Exploring the behavioral patterns of villains can be tricky as they exist in a peripheral space of ambiguity. These characters are perceived as driven by malignancy, but also, they dance with subjectivity making them complex and entracing. K-pop group DRIPPIN — formed by Hyeop, Yunseong, Changuk, Dongyun, Minseo, Junho, and Alex — own this crux in their latest single ‘Villain.’
“I can't stop, right / Can't avoid it, why? / Feeling that I can't control / (Baby, why so serious?),” they sing at dusk, while sirens reverberate and the city is consumed by a thunderstorm unleashed during the music video. They are both the protagonists and antagonists, bending the balance of morality with supernatural abilities.
“I believe it’s up to the eye of the beholder,” lead vocalist Changuk says. His deep tone matches his quiet and contemplative manner, often smiling at the remarks from his members throughout this video call. “To some people, we can appear as villains because, as it can be seen in our teasers [for this comeback], we are being chased and usually, the good guy is the one chasing the bad guy. At the same time, you can think of a villain as someone who has that special power to make you love them no matter what.”
Hailing from Woollim Entertainment, the septet officially stepped onto the stage in late 2020 with their first mini-album ‘Boyager,’ but they weren’t tenderfoot trainees. Six of them — except for Korean-German member Alex — had their fair share of exposure in survival shows and pre-debut projects, with their efforts frequently testing emotional and physical limits. It wasn’t exactly a flowery path, nonetheless, DRIPPIN came out ahead.
Considering the lineage of boy groups from their label (INFINITE and Golden Child), DRIPPIN’s DNA foretold up-and-coming talents. Right from the outset, their identity was soaked by joie-de-vivre better reflected in ‘Nostalgia,’ ‘Young Blood,’ and ‘Free Pass,’ title tracks released during their first year of existence. Energetic and carefree, the group rose to become a promising contender that is reaching mainstream recognition in the industry.
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However, as far as these things go, there is always a twist meant to enhance the visual and sonic calibre of K-pop ensembles. For DRIPPIN, the first indicator of this conceptual adjustment came with the promotional single ‘Vertigo,’ a collaboration with global platform Universe. Two months later, this juncture consolidated with the introduction of their third mini-album aptly titled ‘Villain' (out now).
“Our concept (until ‘Free Pass’) was brighter and almost cute,” Alex says. “After recording the title track and learning the choreography, I felt like my members can really bring the passion that goes with ‘Villain’ and in the future, you will see more of this from DRIPPIN.”
According to bright-eyed vocalist Minseo, the group steadily adapted with constant practice, conquering some personal doubts in the process. “I thought ‘Oh, can we really do this? It is such a big change in our style. How will it turn out? How can I match and bring my A-game [for this concept]?’”
Teamwork, then, comes in handy. Main vocalist Hyeop — conducting himself with contagious enthusiasm despite being almost 11 p.m. in Seoul — shares that while preparing for this comeback “they gave each other feedback” to cultivate the best of results. “Of course throughout the time we have been idols we have become more mature, so just changing into that [concept] was part of maturing [as well],” he says matter-of-factly. “At the same time, we monitored [performances] of a lot of our seniors that have similar stronger concepts and we watched how they came through with that.”
Although their image may be more malevolent for the sake of the theme, personality-wise, the group assures “we are the same guys.” Take Yunseong for example, DRIPPIN’s resolute leader known for his compelling presence, strict while rehearsing (he affirms that “as long as we are DRIPPIN, I will always be like that”) yet caring for the synergy between his bandmates. Or striking vocalist Junho, who is naturally shy but once his confidence kicks in (“I am still the one who talks a lot with all the members, of course!”), he is unstoppable both on and off stage.
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It can be said that DRIPPIN, as villains, lean towards the mischievous — and even irreverent — side of the spectrum. Ask them who would be the most dangerous character in real life and the result is a lighthearted chaos. “Well, if you think about who would be good at acting as a villain, like in a movie or a tv show,” main rapper Dongyun starts a quick assessment, “I might say Yunseong can be a good person for the role and I hope we can see something like that in the future, but…” and he pauses for a bit while looking suspiciously at the other members, reading the atmosphere, “at the same time, if you think about an actual villain, that would be Minseo,” prompting a burst of laughter from the group, with a charmingly defeated Minseo grinning.
“This is just in a joking way!” Dongyun adds, “[but I picked] Minseo because he plays a lot of jokes and he is very fun, but obviously we are all so sweet to each other, I think there is no one that can be an actual villain.”
They also have thoughts about who would be the first member to turn into the bright side, pretty much like a villain finding redemption. When the question is open for discussion, Alex — whose multilingualism gives him a bit of an advantage during the interview — quickly raises his hand before the topic is even translated, only to be gently slapped by a giggling Hyeop. Junho also offers himself as a volunteer, but at that point, the group starts exchanging opinions to make sure they are on the same page.
After brief deliberation, the ‘winner’ is announced.
“Alex is very nice and… not innocent per se, but he is a very sweet guy and he is also good to everyone,” Dongyun declares, while Alex keeps happily pointing at himself and the rest of the members nod in approval.
“Good guy!” quick-witted Hyeop teases in English. But rumor has it, Alex can also be audacious. “He can be savage at times!” Hyeop exclaims again, laughing. “But overall, his personality is very kind so that’s why we are picking him.”
This energy combines with their malleable vocals to deliver a collection of six tracks that evoke an enigmatic musical story. Love, the anchoring feeling of the album, splits into many moods that go from the shimmering pop beats of ‘SHY,’ to the somber nu-disco encircling ‘Delusion,’ to the pulsing moombahton in ‘Remember.’ Segueing the main attraction ‘Villain,’ listeners can encounter the apex in ‘Switch,’ an idyllic production that sees DRIPPIN flirting with emotions of delight and eagerness.
“I like ‘Switch’!” Minseo says. “When you listen to it, you’ll definitely feel like it is a high-tension, exciting song and we even have choreography that is really cool. If you are feeling kind of down, this song can bring energy and get you back up.”
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Having the ability to convey their developing perspective remains DRIPPIN’s most resilient characteristic. For this record, the narrative unfolds aided by the group’s adaptability and outlook while they forge ahead. “The album itself and all the songs have a connection between them,” Junho observes. “When you hear ‘Villain,’ it can give you a sense of ‘Oh, what kind of person are they?’ but then you look at ‘Remember’ or ‘SHY, ’and they are tracks about how we handle our feelings and go through life.”
The complete extension of DRIPPIN’s musical gamut is yet to be unraveled, but one thing is for sure: it’s kaleidoscopic. A few weeks before debuting, Yunseong described DRIPPIN’s color as emerald due to its idiosyncratic attributes. When asked about it, one year later, the answer remains the same. “I chose emerald because when I first saw the members, they were so talented,” he says. “The colour emerald has a nice feeling to it in an upscale way, and when you think of an emerald, you picture a nice, quality gem. Even now, I feel that emerald really matches DRIPPIN as a whole.”
Deepening this frame of mind, Hyeop concludes: “When you hold an emerald up and light shines on it, the crystals reflect back, and each light that you see can also be a part of us and display a different side of our group.”
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Words: Ivana E. Morales
Photo Credit: Woollim Entertainment / MJ Tonz Entertainment
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