1VERSE Is Addicted to Their Creative Impulses on “LOOP”

As they release their new single “LOOP”, the members consider why having a hand in everything they create makes them one of the most exciting — and unpredictable — groups in K-pop.

Singing Beetle

Early on in a conversation about 1VERSE’s new single “LOOP”, Aito was eager to clear up a misconception.

“Even though we didn’t make an announcement about it,” he began. “I hope people know that we are healthy and we are really doing quite well. There’s nothing to worry about with us.”

Over the past few months, two members of the group – Hyuk and Seok – have gone on hiatus, while the remaining members – Nathan, Kenny and Aito – have worked hard to keep momentum going on social media. 1VERSE comes from Singing Beetle, a small company whose founder, Michelle Cho, envisioned putting idols’ mental health first. The members have all, in one way or another, acknowledged that letting two members go on hiatus means that the company is upholding this standard.​

But fans have wanted an explanation of why it has taken so long to release music, as well as more opportunities to engage with Nathan, Kenny, and Aito in person. Sometimes the speculation has been rough, especially when the reason for their wait between releases can be almost mundane. The members know this. “Sometimes I feel bad that the wait for music gets longer,” Aito said. “So I try to give an extra effort in communicating with fans on our app B Stage, where our fan community is.”

But finally, 1VERSE is preparing for a comeback. “LOOP” comes eight months after the release of their last single, “WABIF (Wide Awake Before I Fall),” and continues a narrative of 1VERSE smashing stereotypes we often have about K-pop groups. The members participate in the songwriting (a rarity, especially for rookie groups) and have a real hand in the concepts behind their music.

“We all have different interpretations of ‘LOOP,’” Nathan told me. “But the main theme of the song is being stuck in a state of addiction. It doesn't always have a negative connotation to it. It could be something that's just like something that you're really into, and I think what we wanted to play with was just being playful.”

Aito and Nathan believe the fact that their point of view – their voice – is placed directly into the music is what sets them apart. “I think it makes us unique because we are the one and only ones who can produce something like this,” Aito said. Nathan nodded and added, “These are our stories that we take from our experiences, and we put them on paper to make them into a song. I feel like everyone, even though we all have unique experiences, can relate to that.”

Kenny, one of the most outspoken members, told me that part of what sets them apart from other groups is that they’ve never gone the traditional K-pop path, such as appearing on music shows or holding fan cons in Korea. Maybe because of this, the past year, he explained, felt more like a pre-debut year than a real “first” year. There was still so much to learn, still so much to adjust to, from being in the public eye to  learning how to funnel their concepts into music. “We didn’t know what we were doing actually,” he admitted, “because we didn’t take a traditional path.”

Singing Beetle

Without a clear path forward, the members had time to contemplate bigger questions. “What are we doing and what do our fans want?” they asked themselves. “Now we kind of got a little bit of an idea [of where we’re going], and we're also starting to get a little bit in motion.” 

The members found inspiration – and answers – on tour. “We're able to experience things with fans still and still get to interact with them, and we also get a little taste of what they also like to anticipate,” Nathan explained.

​In the hardest moments, the members emphasized, their fandom – 5TARZ – has been there to lift them or inspire them. “I feel like the reason a lot of 5TARZ are really fond of us is because of how real we are,” Nathan said, adding, “and that authenticity only comes with us just being true to ourselves through our social media content or through music.”

Perhaps the point, the members theorized, is that because they were never intended to be a traditional K-pop group, it might take some time for others to catch up to how they move. Kenny emphasized that they do this because of their passion for music. “I don't think that we came as idols first,” he told me. “I think we came because we had passion for music and to prove that we do our own music for the longevity of our career.”

When they look at where they want to be in seven years, Kenny continued, “we want to be still making music.” So it’s important, he added, that they are meticulous about creating music they like. “That's kind of why we are so prominent in wanting to make our music our own, starting from scratch, and why we're involved in the whole process. That’s why it moves a bit slower,” he said. But he hopes 5TARZ will trust what’s coming. “This is our passion,” he added. “That's why we want to keep doing this, and we want to do it for a long time.”