[INTERVIEW] H1-KEY talks new music project, 1st Asia tour, and 2nd anniversary: “We are proud that we are making progress one by one”
AKP STAFF
GLG’s four-member girl group, H1-KEY kicked off the year with its newest musical project, ‘H1-KEYnote,’ in hopes of sending comfort to their listeners.
The first track of the project, “Thinking’ About You,” was released in January. A month later, the quartet dropped the next single, “Deeper.” While the first one is about embracing a breakup with courage, “Deeper” is all about a journey that sees only positivity amid difficulties.
Two years after their debut with the single “Athletic Girl,” H1-KEY now has a total of more than 15 songs. And they're all set for a tour.
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The girls are going to embark on their first-ever Asia tour titled ‘GO RUN! H1-KEY,’ with the first stop being in Manila, Philippines. Presented by HY LIVE, H1-KEY is slated to perform at the New Frontier Theater on March 22. Fan benefits include access to the fan sign event and press conference, group photo opportunity, meet & greet, and more.
Ahead of the release of “Deeper” and their solo show in Manila, SEOI, RIINA, HWISEO, and YEL sat down with allkpop to discuss ‘H1-KEYnote,’ first tour, second anniversary, and more. Continue reading to learn more about the quartet!
Shout-out video from H1-KEY to allkpop readers:
allkpop: Tell us more about the ‘H1-KEYNote’ project. You just released “Thinkin’ About You” last month, then now just after a month, you released “Deeper.” Do you have an overall, general storyline binding the songs? What's your aim with this project, and what more can we expect from it?
SEOI: Our project ‘H1-KEYnote’ aims to shift the focus to the musicality that only we, H1-KEY, can deliver rather than the idol H1-KEY who mainly focuses on performance. That's why "Thinkin' About You” was released in January and “Deeper" in February. These two songs are not exactly related. Both are good songs which we would like to use to show our musicality. And we work hard on them because the goal is to show that you will be able to experience H1-KEY's good musical sense and voice through these songs more from ‘H1-KEYnote.’
allkpop: You always want people to take away some lessons or comfort from your songs. Drawing from your perspective, what were your biggest takeaways from being part of H1-KEY? Were you able to explore anything new about yourselves? How would you compare the 2022 H1-KEY to the 2024 H1-KEY?
RIINA: We came to realize the power of music is through a lot of people, or when we release a song and many people listen to it. When we hear that some people gain so much strength from our music, we think, “Oh, we can express something like this, too” or “We can deliver this kind of message, too.” And we also gain a lot of courage knowing that. That's one of our biggest learnings. The difference between now and our early debut days is that at first, we were very nervous on stage and we tended to focus more on dancing and singing. But now, we slowly started to think of what message to deliver or what kind of music people will enjoy more.
allkpop: Your music uplifts listeners with themes of hope, happiness, and comfort. You’ve also stated your desire to be "artists whom you can trust while listening." Is there a particular song or line that aligns strongly with this vision and tagline of yours?
HWISEO: I think the fact that we ponder on these thoughts more is our change. I think it's “Rose Blossom” because it's the song whose lyrics, verses, and even chorus contain the message of how H1-KEY has grown up and how we struggle hard to fulfill our dreams. With its lyrics and also the song itself, I think “Rose Blossom” is the song.
allkpop: In our interview last year, you said that one of your biggest goals is to go on a tour. Now, you're set to embark on your first-ever tour! Has this moment sunk in yet? How does it feel to see yourself achieving your goals step by step?
YEL: We are proud that we are making progress one by one. And sometimes we wish we could deliver a more prominent outcome than what we have achieved. Whenever we have that kind of urge, we will tell each other, “Let's work harder” and “We must get better.” So, when we managed to have our first concert in Manila, we got very, very excited and wanted to rush to show what we've got.
allkpop: You have experience performing on music stages and festivals already. But how's the feeling and preparation for your solo shows particularly? Are there any rituals you do before going up on stage?
SEOI: Since this is our first solo concert, we are preparing to show as many various sides of ourselves as much as we can. We have the ritual of doing a group chant before going up on stage. We used to say, "Say ooh yeah~" but now, we only briefly shout "Fighting" before going up the stage. It's the way we calm our minds.
allkpop: Last month, you commemorated your 2nd debut anniversary. What was the whirlwind experience like? When you take yourself back to where everything started, what kind of memories and emotions come to your mind? Is there anything that seemed insignificant to you back then but now plays a huge role in your journey?
RIINA: First of all, we were really, really grateful to be able to celebrate our second anniversary while receiving so much love. It was the day that made us look forward to what's going to happen in the future on our third and fourth anniversary. Thinking back, we had a lot of worries like “When will our songs be famous?” or “When will H1-KEY be known by the world?” With these things in mind, we continuously work hard and practice hard. The time we spent worrying about that is now a bit like... I think it was like a stepping stone for us to be able to work harder. I think it becomes our driving force to keep trying, so that we can be loved even more than we are now.
allkpop: What are one or two things you want to achieve by the time you celebrate your 3rd anniversary next year?
HWISEO: We hope that three of H1-KEY's songs can make it into the top 100 of music charts. Also, we hope to travel to many countries and perform in front of a lot of M1-KEYs.
allkpop: Lastly, to wrap up this interview, share with us one song you can’t wait to perform on stage in front of your fans as well as your message to allkpop readers and your fans!
YEL: The song that I can think of right now would be “Deeper”! Everyone, allkpop readers and M1-KEY! Our second song from ‘H1-KEYnote’ has been released. Please love and listen to the song a lot~! And please love us a lot, too!
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Wishing them the best!