They may have only just debuted, but NOWADAYS is fifth-gen K-pop’s next best bet.
Fifth-generation K-pop has seen explosive debuts left, right and centre. For some fresh faces, a catchy sound accompanied with hard work has been the tactic. For others, a virtue of versatility coupled with a reverence for the industry and all its inner workings have been their claims to fame. For NOWADAYS, it is a system of enthusiasm, passion and talent that is set to take them further than what the eye may see.
It is a simple formula that has worked well for newbies in the K-Pop landscape thus far. CUBE Entertainment’s first boy group in eight years, the five-piece boy group is set to follow in the footsteps of senior label mates (G)I-DLE. HYEONBIN, YOON, YEONWOO, JINHYUK and SIYUN are championing a new sound for CUBE, with the synth-heavy and rap-forward “OoWee”. The three-minute debut single has all the makings of a hit song. A melodic riff, a sprightly call-to-action (‘What you waiting for/What you waiting for’) and an unforgettable onomatopoeia-charged chant (‘OoWee!’) gloss over the group’s familiar adolescent concept. “‘OoWee’ portrays a love story where we awkwardly confess our feelings to a crush, despite trembling and talking gibberish out of nervousness,” tells JINHYUK, a member of the team’s rap line, in an exclusive interview with Men’s Folio. Combining the two, the boys have comfortably parked themselves in the same sonic grouping as seniors like NCT Dream and The Boyz — something that is confirmed upon a listen to the two other tracks — “NOW” and “TICKET” — on their eponymously-titled first EP.
But before you buckle in and begin another adventure of stan-ning, here is a quick run-down of the five members behind the next best bet in K-Pop. HYEONBIN, for starters, can be considered to be an industry sunbae (senior). Appearing in the 2019 version of Produce 101, the runner-up then proceeded to have training stints at companies like Source Music, KOZ Entertainment and WM Entertainment, before finding his way to become the leader of NOWADAYS. YOON, too, seems to have been destined for this line of work — as he cites music (as in playing the piano) and entertainment (watching K-dramas and movies) to be his hobbies. YEONWOO can be said to be an embodiment of resilience and effort, with six years of training under his belt. Meanwhile as expected from the co-maknaes, camaraderie and mischief seem to be right up JINHYUK and SIYUN’s alley — with the former quoting the latter to be one of his favourites. Below, watch on to learn more about NOWADAYS in an exclusive interview with Men’s Folio.
Above, have a listen to NOWADAYS’ first single “OoWee”. Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with our April 2024 issue.
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