[EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW] Behind the Music Magic of LUCY’s Latest EP ‘FROM’ And It’s Double Title Tracks

In this exclusive interview, LUCY opens up about the artistic vision driving their new album ‘FROM.’ and the evolution of their sound.

LUCY, the four-member K-band under Mystic Story, has been steadily captivating hearts and ears since their debut in 2020 with the album “Dear” and its title track “Flowering.” This talented group, consisting of SHIN YE-CHAN, CHOI SANG-YEOP, CHOI WON-SANG, and SHIN GWANG-IL, has carved a unique niche for themselves in the K-Pop landscape with their distinctive blend of rock, pop, and classical influences.

With each EP release, LUCY’s popularity has soared, as evidenced by their consistently increasing album sales. Their discography, which includes gems like ‘Panorama,’ ‘Blue,’ ‘Insert Coin,’ and ‘Fever,’ showcases their musical evolution and willingness to experiment with different sounds while staying true to their core identity. The band’s recent completion of their first world tour, ‘written by FLOWER,’ is a testament to their growing global appeal and the unwavering support of their dedicated fanbase.

Now, LUCY returns with their fifth mini-album, FROM.,’ marking another exciting chapter in their musical journey. In this exclusive interview, the band members delve into the inspirations behind their latest album, the emotions they hope to evoke in their listeners, and more. Join us as we explore the stories woven into their music and discover the passion that drives LUCY to continuously push the boundaries of their artistry.

Hellokpop: Hi LUCY! Thank you for talking to Hellokpop. For those who might be new to LUCY, can each member briefly introduce themselves and share what makes your group unique?

SHIN YE-CHAN: Hello, I’m SHIN YE-CHAN, and I’m playing the violin in LUCY! What’s different about LUCY is that we have a violinist as a member, which is one of the charming aspects of us. 

CHOI SANG-YEOP: Hello, I’m CHOI SANG-YEOP, the vocalist of LUCY. What makes our team unique is that we challenge ourselves to try various genres. 

CHO WON-SANG: Hello, I’m CHO WON-SANG, the bassist and producer of LUCY. I think what’s unique about us is that we’re a band even the public can feel the most familiar with. 

SHIN GWANG-IL: Hello, I’m SHIN GWANG-IL plays the drum in LUCY. I think LUCY is a band that can show various genres with the dazzling melody of violin, which is another charming point.  

HKP: Congratulations on the release of your fifth mini album, ‘FROM.!’ What do you hope listeners will take away from this album that they might not have experienced in your previous releases?

CHO WON-SANG: About the inferiority complex all of us might have, we wanted to empathize with it as a person feeling the same way and release the hidden feelings rather than giving advice or comfort. 

SHIN GWANG-IL: In this album, I wanted to say that the words that are often used negatively (for example, ‘burn’) have positive aspects as well.  

HKP: This is the first time you are featuring double title tracks since your debut. How do “Villain” and “Complex” complement each other, and what made you choose these two as your lead songs?

CHOI SANG-YEOP: It was not easy to select the title track among the songs in this album as they had various charms. While we were thinking hard, there was an opinion that double title tracks also would be great. So we decided on them as double title tracks.  

CHO WON-SANG: “Villain” is about the overall inferiority complex and “Complex” is about a close-up inferiority complex. I think the differences between them are freshness and hotness in terms of musical vibes and genres. I picked them as double title tracks as I wanted you to listen to both.  

HKP: LUCY is known for being actively involved in the creative process of your albums. Can you tell us about each member’s contributions to ‘FROM.?’

SHIN YE-CHAN: I was involved in this album a lot. I made lots of melodies on violin for all five tracks. As I contributed to them so hard, I would appreciate it if you could listen carefully to the violin string sound of “Burn it” and “Falling Flower.”

SHIN GWANG-IL: As WON-SANG overall produced the album, I think his contribution was the highest. I wrote “Burn it” this time and I’m glad that many of our fans like it. 

HKP: Are there any particular challenges or new experiences you encountered while preparing for this album?

CHO WON-SANG: It was hard to make the album during a very busy time to prepare for the first world tour called ‘LUCY 1st WORLD TOUR written by FLOWER’ since our debut. But as I think longer alone in the studio, I think I can get a better outcome. 

SHIN GWANG-IL: Whenever I write songs, I always think about the lyrics deeply for a long time. This time, it was hard to complete the lyrics of “Burn it” but it came out great as I put effort into thinking hard. 

HKP: What is your favorite track from the album and why?

SHIN YE-CHAN: My favorite song is “Falling Flower.” We pre-released the song at the concert before its official release. It makes us look back on our journey as LUCY, making us feel overwhelmed and making a lot of things come to mind. I’m so proud of and happy with the fact that a song like this is ours.  

CHOI SANG-YEOP: Personally I pick one of the double title tracks, “Villain.” I think this song can comfort many people and give them hope. As there’s a fanchant guide the audience can follow, it’s great to perform while we’re actively communicating on the stage. 

HKP: Can you share any funny or memorable moments from the album preparation or music video filming?

CHOI SANG-YEOP: Thanks to Kim Kyoung Wook who joined us in filming the music video of ‘Villain’ this time, we were able to try various things. He was really kind and worked so passionately on the film set. I really appreciate it.  

CHO WON-SANG: I remember when I started making this album. When I made “Doggaebi Dance” first, my songwriting colleagues and I liked it with a cheer as the song came out well as I wanted. It’s the happiest memory. 

HKP: You recently completed your first world tour, ‘written by FLOWER.’ How has this experience influenced your music or performance style for this comeback?

SHIN YE-CHAN: As we kept performing in many places during the first world tour since our debut, I think it’s easier to imagine how I would look on the stage. During the recording for this album, I recorded the songs by imagining the way I would look playing the new songs. 

CHO WON-SANG: I could have made more relaxed and easier listening songs. It’s a little sad that the busy schedule might be reflected in the songs while making the album.  

HKP: If each track on ‘FROM.’ was a different type of flower, which flower would represent each song and why?

CHO WON-SANG: First, one of the double title tracks, “Villain,” reminds me of a sunflower. Although it’s a beautiful flower in the sunlight having a unique design more than any other flowers, it seems to be envious of the bright sun. That’s why the song reminds me of a sunflower. 

“Complex” reminds me of cactus. I heard that only those who grow the plant can feel the charming aspects of cactus even if they’re not flowers. Even if they look ugly at a glance, those who grow them can see the beautiful sides. I think that resembles the theme of “Complex.”

I want to compare “Doggaebi Dance” to lycoris radiata. The lycoris radiata garden looks somewhat ominous and scary. But if you take a closer look, they’re just flowers wanting to show off their beauty to people. I think they’re like a red goblin who looks scary but wants to get along with people. 

I want to say “Burn it” is a pine tree. Pine trees don’t change for a long time but actually they’re burning themselves to improve and stay there forever. That reminds me of “Burn it.”

Lastly, “Falling Flower” reminds me of a dandelion. While looking at dandelions falling and spreading the seed, I once thought ‘The seeds can be bloomed somewhere again.’ As “Falling Flower” is a song that promises a day to be beautifully bloomed again, it resembles a dandelion. 

HKP: You already have a lot of good music in your discography. Is there any genre that you would like to try again or any new music style that you would like to experiment with?

SHIN YE-CHAN: I want to keep trying songs expressing deep feelings like “Falling Flower” or “Burn it.”

CHOI SANG-YEOP: I think we already showed various genres so I want to try something else. As I said a lot about busking just after making a debut, I want to communicate with the audience while busking if I have time. 

HKP: How do you think your sound and style have evolved since your debut? Is there a significant change you have noticed in yourselves over the last?

CHO WON-SANG: I think we naturally passed through following our hearts based on the needs. 

SHIN GWANG-IL: I think we’ve done great so far so I think it’s going to be great if we do it as it is.

HKP: LUCY is a group with members who have multifaceted talents. If you would want to develop or learn one skill, be it in or out of music, which particular skill would you choose?

CHOI SANG-YEOP: There are still many musical skills I want to learn, so it’s not easy to pick one. Out of music, I want to have academic talent as I’m studying Korean history these days.  

CHO WON-SANG: I want to have drawing skills. As I like comic books, I think I can do well as a cartoonist. 

HKP: What is the one thing that makes you proud to be a member of LUCY?

SHIN YE-CHAN: The members. I’m the proudest when I perform on the stage with the members. When I look at them, I often feel so proud of them that my heart feels overwhelmed. 

SHIN GWANG-IL: To me, it’s the fans. Thanks to WALWALE (official fandom) who always support and cheer for us all over the world, I’m proud to be a member of LUCY. 

HKP: Lastly, please leave a message to your fans reading this.

SHIN YE-CHAN: I always appreciate the fans. I hope you stay healthy and be with us forever. Let’s keep it up today as well. 

CHOI SANG-YEOP: I want to say thank you again for waiting and supporting us. As we put everything of LUCY in this album, please enjoy listening to it. I hope you are always happy. 

CHO WON-SANG: Despite my concerns, I appreciate you for your love for the 5th Mini Album, “FROM.” We’ll be back soon with more mature music. Don’t go anywhere else, stay with us forever.  

SHIN GWANG-IL: Thank you for your love for the 5th Mini Album, “FROM.” I’ll try to show you better songs. Please look forward to it.  

Connect with the members of LUCY on Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube.

Listen to LUCY’s discography on Spotify or Apple Music.

*Special thanks to the members of LUCY and MYSTIC STORY for this exclusive interview.

Image and Video Credits: MYSTIC STORY.