Recommended Tracks: “BEAT,” “coloring,” “girlsnboys”
Artists You May Like: Charli XCX, Mechatok, 100gecs
K-Pop group SEVENTEEN may be slowing down as they descend further into their enlistment era, but members The8 and Vernon have kept their feet on the gas as they enter the music world as a subunit. They released their debut EP V8 on June 29th alongside their lead single “singasong,” an electronic, hyperpop project that feels very video-gamey in the best way possible. It perfectly sets the tone for the sound of the rest of the EP. V8 brings a new level of multilingualism through the expert combination of English, Chinese, and Korean lyrics. For Chinese native The8 and New Yorker Vernon, this is just another way to ensure that their own identities shine in their music.
Just two songs into the EP, listeners run into “BEAT,” the electro-bass heavy song that’s bursting with production references as metaphors for love. This is the type of song that feels best when it’s blasting from bass-boosted speakers. Lyrically, The8 and Vernon yearn to be as integral to their lovers as FX is to a good beat. You can envision them dancing in a club and having that moment where everything seems to slow down around them the second they spot their objects of affection. The8 only has one request: “Let me drown in your frequency.”
The fifth track of V8 is arguably the best. It’s titled “coloring,” and it is the height of the electro and hyperpop sound the duo were going for layered over a trap-reminiscent beat. The song features the pair pleading in falsetto with their loved ones to come back and start over. Right off the bat, Vernon sings, “Sorry, can we make up again [just like yesterday]?” with The8 ad-libbing “I need you” in the background. All they ask is for their significant others to pick up the phone and call them, simple as that. Despite how high-energy the song is, it reflects a very common sentiment across people: No one wants to be alone.
Right after “coloring” comes “girlsnboys,” a song that feels very much like a message to critics of younger generations or, at the very least, an explanation for why we are the way we are. Let the pair tell it, it’s because there’s too much bad unfolding in the world and “boys and girls are so tired” as a result. Vernon starts off the song with a raw, unfiltered statement: “I’m miserable, I can’t lie.” In his first verse, The8 croons in Chinese what we’re all thinking: “I wish there was a little more love in this world.” Although the song strays away from the electronic energy of the rest of the project, it’s a welcome change. No one would say no to a collaboration with the Pharrell Williams, after all.
When you’re a fan of K-Pop groups as talented as SEVENTEEN, there’s an excitement that follows the initial sadness as members start to enlist because you realize you get to see new, individual sides of each as they explore their own musical visions. The8 and Vernon saw an opportunity to do just that, and they did so spectacularly. Written and composed by the duo alongside timeless collaborators like Alice Longyu Gao, V8 is experimental yet authentic. The fusion of their individual tastes and influences created a perfect harmony between the pair that shines through in the EP. It’ll be exciting to see where they take us next, and if they shift into a new gear to do so.
Stream V8 now anywhere you listen to music.
KEEP UP WITH THE8: Instagram
KEEP UP WITH VERNON: Instagram
