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EXCLUSIVE: VERIVERY talks their favorite spots on tour, Crazy Like That MV, living with each other, and more
VERIVERY made a comeback with mini-album Liminality – EP.DREAM and title track Crazy Like That. The group spoke to us exclusively about their release and more.
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VERIVERY released their seventh mini-album Liminality – EP.DREAM on 16 May 2023.
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The group spoke about their comeback and shooting the Crazy Like That music video.
Speaking to VERIVERY has always been delightful and this time was no different. The group, famed for its sharp choreography and in-synch performances, crazily good high notes and self-produced music, comprises seven members DONGHEON, HOYOUNG, MINCHAN, GYEHYEON, YEONHO, YONGSEUNG, and KANGMIN.
VERIVERY’s Liminality – EP.DREAM promotions
While member MINCHAN has been on a break due to his health issues, it was recently revealed that leader DONGHEON will be enlisting within this year. A couple of weeks ago it was also shared via an official statement that member YONGSEUNG felt pain in his back, deciding to refrain from promotions. The group, however, had a fabulous last year with multiple stops around the world for their US and Latin America tour follwing stops in Asia. VERIVERY also recently announced their upcoming ‘Dream Shop’ fan concert tour spanning Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.
VERIVERY Interview
In an exclusive chat with us, also joined by YONGSEUNG, boy group VERIVERY spoke about the behind-the-scenes of their music video shoot, goals and if they want to change roommates.
Since the 1 year that we last spoke (for Undercover), how do you think VERIVERY has changed?
VRVR: We believe we have grown in various aspects. Our level of understanding of stage and performance has improved a lot from meeting fans in many countries including the United States, Latin American countries, Japan, and Taiwan. Also, we were able to try various genres and expand our musical spectrum with our recent albums [Liminality – EP.LOVE] and [Liminality – EP.DREAM]. The past year has been the time for our growth in many ways.
How does the story grow from ‘Liminality – EP.LOVE’ to ‘Liminality – EP.DREAM’?
VRVR: [Liminality] series is the continuation from [SERIES ‘O’], which is about facing our inner darkness. Through the [Liminality] series, we discuss about accepting that inner darkness and moving forward with our sight focused on the future. Also, we explore the ‘element of happiness’ that drives us to move forward in each album from the [Liminality] series. Since our latest album title is [Liminality – EP.DREAM], the overarching theme of this album is our dreams and our efforts to achieve those dreams.
What are the VERIVERY members DREAM-ing of these days?
DONGHEON: I’ve been thinking a lot about the importance of health these days. I hope to promote and communicate with fans in a healthy state for a long time!
HOYOUNG: I hope to improve myself through continuous practice and to show better performance.
GYEHYEON: Our goal is to create performances that are always joyful!
YEONHO: I wish to promote our music to more people. I hope they enjoy our music and feel comfortable listening to our songs.
YONGSEUNG: My dream is to perform and sing in good health for a long time. I hope to become an artist who is loved by fans in the long term.
KANGMIN: These days, I think the biggest wish I have is to recover as fast as possible. It is so sad that I can’t properly work out because I’m not in my best condition physically.
We see a particularly eye-catching scene in the ‘Crazy Like That’ MV of Yongseung hanging reverse. How did you prepare for that scene?
YONGSEUNG: First of all, thank you for saying that scene was ‘eye-catching.’ I put my best effort to shoot that scene. Not only I focused a lot on improving my physical well-being, but also I would practice hanging reverse every time I see a pull-up bar anywhere I go. I remember people would walk past and look at me every time I run to hang reverse on a pull-up bar.
GYEHYEON: Also, it was our first time filming on a barge, and we were slightly worried about the ship shaking or us feeling dizzy on the ship until the day before the shoot. On the day of filming, we were relieved to know that the barge was bigger than expected and the weather was great, therefore it did not shake at all.
At the end of the video, Kangmin’s angel wings return to their complete form, how would you like viewers to interpret that?
VRVR: “Crazy Like That” music video is about VERIVERY members running towards each one’s dream, then, in the end, all members run towards one common dream. You can interpret the scene with KANGMIN’s wings in their complete form as the continuation of this music video’s story. His wings become complete as our dreams come together as one, which motivates us to move forward toward our dream.
Once again the choreography from VERIVERY seems to be very lyrical and well-set. How long did you work on the dance regularly?
VRVR: In fact, we didn’t have a lot of time to practice the choreography for this comeback. The choreography was not complete until the music video filming, so we were quite worried about learning and memorizing it before the shoot day. As much as we were concerned, we practiced extra hard during the short preparation time. When we were monitoring our choreography scene at the music video set, we were very happy and proud because it showed our practice and efforts really paid off.
You were on an elongated tour around the world last year. What was each member’s favorite place to perform and why?
DONGHEON: Every stop was amazing, but Chicago is memorable to me because we had some free time in Chicago, so I got to take a walk around a huge lake near our hotel. It was a very comforting time.
HOYOUNG: We visited local restaurants and watched street performers and painters in Santiago, Chile. It was a lot of fun.
YEONHO: In Taiwan, our fans prepared a special event for us, which was very touching.
KANGMIN: All cities were fun to perform in, but the concert in Los Angeles was especially fun for me. I still remember the audience’s great energy.
After fulfilling your last goal of traveling around for a tour, what does VERIVERY have on its mind next?
VRVR: Currently, we’re working hard for our fan concert. We’re preparing to put on good shows, starting with a fan concert in Korea and then overseas fan concerts in Japan and Taiwan. We’re thrilled to meet our fans again and have a good time with this opportunity, and we hope you look forward to it!
You previously mentioned that your ultimate goal would be living together with the members for a long time. Is it still the same? Who would you like to share a room with?
DONGHEON: Of course! I hope we can promote together for a long time as a group of friends. I like our current roommate combinations.
HOYOUNG: I’m sharing a room with YEONHO, and I hope to continue sharing a room with him. I still have a lot of fun living with members, so I hope to live together for a long time.
GYEHYEON: It’s always our goal to continue promoting as a group for a long time, but it would be nice if each member can have his own room sometime in the future.
YEONHO: Yes, I still wish to be and live with my members for a long time. I’ve been using the same room as HOYOUNG for some time now, and I think it’ll be fun to share a room with YONGSEUNG as well.
YONGSEUNG: It doesn’t really matter whom I share a room with. I think the dorm would feel very empty if even one member is missing. It would be great to stay together for a long time and keep a good relationship with each other.
KANGMIN: Yes! I want to remain as YONGSEUNG’s roommate!
Which member do you think has the best physical features or is the strongest nowadays?
DONGHEON: I think you’ll all agree just by seeing the thumbnail for the “Crazy Like That” music video - YONGSEUNG has been working on himself consistently while preparing for this comeback. He has put a lot of effort, including core workouts so he can hang reverse on a pull-up bar and raises his upper body using the core strength. I feel like all his efforts are well presented in the music video.
What would you like to say to your fans, especially in India, after releasing this album?
VRVR: Pinkvilla readers and our Indian VERRERs, VERIVERY is back with [Liminality – EP.DREAM]! We hope you can enjoy a cool summer with our title track “Crazy Like That” or B- side track “JUICY JUICY”. We also wrote our sincere messages for our self-composed tracks “Smile With You ( )” and “Raincoat”, so we hope you give a lot of support and love for our album!
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