In their most in-depth interview yet, EVNNE reflects on taking creative control, transitioning to a five-member lineup, and making a bold bet on their new release, on: our noise.
EVNNE has always been a group that defies the odds.
After being eliminated from Boys Planet and missing the cut for ZEROBASEONE, the members signed with Jellyfish Entertainment and formed a new group. EVNNE, originally comprised of Keita, Ji Yunseo, Park Hanbin, Mun Junghyun, Lee Jeonghyeon, Park Jihoo, and Yoo Seungeon, debuted in September 2023, two months after ZEROBASEONE. (Seungyeon and Yunseo departed EVNNE late last year.) Their debut single “TROUBLE” became a hit, and over the next two years the group toured extensively and released several mini-albums.
Since their debut, the team has tried different genres, from the candy-pop sound of “Hot Mess” to the harder, turbulent hip hop of “TROUBLE.” EVNNE was always considered a project group, formed because Boys Planet was so massive and because the members had fans who fervently believed in them. But they had done the impossible, in some ways, by becoming a group that could last, maybe even thrive, past their original contracts.
“When we became a five-member group, I spent a lot of time alone in a café thinking about where we should go from there and what kind of songs we should make,” Jihoo told me in a new interview. “I looked at the genres other idol groups were working in and dug into what was trending. Then I thought, ‘Why don’t we try something people aren’t used to hearing yet, or something nobody else has tried?’”
The result is on: our noise, the group’s sixth mini-album, which follows the hyperpop single album “Backtalk.” Led by the single “LOOK AT MA,” EVNNE’s new music retains the edgier sound they are known for, but it also expands their range. Listen carefully, and you can hear influences from hyperpop artists like Tiffany Day or underscores, who are currently burning up the North American underground scene.
“We’re a group that takes K-pop and mixes it with our own style to make something new,” Junghyun said. The shift began with “Backtalk,” perhaps the most ambitious offering in their discography. “I think you get an even clearer sense of who we are and what makes us distinctive,” Jeonghyeon said of this release.
To promote the album, the members debuted a new concept, the Sound Experiment Lab, where they can cook up beats and try new ideas. But Junghyun explained that this concept wasn’t an act. “We started getting directly involved in making our records with the previous release,” he said, so a concept centered on making music ourselves felt like a good fit for EVNNE.
Boys Planet was a monster hit when it premiered in 2023.
Competition shows have been a staple in K-pop for years, but something was different about the fandom surrounding Boys Planet. Nearly every contestant had a massive fanbase, and the competition was fierce. Keita and Hanbin were especially popular on the series, both competing until the finale.
Keita, who was born in Japan and began training in Korea and Japan by 13, was known for his insane rap skills. But he’s also a talented singer (check out the stages for “LOOK AT MA” for proof) and was introduced to K-pop through his parents, who loved BIG BANG.
The members all knew Keita when they met him during Boys Planet production. Jeonghyeon remembered how Keita felt like a younger brother because he was so at ease around him. “I felt comfortable around him right away,” Jeonghyeon said, “like I’d known him for a while.”
Keita came to Boys Planet with the most experience, having already debuted in CIIPHER and competed on YG Treasure Box, a show Hanbin watched. Meeting Keita, Hanbin recalled, was “like meeting a celebrity. I was so excited to talk to him and really wanted to get to know him.”
Keita felt a similar respect towards Hanbin. “When I first met Hanbin, I learned from the way he expressed himself through music,” he explained. “He showed me ways of doing it that I hadn’t explored before.” Jihoo’s first impression of Hanbin was more comical. “Hanbin had really intense makeup on during the show,” he said. “So I thought he looked scary.”
Hanbin was born in Iksan, a small city in North Jeolla Province. In middle school, Hanbin danced to “NEVER” from Produce 101’s second season and discovered he loved K-pop. “That was my first taste of how much fun it was to be onstage, and I kept dancing after that,” he said. “Over time, I found myself wanting to get better at both singing and dancing.
Iksan had only two K-pop academies in the city, which meant Hanbin often traveled to audition for companies. “I remember making trip after trip to Seoul for auditions,” he recalled. “We didn’t have a subway where I grew up, so whenever I took the subway to an audition in Seoul, I’d spend the whole ride worrying I’d gotten on a train going in the wrong direction.”
Jeonghyeon grew up in Daejeon, a city in the heart of Korea. “I was a happy kid who loved soccer. I joined the dance club in high school and started dreaming of becoming an idol,” he told me, adding, “Now I’m proud to be a member of EVNNE!”
Like Hanbin, Jeongyeon found a passion for dance while in school. “I signed up for the dance club on a whim, but when I found out we’d have to perform, I decided to give it a proper shot,” he said. “I loved putting a performance together and the feeling I got when I stepped onstage. That’s what made me want to pursue it.”
Junghyun, who has always been based in Seoul, began his career early as a child actor. In 2014, he starred in the short film Boy Meets a Stranger alongside CRAVITY’s WONJIN and was later featured in the film Bluebeard. “I started dancing because I wasn’t very coordinated,” he said. “I ended up really enjoying it, and that’s when I started dreaming of becoming an idol.” Keita also inspired Junghyun. Meeting him was “surreal” because of Keita's extensive experience as an idol and performer.
Jihoo, the youngest, grew up in Guri, in Gyeonggi Province. He lived in the same apartment complex as INFINITE’s Dongwoo, and perhaps because of that, becoming an idol didn’t seem so far out of reach. Jihoo’s first encounter with K-pop happened by chance in fifth grade. One day, he was shopping at a department store with his mom when she went to the bathroom and handed him her phone. He came across Block B’s “VERY GOOD” on YouTube and liked what he saw. “I think that was the moment,” he said, “that something clicked for me.”
When Hanbin first met Jihoo, he almost didn’t pay him much mind. He was so young, Hanbin explained, that “I figured our paths wouldn’t cross much. Who would’ve thought we’d end up debuting in the same group?” He let the words linger for a second. “Life is funny that way.”
It might seem strange to team up with boys you once competed against, but EVNNE saw it differently.
“We'd all worked toward the same goal and shared the dream of debuting,” Junghyun said. “I think that made it fairly easy for us to come together as a team.”
Still, the boys spent a lot of time getting to know each other, this time as teammates and friends. “We talked about our hobbies, our personalities, and what we liked, and shared those parts of ourselves with each other,” Jihoo explained.
The members saw the restructuring as an opportunity to get to know each other again and decide on a clear path forward. “We became more open with each other and started spending more time sitting down together to talk about the music we wanted to make and where we saw the group going,” Keita said.
The members feel a deeper connection – and appreciation – for each other these days. They know what makes EVNNE stand out, and they’re determined to prove themselves, to show that they can go farther than the expected route of a project group. “Part of our charm is that we’re pretty free-spirited. You never quite know what we’ll do next, and I think that came through when we were recording [on: our noise],” Jeonghyeon said. “You can hear each member’s personality and what makes them distinctive.”
The group is contributing more to the music and lyrics, like the title track “LOOK AT MA,” something that they emphasize will continue moving forward. “We all bring different strengths to the process,” Keita said, as the group begins to take a stronger hand in their creative direction. “When we put our ideas together, we learn more about each other, and I get to discover things I’m good at that I hadn’t noticed before.”
Once again, the cards seemed stacked against the group after they lost two members, so EVNNE felt they had nothing to lose by taking a big swing.
Playing the music for fans at their first listening party excited the members. “The response was so positive, and it felt like they were even more excited for the album afterward,” Jeongyeon said. “That made me proud.”
Up next, the members are looking forward to another North American tour, slated for early 2027. One of EVNNE’s biggest strengths is their live show, something that I saw firsthand last year when the group came to Houston for a performance. They’re funny on stage, able to talk back to fans and think fast on their feet. But they’re also excellent live performers, adeptly handling challenging choreography all while singing live.
When I asked how international fans’ support encourages the members, Hanbin pointed out that they notice everything, even the smallest details of a performance. “Our international fans give us so much encouragement as we grow as artists. I’m always amazed and grateful that we can connect through music and performance across different languages and cultures,” he said. “When fans get excited about a new sound or performance we’ve tried, it makes me want to show them even more sides of what we can do. They notice even the small ways we change and grow, and knowing they’re cheering us on gives us a lot of energy as we prepare for the next show. I want to give back by showing them how much we’ve grown each time we see them. Their support is a big part of what keeps us going.”
As they thought back to the past year, the reason they’ve been able to reinvent themselves is because of their teamwork. Hanbin believes that their commitment to experimentation and pushing each other as a team is what makes on: our noise such a great record. “I think our biggest strength is that every member has a distinct personality and energy, and we come together naturally as a team. We each have different strengths and ways of expressing ourselves, which gives us room to try different concepts and styles of music. We bring out the best in each other,” he said. “I think we’re a group that can show many sides of ourselves. I hope we keep taking on new challenges and that whatever kind of music we make, people can hear it and say, “That sounds like EVNNE.”
