Their range in talent as singers, dancers, and rappers have been impressive, especially with the synchronicity of their choreography. Their music has proven to be very catchy, and since performing the title track ‘Lock Down’ off their first EP, they were a force to look out for. They were not only the most anticipated group of 2021, but they also achieved number one in album sales among K-Pop idols who debuted in 2021. And if this wasn’t a big deal already, they were also chosen as the global super rookie by Hanteo Chart. Representing the 4th generation group is an obvious honor and one that they would not take lightly. To much awaited anticipation, EPEX has come back with their 4th EP titled “Prelude of Love Chapter 1. Puppy Love.” This is a continuation of the album “BIPOLAR Pt. 2 Prelude of Love” which was released in October of 2021. This album follows the story of boys falling in love for the first time. The concept, lyrics, and music videos show the earnestness and unforgettable feelings of first love romance. Kpopmap had the privilege of getting to sit down with the powerhouse group to discuss their new EP as well as other questions that our readers as well as ZENITH would like to know! Also, make sure to check out a very special message that they left for their fans at the end of the interview. To start off, would you mind introducing yourselves individually and telling us your favorite K-Drama or movie of all time? Hello, I’m the oldest member and leader of EPEX, WISH. Among Korean dramas, “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God” is my favorite. The unique setting and atmosphere of the drama are very memorable. WISH Hello, I’m the center and main dancer of EPEX, KEUM. I also like “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God”. I enjoyed watching it because it embodied fantasy elements that everyone would have imagined at least once. KEUM Hello, I’m EPEX’s lead vocalist, MU! I tend to like all kinds of genres, whether it’s action or romance. Recently, I enjoyed watching the Netflix movie, “20th Century Girl”. It was fresh and beautiful, so I highly recommend it to our fans as well. MU Hello, I’m EPEX’s vocalist and lead dancer, A-MIN. I like “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” because it is fun and easy to watch even though it’s a historical drama. A-MIN Hello, I’m EPEX’s rapper, BAEKSEUNG. I like the movie titled “On Your Wedding Day”. I enjoyed it because my favorite actors appear in that movie and I could feel young love while watching it. BAEKSEUNG Hello, I’m EPEX’s lead rapper, AYDEN. I like the movie “Masquerade (2012)” because the performance of the actor who played two roles in that movie was impressive. AYDEN Hello, I’m EPEX’s main vocalist, YEWANG. Among many dramas, I like “The Heirs”. I watched it when I was young, and I remember looking forward to my own high school life while watching that drama. YEWANG Hello, I’m EPEX’s youngest member and main rapper, JEFF. I like the movie “Miracle in Cell No.7”. Not only the story is touching, but also the actors’ performance is so good that it remains in my head even after a long time. JEFF Your newest EP is titled “Prelude of Love Chapter 1. Puppy Love.” Have any of you ever experienced this type of innocent love? What kinds of feelings do you think are evoked through this album? When I think of innocent love, the first thing that comes to my mind is the love of our fans. Every time we see fans loving us unconditionally, sharing emotions, and empathizing with us, we think that is love. Therefore, we want to give that kind of love back to our fans even more. So we thought of our fans a lot when we were recording this album. WISH Your first EP was called “BIPOLAR: Pt.1: Prelude of Anxiety.” With mental health awareness being very important in our world, what are some things that you do to help calm your mind when you’re feeling anxious or have lots of worry? For me, going out for a walk is the most helpful method to clear up some thoughts or worries in my mind. Listening to music while walking makes it easier for me to organize my thoughts. Drawing pictures or getting advice from people around is also helpful. MU Although your group is still relatively new, you’ve already achieved what many K-Pop rookie groups only dream of achieving. You got number one in album sales who debuted in 2021, and were also awarded the Rookie of the Year award at the High1 Seoul Music Awards and the Hanteo Music Awards! With all these achievements already under your belt, what other dreams and goals do you have as a group? Every time we receive an award, we think it is an award given to us to show a better side of ourselves in the future. We have many goals for the future, and one of them is being recognized more and receiving an award in the performance category. In order to achieve the goal, we will try harder to show our unique teamwork perfectly. KEUM How have you changed as a group and individuals since your debut? We feel that a lot has changed since the debut. Personally, due to the nature of my job, there were many moments when I had to look at myself from the third person’s point of view, so I had more time to look back than I did before. As a group, the biggest change is that we have members whom we can all rely on, and we feel that we are getting closer to each other every day. WISH Knowing what you know now and being older, what is some advice you would give to your younger selves who dream of being an idol? When I was a trainee, and even now, there are times when I feel anxious. I believe anyone can become depressed when they worry about an uncertain future, but I hope you cheer up and work hard by focusing on the current reality. It’s something that I say to myself every day, so I hope it will be helpful for those who dream of becoming idols. AYDEN When you are not practicing or being active as a group, what do you like to do individually to wind down and relax? I usually practice singing according to my daily routine even on my days off, but other than that, I spend my time drawing and painting. I mainly draw places I want to go or my favorite cartoons, and sometimes I show my drawings to our fans. YEWANG When good news hits your group or life in general, who is the first person you tell? I think the members will agree with me on this. Family or members are the first to share my good news. Family is always my number one, and members are just as precious as my family! JEFF What can fans look forward to in terms of concepts and concerts in the future? We have released songs about the various emotions we can experience in adolescence until now. We plan to show you the contrasting emotions of love and anxiety in diverse ways in the future. We continuously want to show concepts and music that represent people in our age group. We want to show our unique color and unity of performance together through our concert! BAEKSEUNG Lastly, is there anything you would like to share with your ZENITH who are reading this interview and are so happy to learn more about you? Hello Kpopmap readers and ZENITH! We have come back with our fourth mini album. After the previous album, the full-fledged story of [Prelude of Love] has begun. For this album, we prepared while always having our fans on our minds as we thought a lot about love. There are now more and more opportunities to meet ZENITH in person, so we hope we can meet soon! Thank you and love you ZENITH! A-MIN Thank you again EPEX for taking the time to talk with Kpopmap, their readers, and your ZENITH! We hope that you have more success in your career and are staying healthy, both physically and mentally! Best of luck! Check out the very special message that EPEX left for ZENITH and Kpopmap readers:
Make sure to check out their newest EP “Prelude of Love Chapter 1. Puppy Love.” We wish them all the luck in the world! EPEX Makes Their Comeback Through Their 4th EP “Prelude of Love Chapter 1: Puppy Love” NEWS|Oct 27, 2022 QUIZ: Which Member Of EPEX Will Be Your Boyfriend? QUIZZES|Sep 13, 2022 EXCLUSIVE: Monster Rookie K-Pop Boy Group Answers Questions Asked By Global Fans STAR INTERVIEW|Dec 6, 2021
