The music video boasts a mix of aesthetic choices. From the 90s home-movie style introduction to dreamy skyscapes, grunge, and disco - NINE.i makes us feel like we are a part of their world. As for production, the group lives up to their “self-produced” title, with the members participating in the entire process. This comeback echoes the real, honest, and genuine reflections of the members as they navigate their dazzling youth and we love basking in their glory. In light of the success of NINE.i’s second mini-album, “I (Part.1)”, Kpopmap had the incredible opportunity of sitting down with the young rockstars to unpack their philosophy of youth. The conversation that followed was not only deeply honest and candid but also allowed us to understand the message behind this album with nuanced detail. In addition, Kpopmap also shared some Fan Interviews with NINE.i so that they may feel the love of i.ENIN from all the corners of the world. The Fan Interviews that were shared include those by Abby from Colombia, Cia from the Philippines, and Reesam from Saudi Arabia, among others. Keep reading until the very end for a special message from NINE.i exclusively in response to your Fan Interviews! Welcome to Kpopmap, NINE.i, and congratulations on the success of your 2nd mini-album, “I (Part.1)”! First of all, what parts of “YOU” did NINE.i express in “I”? The album “I (Part.1)” is about the process of finding a true self with the concept of youth, and we tried to contain various emotions that can be felt during youth in every track. JeWon “I (Part.1)” is an album that portrays the purest essence of youth. In the process of making this album, were you reminded of your own real lives a lot? If so, can you tell us about some memories that inspired you? The album was produced through inspiration from my own real life experience and that of other members. Just like any person, I was afraid to start new things or even dream about my goals, so I believe there will be a lot of relatable topics within the album. Vahn The title track ‘Young Boy’ is an ode to the bravery of youth. What is the bravest thing you’ve ever done in your life so far? I think that the bravest thing I have ever done is leave everything back in Thailand and come to Korea alone without anything but a dream and a backpack haha. Winnie I was a student at an arts high school and there was quite a distance from my home to school since I lived in Suwon at that time. The bravest decision I made was to move out of my house and find my own place near school. TaeHun Did you have any interesting or funny episodes while recording the unit songs - ‘Love’, ‘Loner’ and ‘IAM’? I was asked to sing like how high-teen movie characters run while I was recording for our song ‘Love’. I understood the assignment perfectly and recorded my part successfully, and I thought it was a very fun and memorable experience. MinJun SeoWon wanted JooHyoung’s part in the second verse of our song “I AM” so bad. Now I really want to know if there’s a specific reason behind that. Vahn About the episode that Vahn mentioned: There’s a part where JooHyoung sings “Even with brand new clothes on, it’s not any better”. I wanted to change the lyrics from “brand new clothes” to “Chanel bags” because the previous one seemed boring. The entire recording process itself was very entertaining and funny. SeoWon I felt very nervous when recording for the song “Loner” because I wrote the lyrics to it. I was afraid people were not going to like my work, but thankfully I received good feedback, so I think all went well. JiHo Did you learn anything new about yourselves while you were preparing for this comeback? While preparing for this comeback, I was able to do a concept that’s different from the last album. While preparing for this album, I thought it fit me in a different way from the first album, so I discovered something new. JooHyoung Which emotion expressed in this album do each of you relate to the most and why? I sympathize with the song “Love” very much. This song was written for i.ENIN, and I believe the fans are the ones that make us feel the emotion of being in love. VaRi Members Vahn, JooHyoung, Winnie, and JiHo participated in the process of making this album in various capacities such as production, songwriting, and more. Did you face any challenges during this time? If so, how did you overcome them? We all worked very hard on our title song ‘Young Boy’. This song was actually in progress during the promotional period for our first album, and we were able to develop the song to its best quality up until now. The process of changing and editing the song was the hardest part for me. I think I listened to the song around 50,000 times. Vahn When I was having trouble writing the lyrics. I took a break and went out to go to a convenience store. I was still writing my lyrics on my way to the store and realized there were so many things to write about. When I finally got back to the studio, I was able to write the lyrics with ease, and one of the works during that time was the song ‘Loner’. JiHo There were times when I was stuck writing the lyrics or had to rush through the process. On days that didn’t go well, I brainstormed what to write, throwing various ideas and words, rather than sitting and thinking for a long time. I think that’s how we got good ideas and we were able to move on. JooHyoung For me, when I was writing the lyrics for our song ‘Loner’ I didn’t face any challenges or struggles. Surprisingly, the lyrics just came out like a burst of bubbles from my head. Maybe it’s because I really like this song and I also empathize with the concept and emotions that ‘Loner’ has to convey. Winnie Can you tell us how the member next to you influenced you in a positive way for this comeback? I was very inspired by Vahn working passionately on our songs. I received many song recommendations from him as well because I wanted to try showing various sides of myself by practicing songs of different genres. JeWon While preparing for this comeback, Vahn helped us show better performances in this album. He also helped me find a new voice tone while recording. I’m happy to let you hear what I’m good at and a new voice. MinJun With “I (Part.1)”, NINE.i is showing a more honest, sincere, and free side of the members. Is there any area of your life where you want to be more honest and free? I think the field that we want to be more honest and free in our lives is definitely in front of our i.ENIN~ Whether it’s music or performance, I want to be able to stay truthful and communicate with our i.ENIN and be able to give each other energy as well. SeoWon I want to be free, honest, and overall happy with our i.ENIN!! JooHyoung [Fan Interview] As you already know, numerous I.ENIN have sent their sincere love and appreciation for NINE.i through Kpopmap Fan Interviews. How did you feel when you read them? Is there anything you’d like to say to those fans? I felt the love in the interview, so I feel extremely grateful. It made me realize how much thoughts i.ENIN put into us. I love you and thank you so much. Vahn First of all, thank you so much for your supportive comments as NINE.i fans, and I was able to feel your warmth towards us through the interview. I love you. JeWon I’ve read Fan Interviews before, and there was a comment from one of our fans saying “I can’t describe how perfect NINE.i is”, and I felt very thankful reading that comment and it motivated me to work even harder. JiHo That’s not all! We have another special video from NINE.i for i.ENIN all over the world! Check it out below!
What is your favorite song from “I (Part.1)”? Share your thoughts with Kpopmap in the comments section!
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