[Exclusive] Interview with POW: The Story Behind “Being Tender”

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POW’s latest album Being Tender dives deep into themes of warmth, nostalgia, and emotional sincerity. With its signature blend of teen spirit and European youth vibes, the group channels fresh energy into every track. Members Jungbin and Yorch explored arranging for the first time, while Hyunbin embraced a hip-hop sound—proving POW’s bold creative growth.

The album is described in hues like sky blue, orange, green, and yellow, each reflecting a personal story or emotion. Memorable lyrics like “You’re my muse, the reason I sing” highlight their heartfelt bond with fans, known as POWER.


Hi POW! Can you tell us —what’s the vibe of your latest album?

Jungbin: Being Tender is an album that captures POW’s signature teen spirit and European youth culture, as seen in our past releases. This time, we’ve poured even more of our youthful and fresh energy into it.

Was there a moment during the making of this album that made you feel really proud or emotional?

Yorch: I’m honored that one of the songs I participated in made it onto the album. In the past, I used to just imagine—what if I wrote a song? Would people like it? And now, to have my work included in our album, it’s overwhelming and fulfilling.

Jungbin: There was a small river at the album sampler shoot location. We skipped stones and ran around a bit with the members. It reminded me of the early days when we filmed “Favorite” and “Dazzling.” It made me a little emotional.

Did any of you try something new this time—like writing lyrics, producing, or even dancing in a different style?

Yorch: Jungbin and I tried the arrangement for the first time. We worked on the arrangement of the title track “Being Tender.” When we first heard the demo, we had ideas on how to better express the energy for the performance. We made a few suggestions, and the company accepted our input.

Hyunbin: I challenged myself with a hip-hop-based genre for the first time for the “Celebrate” track. It’s a different kind of energy from what POW has shown before. Recording it and learning the choreography was really fun.

If you could describe Being Tender as a color, what would it be and why?

Yorch: I’d say blue. Blue reminds me of the sky. When I’m stressed or having a hard time, I like to lie down and look at the sky. It helps me clear my head. Even though no one’s beside me, it feels like the sky is always there, listening to me. Just like that, this album is something you can listen to and heal from your troubles.

Hyunbin: I think it’s sky blue. This album captures POW’s most sparkling moments, so it gives off a fresh, cool vibe.

Jungbin: I imagine orange and sky blue. When I think of tenderness, I picture a warm, sunlit orange. And when I think of POW’s fresh energy, I see sky blue.

Dongyeon: I’d say yellow. Yellow is a warm color, and I think Being Tender is all about the warm moments of summer.

Hong: Personally, I think of green. This album holds freshness and nostalgia. I loved nature when I was little and have a lot of memories tied to it. Working on this album brought back memories from my childhood, so I’d express it with green.

What’s one lyric or line from the album that POWER (your fans) should really pay attention to?

Yorch: “It’s you, the reason I hold on. You’re my muse, the reason I sing.” This line really feels like something we want to say directly to our fans.

Hyunbin: I want to share the hook from “Fingerprint” with our fans. It’s about turning every moment we share into a memory, which is really meaningful.

Jungbin: The line from “Fingerprint”. “Every time, every part, let’s keep going. There’s no ending here, let’s look forward to our tomorrow.”

Dongyeon: “Being nice and being tender are two different things.” This lyric captures the uncertainty and self-reflection in trying to become a more tender person.

Hong: “The reason I endure, the reason I sing.” I hope people pay attention to that line. It really means POWER is the reason we perform and sing.

Can you share a fun or unexpected behind-the-scenes story from filming the music video or recording the songs?

Hyunbin: There’s a scene in the music video where I do pottery. My hands got covered in white clay, and it didn’t come off easily. So my hands stayed unusually pale until the end of filming.

Jungbin: During the music video shoot, there was a scene with flying cat fur. We used a huge fan to blow white fur into the air. Our outfits were white too, so we didn’t realize at first, but when we changed clothes after filming, we were completely covered in fur. It took a while to get it all off.

Dongyeon: We filmed with a cat, and I wanted to understand how it feels, so I tried eating some cat food. It was awful. If I ever raise a pet in the future, I think I’ll give it more meat than kibbles.

What do you hope fans feel when they listen to this album for the first time?

Yorch: I hope everyone who listens to this album feels the importance of tenderness. In today’s world, being mindful of others’ emotions is more important than ever. I hope people treat each other with more care and understanding.

Hyunbin: I hope it brings back happy, cherished memories.

Jungbin: I want it to bring a bit of warmth to those living busy, hectic lives. I hope our music can be a source of comfort in today’s fast-paced world.

Dongyeon: I hope people feel, “Wait, this side of POW feels different, but in a good way.”

Hong: I hope the album brings back the scent of European youth culture from our debut days. And I want listeners to feel like they’re sharing their youth with us.

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