In their first interview, the members talk about their group’s lore, their friendship and how they contributed to their excellent debut mini-album THE REAL DEAL.
Photos courtesy of LEVVELS
Emotions don’t exist on NOVUS, the planet B THE HOOD comes from. The virtual group’s concept and story follows the five members as they adapt to Earth and begin to experience emotions like love and heartbreak. The members’ shift towards experiencing emotions sparks the music on their debut EP, cleverly titled THE REAL DEAL, which was released last week.
“One special part of our concept is that the more love we receive, the more energy we gain,” Eon, the leader, told me in a new interview. “When our energy runs low, we take the form of cute, three-head-tall characters. Once we recharge, we transform into our human-like forms. That transformation is one of the things that makes B THE HOOD unique.”
Virtual groups have become a new phenomenon in K-pop, and groups like PLAVE have helped bring virtual artists to a wider K-pop audience. B THE HOOD’s members are candid that while their story is based around a fantasy lore, their love for music and performing is extremely real.
Technology is a vital aspect of a virtual group’s presentation, and their main rapper PER B pointed to it as a unique part of their artistry. “What excites me most is the possibility of using new technology and creative ideas to present performances and content that people haven’t seen before,” he said. “We want to show new possibilities for virtual artists in a way that feels uniquely B THE HOOD!”
“I think one of the most exciting things about being a virtual group is the freedom to bring ideas from our imagination to life in ways that would be difficult in the physical world. B THE HOOD has its own unique fictional universe, which gives us so many opportunities to create content that wouldn’t otherwise be possible,” PER B continued. “Being virtual gives us a different way to express ourselves, but we share the same desire as other artists to communicate something sincere through our music.”
He’s right: THE REAL DEAL is a sleek, near-masterful debut for a rookie group. “CHOP!”, their title track, is a powerful hip-hop track, and the B-sides are among my favorites. Take “Lowkey,” where you can hear the group's solid vocal line, or “The Baddest,” where they show real finesse in how they tackle a beat.
Jace, the group’s oldest member and main dancer, emphasized that recording THE REAL DEAL was an “incredibly special” experience. The group worked hard to get the mood right on each track, even spending four days on the opening track, “Lowkey.” “From our title track ‘CHOP!’, with its powerful hip-hop sound and captivating choreography, to smooth R&B tracks, each song has a different mood,” Jace said. “I’m really happy that we could show so many sides of ourselves through this EP.”
Eon (left) and Jace (right)
Like many virtual groups, B THE HOOD’s true identities are not disclosed. But Eon, the group’s leader and main dancer, told me that their friendship is genuine. “I met the other members through our shared dream of making music, and that brought us together as B THE HOOD,” he said. The members look up to Eon and see him as a “main source” of energy. “He always guides us well as our leader, and he approaches everything with such tireless energy and sees it through to the end,” PER B said, adding, “Sometimes I honestly wonder where all that energy comes from!”
Jace, who shares the title of main dancer with Eon and together creates the group’s choreography by his members for his quiet charisma. “In everyday life and during livestreams, he keeps everyone entertained with his humor and playful personality,” Luan described. “But when he’s creating choreography or preparing for a performance, he becomes incredibly focused and professional. I really respect the way he balances those two sides of himself!”
“Nothing makes me happier than coming up with new choreography and bringing it to the stage,” Jace reflected. “Beyond music and performance, I’m quite playful and free-spirited, so I really enjoy chatting with HOODY, our fans, during livestreams. Seeing them having fun with us makes me especially happy.”
B THE HOOD has one of the best rookie vocal lines, and Kyryu leads that alongside Luan. “I love singing, and I want to share all kinds of emotions with people through music,” he explained. “There’s something really special about five people with different personalities coming together to create music, and I’m so happy to be doing that with these members.” Kyryu’s dedication and consistency to his craft are inspiring to the members, especially Eon, who explained, “He’s always practicing and working to give an even better performance. Whenever I see how his hard work translates into such great results, I’m impressed.” Kyryu’s dedication to his craft also allowed him to contribute backing vocals and participate in vocal directing for the EP.
The group’s main rapper, PER B, has always loved expressing himself through rap lyrics. But since joining B THE HOOD, he’s enjoyed exploring new genres with the members, and he’s even surprised himself with how much he can do as a vocalist. “I’m grateful that people enjoy my rapping, but some have also said lovely things about my singing! That’s motivated me to work hard on my vocals and explore another side of myself,” he said, noting that he hopes he can have more opportunities to show both qualities in future performances.
Jace, too, emphasized that PER B is more than just a great rapper. “What I admire most is his warmth and consideration for others,” he said. “He’s always thoughtful and attentive to the people around him, and I learn a lot from watching how he takes care of everyone.”
Luan is the group’s youngest member, and he’s respected most for his positive attitude. “As the youngest member, I’m sure there are times when things feel difficult, but he always stays cheerful and gives everything his best,” Eon said. “His attitude gives me energy too, and I think that’s really admirable.”
As the lead vocalist, Luan hopes he can bring fans “comfort and joy” through his music. But he is extremely appreciative of the bond he’s developed with his team. “I met these wonderful older members who share my goal of making great music, and I’m really excited about the story the five of us will create together.”
(from let to right) Kyryu, Luan and PER B
B THE HOOD began going viral long before their debut, often topping YouTube and streaming charts—a fact that still surprises the members. “Before our debut, we were excited, but also nervous about whether people would enjoy the music we’d worked on,” Luan said. “Seeing such a wonderful response still feels a little surreal, and it makes us so happy.”
“Lowkey,” “The Baddest,” and “JADED” each led a successful “triple run,” topping the YouTube Shorts daily chart at No. 1, reaching No. 5 on the daily Top Music Videos chart, and landing in the YouTube Music weekly Top 100 for two consecutive weeks. The success has encouraged the members to push for thrilling performances and to create better music.
Part of their success comes from smart collaborations with musicians like singer-songwriter Seori, who wrote Up On the Moon”. Eon said it was a “true honor” to work with so many talented producers and songwriters on the album. “What I love most is that every track has its own distinct sound and character,” he said. “They gave each song moments that allow our vocals, rap, and performances to shine, which made preparing the EP so enjoyable. We’re truly grateful to everyone who helped create this music.”
The boys also collaborated with VANSON LEATHER, a hip premium American leather brand. “This collaboration gave us the chance to interpret VANSON LEATHER’s bold, stylish aesthetic in our own way, which made it especially meaningful,” PER B said.
With each collaboration, PER B explained, the group hopes HOODY can see the team in new, sometimes unexpected ways. “Expressing each member’s personality through fashion and visuals is important to us, alongside our music,” he said.
The group showed all of these sides—fashion, music, and dance—at their debut showcase last week. There, the members performed three of the tracks from THE REAL DEAL and properly introduced themselves to fans. It was also, of course, a celebration of their debut together.
“We’d been preparing for so long, so it was an incredibly meaningful moment for all of us,” Kyryu told me. The boys felt a mixture of nervous excitement before going on stage. But the experience motivated them to think more about live performances and “sharing the space” as HOODY. Over the next year, the group wants “to establish a distinct musical identity for B THE HOOD. We hope more people will discover and enjoy our music,” Kyryu continued. “Our biggest goal is for every member to keep growing and become an even better artist.”
The boys hope that as more fans join their livestreams or find their album, they will take the time to get to know them personally. Their hook might be that they are virtual idols, but as their EP title implies, they are literally the real deal.
“Onstage, we show a powerful side of ourselves through our performances, but in livestreams and other content, you’ll also see how playful and fun-loving we are. I think that contrast is one of our biggest charms,” Kyryu explained. “Above all, we hope people will come to love our music and performances in their own right, beyond their initial interest in us as a virtual group.”
The response they’ve received from HOODY has affirmed that they’re on the right path together. “We’ll continue growing as B THE HOOD so we can give back the love we’ve received,” Luan said, before adding, “We hope you’ll keep supporting us!”
