Having moved past the dazzling first steps of their debut, TUNEXX are now writing their own story in deeper, more mature shades. Back with their second mini album ‘BLUE MODE,’ the group has etched the sincerity of “us” throughout the record, opening a new chapter as artists. Wrapped in a sentimental “blue” mood, the album also marks another starting point, one where the members tune into the same frequency as their fans.
The new album bears the marks of the members’ intense deliberation from start to finish. Led by Donggyu, the members put their heads together to create the most TUNEXX-like choreography yet, while Zeon, Sihwan, Inhu and Taira breathed life into the album by writing lyrics and crafting raps themselves. Everyday inspirations, from words murmured on a rainy day to a flower tended with care, grew into a message of connection that reaches beyond “me” and “you,” and took shape as heartfelt lyrics.
The essence of being “TUNEXX-like,” as the group defines it for themselves, lies in captivating contrast and total immersion. Their music is easy to enjoy anywhere in everyday life, yet on stage they command attention with sheer intensity, through finely controlled pacing and razor-sharp choreography. Rather than confining themselves to a single genre or mood, they freely explore new styles across vocals and performance, and that flexibility is their greatest strength.
TUNEXX, who say they feel happiest when locking eyes and connecting with fans on stage, now have their sights set on bigger stages beyond Korea. Taking the honor of being named a Billboard Up & Comer as powerful motivation, they hold bold ambitions that run from a first music show win to a world tour, and ultimately the top of the Billboard charts. Ready to make fresh waves in the global music scene through constant experimentation, TUNEXX share their story in their own words.
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TUNEXX
While preparing your second mini album, what musical strengths or sides of yourselves did you each want to show? Feel free to answer across any area, from the songs to the performance.
Donggyu: For this album, I personally put more focus on performance. I was grateful to be given a lot of opportunities to create choreography, and I ended up choreographing two songs in total. I’ve done plenty of choreography before, but this time we made it together as a team, so I wanted to show the very best we could do by drawing on a wider range of perspectives. That’s why I think this performance is the choreography that expresses us best.
Taira: With this album, I wanted to show more clearly the delicacy of our performance and our control over its intensity. Dance lines and facial expressions matter, but above all, I wanted to show how deeply immersed I am in the stage.
Inhu: I wanted to show a more mature, grown-up side of myself. In particular, I challenged myself with a different vocal style than before and practiced it, hoping to show that I can do this too. In the performance as well, I tried to show that I’ve become more relaxed and at ease.
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ARCTIC
Donggyu, Zeon and Sihwan took part in writing lyrics. Zeon in particular handled the rap making for ‘ANSWER’ himself. Did you write all the raps on that track? Tell us which lyrics each of you wrote, and any stories behind writing them.
Donggyu: I took part in writing the lyrics for the B-side ‘OVER X,’ and I’m grateful that my chorus was chosen. The keyword of the album was “us,” so I thought hard about how to make it land intuitively for listeners. I wrote and erased over and over, and I think I ended up with lyrics I’m happy with.
Zeon: I worked on my own rap part in ‘ANSWER’ and on ‘OVER X.’ ‘ANSWER’ is something of an extension of our debut title track ‘I’m Alive,’ so I wanted to carry over even a little of that feeling, and I quoted the word “filter” from it. For ‘OVER X,’ I touched a lot of different parts. To bring out the keyword “connection,” I developed lyrics that originally said “I” into “we,” and I built out a lot of material I’d been collecting in my notes app.
Sihwan: I wrote the part “Ghosted again thought I can’t deny.” I remember writing it on a rainy day, trying out all kinds of phrases.
Inhu and Taira also appear in the credits. What did you contribute to the album?
Inhu: I wrote lyrics for the first time, in line with the album’s theme. I tried to bring out the mood and message of the song while also putting my own thoughts into it.
Taira: I wrote Sihwan’s part. I put in honest feelings, said straight out without beating around the bush.
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SIHWAN
Was there anything that inspired you as you worked your musical abilities into the album?
Zeon: I tend to jot down inspiration and ideas that come to me in daily life in my notes app. From those, I found material that connected well with the keyword “us,” and developed and applied each piece one by one.
Sihwan: I think I get inspired by lessons I learn in everyday life. For example, seeing a flower I’d carefully looked after bloom beautifully inspired me.
Donggyu: I’m the type to dig deep into a keyword. From the word “us,” I kept exploring words that branch off from it, like “me,” “you” and “together,” and wrote lyrics that fit.
What reaction from listeners to this album would make you happiest or proudest?
Sungjun: If people listen and go, “Wait, this song is so good!” I’d feel really proud as a performer, and seeing people sing along to our songs would make me incredibly happy.
Taira: I’d be happiest to hear that Taira’s stage presence is incredibly immersive. Hearing that someone couldn’t take their eyes off the stage the whole time would be the highest compliment.
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ZEON
Every artist wants to build a unique musical color and appeal through new songs and performances. What does it mean to be “TUNEXX-like”?
Zeon: I don’t know yet how the public and our fans will take “TUNEXX-like,” but as we keep going, I hope we’ll be remembered as a team that takes on a wide range of genres with music and performances that are both smooth and intense.
Arctic: I think being TUNEXX-like means putting our hearts into whatever music we do, and constantly trying new things. We still have a lot to improve, but I think giving our all to every single stage is what makes our color our own.
Donggyu: What comes to mind for me is easy listening and, in contrast, intense performance. We want our music to be something people can listen to comfortably in any situation, and if you listen to our B-sides, I think you’ll find they fit any moment. To keep it from getting boring, though, I want us to be intense and razor-sharp in our performances.
What new color has this album added to TUNEXX?
Inhu: I think it added a more mature feel to the bright, energetic side we already had. We showed new sides in our vocals and performance too, so I see it as an album that broadened TUNEXX’s own color.
Sihwan: I think we showed a range of colors through B-sides in different genres, and the overall mood of this album added a sentimental “blue.”
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SUNGJUN
As rookies who debuted this year, you must have musical challenges and adventures you want to take on. Are there genres or concepts you’d like to try? We’re curious what you want to show musically, as a group and as individuals or units.
Donggyu: I’d love to do upbeat hip-hop as a unit. Back when we were trainees, we’d split into units, write songs, put together performances and get evaluated, and a different charm came out each time. I think people watching would find it fresh too.
Inhu: I want to try various styles in both vocals and performance. I feel there’s still a lot we haven’t shown, so I’d like to do more emotional music like R&B and keep challenging myself with new genres. I want to build TUNEXX’s own color without being bound by genre.
Taira: Personally, I’d like to take on a sleek hip-hop track. Another goal is to show an energy different from the group’s through a unit stage centered on powerful performance.
Sungjun: Our fans really love our refreshing concepts, so I’d like to promote with a poppy song with an extra dash of that refreshing feel. Someday I’d also like the vocal unit to release a song. Each of our voices is so different that I think we’d make a really great track.
Zeon: As a group, I’d like to take on an even wider range of genres. Preparing rap and hip-hop stages as a trainee was when I had the purest fun, so as a solo or unit, I’d also like to try a hip-hop song that captures that fun.
Sihwan: Showing a variety of genres is TUNEXX’s goal, so next I’d like to try rock and hip-hop, which we haven’t shown yet.
Arctic: There are still so many genres I want to try. Rather than staying in one genre, I want to experience many and find our own color along the way. Personally, I’d also like to make music that better shows off my voice and style.
Are there any Korean or international artists you’d like to collaborate with?
Zeon: When I was studying and practicing rap, I analyzed J.I.D’s songs and albums and was hugely influenced by them. I want to keep sharpening my skills, and if the opportunity comes, I’d love to collaborate with him someday.
Sihwan: I often listen to alternative R&B, so it would be a huge honor to collaborate with Crush or DEAN.
Sungjun: There’s an artist called Cold whom I’ve loved since I was young. If I could sing with him or work with him, nothing would make me happier.
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TAIRA
What do you want to achieve before the year ends? Even small things are fine.
Inhu: Since we debuted this year, there’s so much I want to do. I want to perform on year-end stages, win first place on a music show, and I definitely want to experience performing at an awards ceremony. I want to keep building great experiences.
Arctic: As a member of TUNEXX, I want to make one more good memory with our fans. When I look back on this year, I hope the moments with our fans come to mind first. Personally, I want to see myself grow a little more before the year ends, filling in, one by one, even the small things I felt I was lacking.
Donggyu: I really want to win first place on a music show and do the encore. The title of No. 1 is great, but what I want is to feel the joy of performing that encore.
What next stage or step does TUNEXX dream of?
Taira: A world tour where we can meet fans around the world in person, and performing at major global music festivals like MAMA.
Sihwan: We recently got another great opportunity to promote overseas, so I think our next goal is to introduce TUNEXX to many countries.
Sungjun: The end of the year is coming soon, and I’d like to put on year-end stages so our fans can enjoy the holiday season. When I was young, I only watched year-end shows on TV, so standing on that stage myself would be a huge honor.
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INHU
Beyond Korea, what kind of presence do you hope TUNEXX will have in the global music market?
Donggyu: I hope we become artists who keep experimenting, through performance or music, and keep bringing something fresh. Rather than staying in one genre or one mood, TUNEXX aims to show rich variety through all kinds of music.
Since debuting and through the release of your second mini album, when did you feel “I’m glad I debuted”?
Donggyu: Every time I see our fans’ eyes from the stage. The way they look at me is the way I used to look at the seniors I admired and loved when I was younger, and that makes me really proud.
Inhu: Just knowing that I can be a source of strength for someone makes me so happy. I remember being happy watching my seniors’ stages and listening to their songs when I was young, and now that I can share that kind of happiness and strength, I’m truly glad.
Taira: When we lock eyes with our fans on stage while hearing them cheer. That’s the moment I feel our music and performance give someone great strength.
Sungjun: Some fans tell me, “Sungjun, thank you for debuting. Your songs and stages gave me confidence and helped me heal.” As a performer, hearing that made me realize that I, too, have gained so much happiness by debuting.
Zeon: More than any other moment, it’s when I’m singing and dancing on stage. When I hear the cheers and support fans send after a performance, all the hardship and exhaustion from preparing vanish in an instant, so whenever I perform, I feel glad I debuted.
Sihwan: I feel happiest when I’m connecting with the audience during a performance.
Arctic: When we go on music shows. While preparing this album, I worked even harder picturing the moment we’d show it to fans on stage, and getting to promote again made me feel so glad I debuted.
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DONGGYU
Which part of the title track or B-sides shows off your charm best?
Donggyu: The bridge of the B-side ‘ANSWER.’ I have a lot of ambition as a vocalist, so I agonized over that part, and it turned out just as appealing and satisfying as I’d hoped.
Inhu: You can really feel my emotional vocals on the B-sides, and on the title track I show a side that’s different from usual, intense and sexy.
Taira: The part right before the dance break in the title track. It shows my own dynamic charm well.
Sungjun: It has to be my bridge part in ‘BLUE MODE.’ I poured everything I had into bringing that part to life, so please check it out!
Zeon: My rap part in track 3, ‘ANSWER,’ which I mentioned earlier. In keeping with its R&B soul genre, I think I helped draw listeners deeper into the song’s story, so I’m happy with it.
Sihwan: I think the dance and vocals in the pre-chorus of ‘BLUE MODE’ showed off my charm.
Arctic: The parts where I could show a more mature side on this album capture my charm best. I tried to deliver my expressions and gestures with more ease than before.
What does ‘BLUE MODE’ mean to you?
Donggyu: What means the most is that it’s truly ours. We were given so many creative opportunities, which makes me even more attached to this album.
Inhu: To me, this album shows a more grown and mature side of myself. Being able to show something different from our debut makes it even more meaningful.
Taira: It stands for a challenge, one that let us show more mature music and added a new level of depth to us as artists.
Sungjun: A new challenge! I’ve never done a song with this kind of feel in my life, so that’s what I’d call it.
Zeon: It’s a warm album that helped us grow even more. It gave us the chance to grow both musically and in performance compared to our last release, and it shows our charm more openly than ever, so I have a lot of affection for it.
Sihwan: It’s a new attempt, and the beginning of the process of tuning into the same frequency as our fans.
Arctic: For me, ‘BLUE MODE’ is an album that let me grow one step further. I learned so many new things while preparing it, and I could feel that I had grown a little myself.
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TUNEXX
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The name “Billboard” must carry special meaning for each of you. How does it feel to be named a Billboard Up & Comer? As members of TUNEXX who will keep growing, what are your resolutions?
Donggyu: It’s such an honor. My father always told me to dream big, so someday I’m definitely going to hit No. 1 on Billboard.
Inhu: Billboard… It feels unreal, and I’m truly grateful our name can be on it. The Billboard Up & Comer title has been a huge motivation for us. We’ll never forget this gratitude, and we’ll keep delivering better music and stages and show you a TUNEXX that grows steadily.
Taira: The name Billboard alone is a great honor, and I feel a good kind of responsibility. I’ll show you a Taira who’s truly cool and makes you look forward to every stage.
Sungjun: What we’ve shown so far is just the beginning. Someday we’ll make the Billboard charts with our own songs and let so many people hear TUNEXX’s voices!
Zeon: First of all, I’m so grateful to everyone, and I consider this a real honor. I’ll always work hard to keep growing, become far better than we are now, and someday reach the top of the Billboard charts. Thank you!
Sihwan: I’ll work hard until we hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Mark my words, this post is going to be legendary, haha.
Arctic: When I heard we’d been named a Billboard Up & Comer, it felt amazing and I was so grateful. What made me happiest was that so many people liked the music we worked so hard on. I want to be an artist worthy of the Billboard Up & Comer title, and as we stand on more stages and build our skills, I’ll work hard so that whatever stage you see, you’ll think, “That’s TUNEXX for you.”
