“TIPI-TAP” Into Kep1er’s World As They Chat New Beginnings, Expanding Their Musical Spectrum With South African Gqom, & More | Interview

Kep1er is a 7-member girl group co-managed by WAKEONE Entertainment and KLAP Entertainment. Made up of members YuJin, DaYeon, ChaeHyun, YoungEun, XiaoTing, Hikaru, and Huening Bahiyyih, the group has been making waves in the K-Pop industry ever since their super successful debut era with the viral song ‘Wa Da Da’.

One of the reasons why their comeback bears so much significance this time around is because the members are quite literally making K-Pop history. Having been formed on the K-Pop survival show “Girls Planet 999”, Kep1er is the first-ever K-Pop project group formed from a survival show that has managed to promote past their initial contract period. In May, it was announced that majority of the Kep1er members would extend their contracts and continue to grace their fandom, Kep1ian, with their talent.

History aside, you can’t deny the impact of these members. The Kep1er members have gained recognition for their versatility as artists who suit any concept and have unquestioned stage presence that captivates any audience. This time, Kep1er has come back with their 6th mini album “TIPI TAP” and a title track of the same name.

Kpopmap had the honor of being invited to an in-person round table interview with the Kep1er members a couple of days before their comeback. Arriving at the interview menu, we were met by the members, their enthusiastic and vibrant energy, and welcoming sweet words. It was a pleasure to chat to the members about their new beginning as 7 members, the adjustments they are making to show the best of Kep1er, taking on the South African gqom genre as a challenge, and even what they hope to achieve as individual artists, too.

Note: This interview was conducted before Kep1er made their comeback. 

Hello, Kep1er! Thank you for taking the time to speak with Kpopmap today! Our global readers are filled with anticipation ahead of your comeback with your 6th mini album “TIPI-TAP” and the title track of the same name. We’re sure that making a comeback can still feel very surreal for you. Can you please tell us how you feel this time around?

We’re so happy to be coming back and even though we are back as 7 members, we are still Kep1er and we want to show you the best side of us.
YuJin
I’m so happy to be coming back with the members. As a group, we thought a lot about how to show the best side of Kep1er and we’ll keep those thoughts in mind as we promote this comeback.
ChaeHyun
We’re going to make sure to maintain our unique color as a group and reflect it during this comeback.
DaYeon
We’re excited to show you our new and more developed side.
Hikaru
This is our first comeback as 7 members. We really wanted to comeback quickly without taking too long of a break in between and I’m happy to say that we’ve comeback with an album that is complete with high quality.
Huening Bahiyyih

You started out as a project group from the survival show “Girl’s Planet 999” and were set to promote for 2 and a half years, with your contract ending in May of this year. However, you announced your contract renewal – the first in the history of K-Pop groups that debuted from survival shows and many Kep1ian were happy to hear this news and felt that the contract renewal news. Can you please tell us a little bit more about the period when you renewed your contract? Why did you choose to renew?

For me, our team is made up of different artistic colors and I feel like we can continue to show a new side of ourselves as a team in the future. I believe that our synergy is strongest when we’re together as one. These thoughts played a big role in making this decision.
YuJin

Did you have any questions regarding your contract conditions? Did the terms meet your expectations?

It wasn’t an easy decision to make as we are the first project group to extend our contacts like this. However, we are all heading towards one dream and we used that as our main inspiration to continue.
XiaoTing
It would be a lie to say that it wasn’t difficult to decide to continue, but by communicating with the members, we were able to figure out what each other wanted. We realized that as a group we can still achieve great results and still be a little bit greedy in terms of chasing our dream.
ChaeHyun

Some may consider this to be a new phase or a new beginning for Kep1er. It can’t have been easy to take on this new step. Were there any difficulties or concerns that you had throughout the decision process? Are there any new sides to Kep1er that you hope to show your fans or anything that you’d like the fans to focus on as you continue with this new leg of your journey?

The shift to a 7-member team brought some concerns about filling any gaps and how we could continue to receive love from our fans. However, by talking openly with the team, we were able to overcome those worries and push ourselves to work even harder. We chose to believe in each other and practice even harder to show a better side of the group. This came down to even the smallest and most precious details of performing on stage that represent Kep1er such as paying attention to choreography details and movements extending all the way to our fingertips
ChaeHyun

Kpopmap then asked Kep1er about the genre of their new title track. 

‘TIPI-TAP’ takes inspiration from South African gqom music. Were you aware of the gqom genre before?

This was our first time encountering the gqom genre. It was a bit intimidating at first because it’s so new to us. Recording and dancing were tough at first because we needed to find the right ‘feel’ which was challenging. However, as we got into it, we started to have fun with it.
YuJin

On that note, we think many of your South African fans and African fans as a whole will appreciate this inclusion into your music. Do you have any plans to perhaps visit an African country anytime soon?

Many of our fans ask us when we’ll be able to visit their countries. Naturally, we want to eventually meet all of our fans and perform in as many countries as possible.
DaYeon

What inspired you to take on this genre by incorporating the rhythm into your title track?

We’ve always wanted to prove that we are artists who can pull off any genre. Since gqom is widely recognized overseas, taking the genre on as a challenge was part of us expanding our musical spectrum. I thought blending this sound with our style would fit well, and it did.
Huening Bahiyyih

In that case, what were your first thoughts when you heard ‘TIPI-TAP’? What did you think of the song at first listen?

When we first heard ‘TIPI-TAP’, I thought that it had a lot of impactful parts and we immediately thought about the great points it had for focusing on the choreography.
YuJin

During your preparation for the comeback, was there anything that you paid special attention to that you hope fans will recognize?

Since we have fewer members than before, we focused a lot on how to improve our parts in terms of singing and dancing because our respective parts grew longer for the first time. We consulted with each other a lot about how to improve in this aspect. Our new company tried to split the parts fairly to give each of us an equal chance to shine so we’ve put a lot of effort in.
ChaeHyun

Are you still in touch with the other 2 members, YeSeo and Mashiro?

We still have our 9-member group chat and we still keep in touch. We talked about going to get hot pot after we’re done with each of our promotions. So, we’ll probably meet up for dinner soon.
DaYeon

Is there a special reason that you chose hot pot as your reunion menu?

We tend to eat this menu a lot when we go for dinner so it has a special meaning to us. Kind of like a tradition.
DaYeon

[For YoungEun] YoungEun, you took part in the lyric-writing for some of the B-sides on the “TIPI-TAP” album including ‘Drip’ and ‘Heart Surf’, what did you focus on when writing the lyrics?

I believe that our B-sides are just as important as the title track, as they can really bring out each member’s personality. So, when I wrote the songs, I tried my best to bring the members’ charms to life when writing the lyrics.
YoungEun
We’re very proud of YoungEun for taking part in the production and writing of the songs.
DaYeon

What is the significance behind coming back on November 1st at 1 PM? Is the common number 1 a coincidence?

We chose 111 to symbolize Kep1er’s number ‘1’ and our journey going forward as one group and as one voice.
YuJin

In your “New Connection” teaser you spoke about finding yourselves in a new phase and mentioned that you’ve found what you were looking for. Can you explain more about your findings? As Kep1er do you feel like you’ve found your musical sound or identity as a group?

We took on the theme of a new era and we wanted to express that. It’s going to be a new journey for us with new songs and a new performance to show to our fans.
XiaoTing

Your music has evolved quite a lot since your ‘WA DA DA’ days which may be considered your representative song. Did you change your music style intentionally?

That’s right. We have tried new genres on purpose to show that we can pull off any concept. Instead of taking over one vibe, we want to show that we are versatile and can take on a lot of different vibes.
ChaeHyun

Do you have any plans to meet your international fans soon?

We actually haven’t had an independent local concert in Korea yet. So I would like to have one. We are also working on performing in many more countries.
ChaeHyun

[For Huening Bahiyyih] It seems like you might have some promotions that overlap with your brother TXT’s Huening Kai. Are you looking forward to potentially seeing him backstage from time to time?

Yes. We actually always listen to each other’s songs and joke about whose is better for each comeback. I think this time as well we’ll probably be great strength to each other.
Huening Bahiyyih

When asked whose song she thought was better, Huening Bahiyyih then jokingly said that she thinks Kep1er’s is better, showing off her real sibling chemistry with Huening Kai. 

While the interview atmosphere was light-hearted and fun, one reporter asked… 

[For XiaoTing and YoungEun] As the only Is [as in the first letter of the MBTI personality type which stands for being introverted] on the team, do you ever have a hard time during these promotion periods?

During our debut era before we were all so close, I used to feel a little bit shy but not anymore. Although I’m an I, once I get close to someone then I smile a lot and can laugh with them. So, it’s okay.
XiaoTing
I like to have my alone time because I’m an I, but outside of that I’m always using my energy to have fun with the other members. We are all comfortable with each other and have a lot of love for each other.
YoungEun

Who’s the most capital E [in other words, the most extroverted] person on the team then?

YuJin and ChaeHyun!
All
I definitely think it’s me. The moodmaker of the group is Hikaru though, most likely, but the members are all quite vibrant.
ChaeHyun

This time Hikaru, ChaeHyun, and Huening Bahiyyih seem to have the most vibrantly dyed hair. Are there any interesting stories behind how you chose your respective colors?

I had pink hair during our promotions for ‘WA DA DA’. So, I wanted to commemorate our new start as 7 members with a tribute to our debut era.
ChaeHyun
I just generally like blonde hair. My hair is also quite damaged so it’s a bit too late to change to another color.
Hikaru
I think our Bahiyyih’s hair is quite pretty this time around. It’s orange now and has a very cute hyper-pop vibe.
YoungEun
I’ve been thinking about trying out new colors too because I haven’t tried that many as a Kep1er member, but I’m still thinking about it.
YuJin

You have been promoting together as a group for over 2 years now. What do you think represents your teamwork?

Wherever we go, we have high tension and lot of energy. I think that leads to us having great synergy.
DaYeon
We’re quick to share words like “I’m sorry” or “thank you” with each other… It’s quite touching and I think expressing appreciation strengthens our bond.
ChaeHyun
In my case, I was quite awkward when it came to expressing my emotions to the members at first. However, I learned a lot from the other members and I’ve become expressive. I think it would be bringing out the best in each other like that.
YuJin

The members have recently all opened individual Instagram accounts. Can each member please give us a little insight into what they hope to show their fans through their account? What type of content can we anticipate from you that will show fans more of your individual charms?

Since I’ve started my own Instagram, I want to share more personal sides of myself too, but recently I’ve fallen in love with singing even more and have been doing a lot of vocal training. So, I want to post song and dance covers that fans have expressed wanting to see before but that I haven’t been able to show them yet. I hope fans look forward to that.
Huening Bahiyyih
I used to post a lot of dance videos, but I also want to show them a lot more of my singing by posting covers, as well. Even if I make a couple of mistakes here and there, that’s the side of myself I want to show fans.
YuJin

Kpopmap then asked Kep1er about their goals and wishes as the year is drawing to close slowly but surely.

As the year is coming to an end, it’s only natural that we ask you about the goals that you have for the New Year. Are there any goals that you have yet to achieve or wishes that you hope for?

Personally, I hope that we become better known through variety shows. I hope that one day not just K-Pop fans but everyone can get to know about Kep1er. I hope that wherever we go – be it Hongdae or a cafe, that our songs can be playing, even if it’s outside of Korea.
ChaeHyun
I’d love to achieve standout results, specifically aiming to chart locally and win first place on music shows.
DaYeon
I hope for us to chart on the global charts, too. It would be amazing for us to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 because I would love for more people to recognize the group.
Huening Bahiyyih

We’re sure that Kep1er will achieve those accomplishments and more during the remainder of the year and in the years to come. We are wishing the group the best of success in their future endeavors.

Thank you once again to Kep1er for taking the time to answer our questions. We look forward to seeing more from the group on this new leg of your journey!

Kep1ian! Make sure to get yourself a copy of Kep1er’s 6th mini album “TIPI TAP” and watch their music for the title track at the link below, too.

Did you know that Kep1er is in the running for the AAA Popularity Award: Female Singer category for the 9th Asia Artist Awards 2024? They made the top 30 following the preliminary voting round and now stand a chance to win the award at the awards show on December 27th! Check out their current AAA ranking here. Would you like to support them?

Make sure to vote for Kep1er using the IDOL CHAMP app! You can buy Ruby CHAMSIM at lower prices in the Kpopmap store.💕💕💕