EXCLUSIVE: VAV dishes on story behind title track Designer, plans for India, warm message to VAMPZ and more

In this exclusive interview with Pinkvilla, VAV shares their message and process of creating their latest release, the 7th mini album, Subcönscióus. Read ahead to know more.

Written by Anoushka Mathew , Writer (K-pop, K-drama)

Published on Jun 30, 2023 | 10:14 AM IST | 230.1K

VAV; Picture Courtesy: A TEAM Entertainment

VAV is a 3rd K-pop gen boy group with 6 members- Jacob, Lou, ACE, St. Van, Ziu and Ayno. They began their journey in 2015 and have been creating amazing music ever since. Known for their mature visuals, vocals and choreography, VAV has always found a way to be a part of trends on Twitter or Instagram. On June 12, the group made a comeback with the 7th mini album Subcönscióus and title track Designer after a hiatus of over 2 years.

Subcönscióus:

The title of the album represents the subconscious mind and conveys the message of hope that everyone has the ability to shine. The members' involvement in the making of all five songs on the new album also demonstrates their artistic development and enthusiasm for this comeback. Five brand-new songs are included on Subcönscióus. The title track, Designer, is another example of VAV's Latin-influenced sound, following their previous releases Senorita and Give Me More. Designer conveys the message that everyone is like a designer who can design their own life. Members Lou and Ayno worked on the song's lyrics.

Here’s our conversation with VAV regarding their latest comeback :-

1. What made you choose Subcönscióus as a concept for the album?

VAV: We wanted to deliver the message that everyone has their own potential embedded within them. At the same time, we wanted to show the world all of our potential possibilities as VAV.

2. Designer sounds upbeat and is definitely a song to dance to. How did you come up with incorporating Latin influences in the song?

VAV: We decided to try a Latin-style song in this album because not only do all the members enjoy listening to Latin Pop but also because Latin-influenced songs that we have released previously were loved by many. ‘Designer’ is definitely a bop, and its upbeat sound goes well with VAV as we really enjoy performing on stage.

VAV's ACE; Picture Courtesy: A TEAM Entertainment

3. Which is your favorite track from the album?

ACE, JACOB: It’s ‘Designer’. We loved the song from the first time we heard it because it is very exciting and addictive. The hook of the song is especially pleasing to hear. It is a song that will allow us to fully express the sensual side of ourselves.

ST.VAN, AYNO, ZIU: We love ‘Reason’ as the song highlights the feelings that we have for our fans. ACE wrote the song, and we love the touching melody as well as the lyrics.

LOU: I personally like ‘Cause I Miss You.’ All the other tracks are great both in terms of their melody and the lyrics, but I think this song really portrays how much we missed our fans during the long hiatus.

4. Do you prefer being known for your performance or vocal skills more?

VAV: Vocal skills. All of us invest a lot of time practicing our vocal skills and it just feels good to be complimented on that.

VAV's Ayno; Picture Courtesy: A TEAM Entertainment

5. What is next for VAV?

VAV: After the promotion for 'Designer,' we wish to go on a tour around the world to meet our fans. Meeting fans in person is the greatest source of our energy.

6. What do you want the fans to take away from Subcönscióus?

VAV: We have written songs that convey our sincerity to our fans as well as songs that are enjoyable to hear, so we would recommend looking closely at the lyrics of the title track as well as the side tracks in this album.

VAV's Jacob; Picture Courtesy: A TEAM Entertainment

7. Who is more likely to be clumsy amongst the members and can you tell us an incident?

VAV: AYNO, for sure. He doesn’t really understand what others say. There are also incidents where he mixes up the schedule, and he always leaves his phone or his bag behind. When we were on a overseas tour, there was a time when one of us went to a bathroom in the airport by himself and he saw AYNO’s bag that he left earlier in an empty bathroom.

8. St. Van, if you had to, who would you delegate your leadership role to?

ST.VAN: I think only Lee Geum Hyuk (birth name of ST.VAN) would be fit for the job!

VAV's St. Van; Picture Courtesy: A TEAM Entertainment

9. Members Lou and Ayno participated in writing the lyrics, what was your inspiration?

LOU: The lyrics to the song ‘Designer’ is actually based on my story. I was very self-conscious and would follow others rather than make my own decisions. If someone had told me that the path I have chosen is right and that I should go ahead with it, it would have meant a lot for me. That is what I had in mind as I wrote the lyrics.

10. Do you prefer dark concepts or brighter concepts for your comebacks?

VAV: We prefer dark concepts because we will be able to show a more masculine and sensual side of VAV, which suits us well.

VAV's Lou; Picture Courtesy: A TEAM Entertainment

11. VAV, you visited India a couple years ago, any plans to do that again?

VAV: Of course! We still remember the passion that Indian fans showed us. We really enjoy Indian food as well, so that’s another thing that we want to do when we visit India while feeling our fans’ passion again.