grow, what kind of person do you hope to become for the team? And what do you expect most from yourself going forward?

EUNHO: Building on my previous answer, I think PLAVE is a group that keeps taking on challenges — a kind of pioneer. At first, people saw “virtual idol” as something new and unfamiliar, but before we knew it, we had become a K-pop group performing at an outdoor stadium.

I’m happy just to be part of this story of challenge and growth, and I want to be an alien who breathes energy into the team so we can keep taking on new challenges without tiring.

I hope the future Do Eunho will also be an alien who isn’t afraid of limits and keeps expanding what’s possible.

As the youngest member, you also take the lead in choreography and performance. What has it meant to have the older members trust your ideas regardless of age? What has that taught you about PLAVE as a team?

HAMIN: There were so many moments while preparing for this concert and performing together when I felt truly grateful to the older members.

In PLAVE, every member takes part in songwriting, choreography and performance, so we treat each other with a lot of consideration and respect as creators. Working together, we inspire and challenge each other in a healthy way and keep pushing ourselves to show an even better version of who we are.

As that time accumulates, our trust in one another becomes our conviction in PLAVE as a team. I think the KEEP IT MANIC world tour will be a time for us to take pride in the name PLAVE and show even more.

Your solo performance of HOSHI’s “Spider” showed how much attention you pay to the visual details of a stage. When you build a performance, where do you usually start? And can you give us a hint of what you’re preparing for HYPERDRIVE?

HAMIN: First, I think it’s important to imagine what kind of stage would work while I’m listening to the song. That lets me focus on what I truly want and the image I want to express.

For “Spider,” vividly portraying a spider was key, so I paid close attention not only to the details and timing of the acrobatic moves but also to the camera direction. From the first choreography draft, I worked with camera positions and movements in mind.

The title track of our fifth mini album, HYPERDRIVE, is an EDM track, so I’m preparing a performance that lets you feel the beat visually as well. Please look forward to it!