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P1Harmony back with up-tempo hip-hop track infused with Latin vibe

September 20, 2024

Despite what its title might suggest, “Sad Song,” the lead single from rising K-pop group P1Harmony’s new album, is an up-tempo hip-hop rhythm infused track with a lively Latin vibe.

Reprising their “hero” roles from their fictional universe where six “unsung heroes” work to save a world in disharmony, the sextet expresses their feelings of loneliness and hollowness after saving the world in “Sad Song,” which opens the group’s seventh EP of the same name.

However, they proclaim they can overcome the sadness in the song’s refrain.

A concept photo for K-pop boy group P1Harmony's seventh EP, "Sad Song," provided by FNC Entertainment on Sept. 20, 2024 (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

A concept photo for K-pop boy group P1Harmony’s seventh EP, “Sad Song,” provided by FNC Entertainment on Sept. 20, 2024 (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

“We wanted to convey the message that even though we’re sad, we don’t give in, and when we sing and dance in our own way, we can overcome it,” member Intak said during a group media interview.

To achieve this, the boy group tried to make the Latin-style melody and vibe stand out in the hip-hop rhythm.

“We also aimed to make the point choreography as simple and easy as possible so it wouldn’t look rushed,” Jiung explained during the interview, held last week at the headquarters of the group’s agency, FNC Entertainment, about a week ahead of the album’s release.

The biggest challenge the band faced while creating the choreography was managing the fast tempo.

“At first, I thought the choreography would be easy,” Soul recalled. “But as the music played, I realized the tempo was too fast. So, we practiced very hard to make it perfect.”

The new EP due out at 1 p.m. Friday is the band’s first release in seven months since “Killin’ It” in February. The band’s first full-length album became the highest-charting release in its nearly four-year career by ranking No. 39 on the Billboard 200 chart for the week of Feb. 24.

In South Korea, the song earned P1Harmony its first-ever No. 1 on a domestic K-pop TV charting program when it topped KBS 2TV’s “Music Bank” the same month.

In June, the group had a sold-out standalone concert at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, wrapping up its third North American tour, which took it to 11 cities in the region.

Jiung admitted to feeling some pressure to deliver on expectations for achieving more but said his team tried to enjoy the album-making process as much as possible.

For the upcoming EP, Intak and Jongseob are listed as lyricists for all seven tracks, while Jiung contributed to writing the lyrics for six. Canadian-born Keeho is credited as a co-composer of the second track, “It’s Alright.”

“As I always participate in writing lyrics, it’s always a challenging task to show new rapping flows or line designs while giving a sense of challenge. It’s difficult, but I always find it fun and feel it’s an opportunity to grow one step further,” Intak said.

He expressed a special fondness for the first verse of “Sad Song,” calling it his most unique and addictive verse to date.

“I tried hard to give a feeling completely opposite to my usual rapping tone and flow design. I incorporated a repetitive yet extremely fast rapping design and arranged the lines in a unique way. That’s why I think it’s the most unique and addictive verse among the ones I’ve done so far.”

Although many of its previous hit songs and the new album’s title track have hip-hop elements, the group said it is open to any genre of music for its next projects if it matches with the band.

“We don’t think we have to give off a hip-hop vibe,” Jiung said. “We’re just going to keep trying music that suits us and that we want to try.”

Asked about its future goals, he said he hopes the band can secure one more No. 1 on any TV music charting program and spend more time with local fans.

“There is an event being planned by the company. I hope it will go well,” he said, without giving further details.

Soul expressed hope that the band can one day perform on a stage in Korea as large as the Kia Forum.