Welcome back to Fan Chant , a weekly column for K-pop fans, stans, and newbies alike. This week, P1Harmony return to dive into their new album, SAD SONG. As always, if you enjoy what you’re reading, feel free to subscribe to my companion newsletter to get Fan Chant delivered right to your inbox each week!
P1Harmony have developed a reputation for creating catchy, hip-hop forward music. But for their latest mini-album, they were ready to take things in a slightly different direction; with SAD SONG , and specifically with its title track, they invoke Latin rhythms and energetic piano melodies in a way that’s unique to their discography.
Keeho, the leader of the group, calls it the most “hands-on” work the six-piece band has ever produced. “Starting from the music aspect to the ideation of it, we were there every step of the way,” he explains. “It seems personal to us, and that’s what makes it special.”
SAD SONG also offers the very first unit track from P1Harmony in the form of Intak and Jongeob’s intense, smoky “WASP.” “I’m really satisfied with how the song turned out,” confirms Intak. “The rap members did such a great job,” remarks Theo.
Watch the music video for “SAD SONG” below, and read on for the full insights into the album from Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul, and Jongseob.
“SAD SONG” takes things in such a fun direction for you guys. It’s a little different from the energy of “Killin’ It” — what was exciting about tackling this track?
Keeho : Personally, I think the most fun part about tackling this song was the melody and rhythm. Being a vocalist, sometimes we tend to sing lines a little too “clean” or “beautifully” but with “SAD SONG” I think there was more of an acting and roughness to it, especially in the chorus. Keeping up with the fast-paced beat while also singing in a way that was very foreign to me was a challenge but was very satisfying to overcome.
Jiung : Trying out a new genre like Latin music and expressing it in P1Harmony’s unique interpretation was really fun. Personally, I tried to capture a luxurious yet passionate vibe.
Intak : Since Latin music as a genre is so unique and it was our first time trying it, I felt a strong desire to bring a fresh vibe to the rap compared to what I’ve done before, and it felt different from our previous challenges, which made it entertaining!
Soul : I had fun trying out a huskier voice.
Jongseob : Since this is the album that follows right after Killin’ It , there was a bit of pressure to make my verse feel differently from what I showcased in that song. But in the end, I found the process to be a lot of fun!
Why did you choose “SAD SONG” as your next title track?
Keeho : We are always trying to expand our discography sonically and try different things out. Showing different sides of us while staying true to our artistry is something we always strive for and with this song, it felt new and exciting but also very P1Harmony. We also fell in love with the Latin music genre and the piano motif that is played throughout the song.
Theo : When I first heard this song, the hook really stuck in my head.
Jiung : The atmosphere and energy I experienced during last year’s Latin America tour left a strong impression on me, which I think influenced our decision to choose this song.
Intak : Since P1Harmony is always pursuing new challenges, I thought this would be a good opportunity to take on a new genre we haven’t experienced before.
Soul : I felt like it would suit P1Harmony well, and the rhythm stayed with me.
Jongseob : I thought this song would be a fun way to express the theme of “HERO” in P1Harmony’s own witty style. It also felt like a great song to showcase the new genres and musical experiments that P1Harmony is always talking about.
Did any of you have any particularly memorable days recording the vocal for “SAD SONG,” or working on the choreography?
Keeho : I remember losing my voice singing the chorus. Like I said earlier, singing the chorus too “clean” or “pretty” just didn’t sound or feel right. I had to scratch up my voice and sing it a lot huskier to give the melody more life and although it was very difficult, I am very happy with the way it turned out.
Theo : During the recording, I found that the high notes weren’t as high as I expected, which made it more challenging in some way. Even though the high notes aren’t very high, I think the song has its own unique charm.
Jiung : The song may sound quite fast when you listen to it, but I wanted it to feel relaxed and free on the song when we sing or dance to it. To achieve that, I recorded the verse with more ease and we made some of the choreography a bit simpler.
Intak : The choreography for the chorus, which is also part of the dance challenge, was really hard to express the right feeling. So I remember that I laughed a lot while practicing with the members.
Soul : There were a lot of rhythms in this choreography, so personally, it was a bit difficult for me to practice.
Jongseob : When we first learned the choreography, everyone said, “This is the easiest choreography we’ve ever done, it won’t be as hard this time,” but once we added the details and performed it full-out, we were so exhausted that we couldn’t even speak and just collapsed.
How about filming the music video or shooting the visuals?
Keeho : There’s a scene in the music video where we dance under the rain and sprinklers, and when we filmed the music video, it was in the summer, so I remember the water feeling very refreshing. I love playing in the water and doing water activities, so I had a lot of fun filming.
Theo : It was around 5 a.m. after staying up all night, but as soon as the water hit us, I was wide awake.
Jiung : While shooting the ‘S’ version of the album jacket photos, we used real fire. They put an acrylic board in front of us, applied oil, and then set it on fire for a shoot. Since it was a real fire, the photos came out looking realistic, which I liked. However, because the flames disappeared so quickly, it was challenging to strike multiple poses in a hurry.
Intak : During the music video shoot, there was a scene in the first trailer where Keeho kneeled on one knee and winked. He filmed that scene in such a cheeky way and it was funny to watch.
Soul : First of all, the puppy was so, so cute. During the album jacket photo shoot, there was also a scene where I had to touch a lit candle closely, which was kind of fun.
Jongseob : Personally, there was a scene where Soul and I went to a circuit-like place and filmed while riding a motorcycle that was being towed. The sunset made the background so beautiful, and as we rode in the cool breeze, it left me with happy memories.
I’m so curious to know what some of your favorite sad songs are that you just need to turn on when you’re feeling down. (For me it’s “Space Cowboy” by Kacey Musgraves.) Tell me any that come to mind for you guys.
Keeho : I have so many, but to list a few: Billie Eilish’s “i love you” and “WILDFLOWER,” Labrinth’s “Jealous,” and Olivia Rodrigo’s “traitor.”
Theo : BIGBANG’s “Still Life (봄여름가을겨울).”
Jiung : When I’m feeling down, I often listen to Ariana Grande’s “breathin.”
Intak : I listen to Sunwoojunga’s “Run With Me (도망가자)” when I’m really sad and feel like I want to run away.
Soul : I often listen to Yuuri’s “桜晴 (Sakurabare).”
Jongseob : Billie Eilish, “Ocean Eyes.”
I think “It’s Alright” is my other favorite on the album, but “WASP” is also SO fun. (And your first-ever unit song!!) Intak, Jongseob, how was it working on that track together?
Intak : At first, when deciding on the genre and mood of the song and making the beat, I had a lot of thoughts and concerns. But once the beat was selected and I worked on the top line and lyrics with Jongseob, it felt smooth since it was something we always do! I’m really satisfied with how the song turned out, so I’m just excited and nervous to see how P1ece will react when they hear it!
Jongseob : Since it’s our first unit song, I strongly wanted to create a different vibe from the songs we’ve released so far. So, from the beginning, we worked closely with producers and beat makers, meeting them in person and being involved in the process from the initial draft to the final touches, to make sure the mood we wanted was achieved. Honestly, there wasn’t much difficulty in working on the chorus or individual verses, as I already trusted that Intak would do a great job. Instead, we focused more on how to make it more enjoyable for listeners. Overall, since it was our first time trying something new, it became a fresh experience for us as well.
Do any of you have another have a b-side you want to shout out?
Keeho : Well, I worked on “It’s Alright,” so I have to be biased. I was really inspired by reggae music and the bouncy rhythm in reggae music! I hope our fans really enjoy it.
Theo : I like “WASP” the most. It’s the first unit song by P1Harmony, and the rap members did such a great job.
Jiung : I would recommend “All You.” It’s a song that makes it easy to groove along with the rhythm.
Intak : I want to recommend “Last Call.” I think this song will be useful at live concerts, so if you listen to it and memorize it, we can all enjoy it together during the performance.
Soul : For me, it’s “Last Call.”
Jongseob : I recommend “WASP.”
Overall, with this being your seventh mini-album, what do you think is special about this project?
Keeho : I think it’s special because we have never been THIS hands-on in the process of an album. Starting from the music aspect to the ideation of it, we were there every step of the way. It seems personal to us and that’s what makes it special.
Jiung : With our first full-length album, Killin’ It , we closed the first chapter of our ‘DISHARMONY’ and ‘HARMONY’ series and showed what suits P1Harmony best and what we do well. I think this mini album marks the start of a new chapter. We put in our best effort to include P1Harmony’s finest and highest quality, which makes it special.
Intak : This album contains a lot more of the members’ opinions and self-composed songs. With each album we release, P1Harmony puts more effort into expressing our unique color and increasing our ambition for better results, so I think this album proves the know-how we’ve built up over almost four years!
Do any of you have a message you’d like to send to the fans?
Keeho : We can’t wait for you guys to listen to “SAD SONG” and we can’t wait to make more memories with you guys! P1eces have given us so much love and support and we can’t wait to return that love with better music!
Theo : P1ece, we’re back with our 7th Mini Album after seven months! I hope we can make lots of great memories with this album as well.
Jiung : Thank you for waiting for seven months. We worked hard to meet your expectations, and I hope this album brings you lots of joyful memories. We’ll do our best. Love ya!
Intak : P1ece, it’s been a long time since we’ve come back, and this album was made after a lot of thoughts about what you would like and enjoy, so please give it lots of love and support!
Soul : I hope this album becomes a good memory for everyone.
Jongseob : Thank you for waiting so long. We are always thinking about what only P1Harmony can do and what suits us best, so I hope P1ece will enjoy it as much as they waited for it. Once again, thank you, and let’s have a blast with this comeback!
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Yeonjun, photo courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
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Song Rec of the Week:
Do you ever just think about how good this album is? I’m having one of those weeks.
Consequence (formerly Consequence Of Sound)3 days ago
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