Bibiji Comeback “We won‘t be eliminated, we want to be a group that people look forward to next album” [Q&A]
The title song of this 5th mini-album, which contains the process of VIVIZ finding their own identity, is ‘Shhh!’, a Latin pop genre song based on Soul and R&B with a cheerful chorus.
In addition to the title track, the album contains songs of various genres, such as ‘Cliché’ which features a brass riff, ‘Full Moon’ which uses an upbeat drum and bass rhythm, ‘Hypnotize’ which is a slow jam R&B genre, and ‘Love & Tears’ which is a synth-pop genre.
[The following is a Q&A with VIVIZ]
Q1. This album is being released a year after our 4th mini album, ‘VERSUS’. How do you feel about it?
(Umji) I thought you’d be waiting and anticipating a lot for our next album due to the success of ‘MANIAC‘, so I wanted to release it as soon as possible. It took a while, but I want to show you that I‘ve trained hard and perfected it so that you have no regrets.
(Eunha) I wanted to meet my fans more often, but I’m really grateful to the fans who‘ve waited for a long time. We’ve prepared really hard for our comeback after a year, so I hope you‘ll look upon it favorably!
(Shinbi) Since this is our second album after ‘MANIAC’, we had more concerns and the members participated more actively, but since we put a lot of effort into preparing for the album, I hope everyone will be satisfied with our promotions.
Q2. The album title is ‘VOYAGE’. Is there a reason you named it this?
(Eunha) The journey so far and the future are contained in the word ‘VOYAGE. This album contains the process of finding VIVIZ’s own image that we will show in the future.
Q3. Please tell us how you prepared for this album. What did you think was most important when making the album?
(Umji) As always, we carefully chose the title track and each and every song in the album. The most important thing was to put a lot of passion and sincerity into it so that it would not disappoint since it was an album that people had waited for for a long time.
Q4. The title song has a unique title, so please tell us why you chose ‘Shhh!(Shh!)’ as the title song.
(Shinbi) The company gave us 3 songs as title song candidates, and I think this song stuck out to me the most. It was a song that made me imagine the stage! I was worried, “Will we be able to bring out the flavor of the song well?”, but all the members recorded so well that my worries were for naught.
(Shinbi) This album jacket was a bohemian concept and styling that we tried out anew. We wore a lot of pearl and crystal accessories, and I think fans will see it in a new way since it‘s different from VIVIZ’s previous looks.
Q6. Expectations for the comeback are growing through the music video teaser for the title song ’Shhh!‘. Are there any points to watch for in the music video or episodes during filming?
(Umji) When we were filming the last group dance, the weather was incredibly cold. There was also a scene where we had to lie down, and the dirt floor was so cold that all the members and dancer friends shivered while filming. I was a little worried that we might show how cold we were in the final result, but once we started filming, everyone filmed so energetically that it didn‘t really show and I thought it was professional.
Q7. We will be holding a special stage at the Yebit Stage in Sebitseom, Hangang Park tonight (the 7th), the day of the release. It’s your first time meeting your fans on an outdoor stage in over a year. What kind of stage have you prepared?
(Eunha) We have prepared a stage for the title song ‘Shhh!’ and the other tracks. The forecast says the temperature is going to drop a lot, so I really hope it stays warm! Even though it‘s chilly, we’ll warm up our fans‘ hearts.
(Umji) It was a time when I felt reassured and grateful when I thought, ‘More people than I thought are sharing our songs, stories, and journey with us.’. It also became an opportunity for me to think about looking at the world in a broader and more interesting way in the future.
(Eunha) I think we recharged with good energy from meeting fans who love and support VIVIZ from all over the world! We worked hard to improve further so that all our fans can be satisfied.
(SinB) I think we can enjoy ourselves a little more when we’re on stage. Should we say everyone has become a little more relaxed?
Q9. Is there a goal you want to achieve through this album promotion?
(Umji) To become a group that people look forward to again with our next album. I want to show more of the individual charms of each member and the chemistry and synergy of the three of us.
(Eunha) I hope that our challenges and songs receive a lot of love, like ‘MANIAC’.
(SinB) I always say this with every album, but I really want to hear people say, ‘They‘re good at this kind of performance and this kind of song!’.
Q10. I’m curious about your future plans.
(Umji) No matter what we do, we want to not be left behind and continuously show a good side of ourselves.
Q11. Please say a word to the fans who always support us.
(Umji) Our Na.V (비비지 fandom name). Thank you for waiting for this album for so long! And thank you for always being with me and cheering me on while I was preparing! Thank you for always believing in me and liking me. Let‘s have fun with this promotion too!
(Eunha) Nabi is my greatest strength. I’m sorry I couldn‘t express my feelings 100% to my fans. I will become a better Eunha in the future!
(SinB) Since it’s been a long time since we‘ve done promotions since ‘MANIAC’, let’s enjoy it even more! I prepared hard while thinking of Nabi, so I hope you like it!
Jeon Hyo-jin, Donga.com Reporter jhj@donga.com
