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<\/p>\nK-pop superstars RIIZE sit down with CLASH to discuss their latest mini album,\u00a0\u2018II\u2019, inspiration from festival performances, and learning to become more comfortable with themselves.<\/p>\n
After making history by performing at major festivals around the world, including Lollapalooza in South America and Austin City Limits, RIIZE returned to the studio with a new sense of confidence and inspiration.<\/p>\n
The six-member K-pop group \u2014 consisting of Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Sohee, and Anton \u2014 have never been afraid to experiment with different genres and sounds, from their signature brand of \u201cemotional pop\u201d to R&B and dance.<\/p>\n
However, as they began work on their second mini-album,\u00a0\u2018II\u2019, the group felt more empowered than ever to try something different and take creative risks.<\/p>\n
The mini album seeks to capture this growth and maturity by reflecting on the lessons they\u2019ve learned throughout their career, while managing to keep the essence of what has made RIIZE so popular across the globe.<\/p>\n
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CLASH:\u00a0What did you want to express with \u2018II\u2019?<\/p>\n
ANTON:\u00a0Growth and achievement have always been an important part of RIIZE\u2019s story, going all the way back to our debut slogan, \u201cRise and Realize.\u201d With\u00a0II, we wanted to show where we are now after everything we\u2019ve experienced together, and how we\u2019re continuing to move forward through the idea of \u201cRise to Realize.\u201d To me, this album reflects the lessons we\u2019ve learned, the growth we\u2019ve gone through, and the next step we\u2019re taking as a team.<\/p>\n
SOHEE:\u00a0For me,\u00a0\u2018II\u2019\u00a0is an album I\u2019ll always associate with having fun. From the moment we first heard the songs to the whole process of preparing for it, we genuinely enjoyed everything. Even years from now, I think I\u2019ll remember this album as something full of fun and excitement. I hope that feeling comes through to everyone listening too.<\/p>\n
How did this new sound show a different side of RIIZE creatively?<\/p>\n
EUNSEOK:\u00a0I think this album shows just how many different colours RIIZE can have. All six tracks have their own distinct style and atmosphere, but they still feel connected through who we are as a team. It reminded me that RIIZE isn\u2019t limited to one particular sound, and that we can explore different genres and make them feel like our own.\u00a0<\/p>\n
WONBIN:\u00a0With this album especially, we explored a lot of styles that feel very different from one another, including some sounds we hadn\u2019t really tried before. Because of that, it feels like RIIZE\u2019s creative spectrum has expanded even further. The album is so diverse that I think everyone will end up having a different favorite track depending on their own taste, and that\u2019s one of the things I like most about it.<\/p>\n
How does \u2018Do your dance\u2019 encapsulate the energy of \u2018II\u2019?<\/p>\n
SUNGCHAN:\u00a0\u201cDo your dance\u201d is probably the song that captures the energy of\u00a0\u2018II\u2019\u00a0the best. It has a lot of the confidence, excitement, and positivity that we wanted this album to have. The \u201cHead, hips, shoulders, toes\u201d hook is really catchy, and I think it\u2019s the kind of song that stays in your head after one listen. It also highlights what RIIZE does best \u2014 performing! If you watch the stage, especially the dance break, I think you\u2019ll really feel the energy and confidence that define this album.<\/p>\n
SHOTARO:\u00a0I think the phrase \u201cLike a pro\u201d really sums up the spirit of\u00a0\u2018II\u2019. To me, being a pro isn\u2019t about being perfect or being the best at something. It\u2019s about having the confidence to enjoy challenges and keep moving forward even when things get difficult. That mindset runs throughout the album, and I hope listeners can feel that confidence and take some of it with them too.<\/p>\n
How have recent live performances and festivals helped inspire this sound and direction of the album?\u00a0<\/p>\n
SUNGCHAN:\u00a0We got a lot of inspiration from performing live. Before, I think I focused more on singing well and doing the choreography right, but through touring and festivals, I realized that performing is really about sharing energy with the audience. Every crowd reacts differently, and feeling that connection on stage taught me a lot. When we were recording this album, I found myself thinking more about how each song would feel live and how people might experience it with us in the moment.<\/p>\n
ANTON:\u00a0I think all of us grew a lot through the tour. We spent so much time preparing for shows and performing together, and I feel like everyone became more confident in their own ideas. Compared to when we first debuted, the members are much more comfortable speaking up now. Whether it\u2019s during recording sessions or while working on performances, we are more willing to say, \u201cWhat if we tried it this way?\u201d I think that openness helped shape this album too, because everyone was actively contributing and pushing each other to make it better.<\/p>\n
This album reflects your growing maturity as both artists and human beings\u2026 What are you most proud of during this journey of self-growth?<\/p>\n
SHOTARO:\u00a0I think I\u2019m most proud of learning to trust myself more on stage. I used to be so focused on doing everything exactly as planned and getting every detail right, but through touring and performing at festivals in so many different places, I realised something: when you\u2019re truly enjoying the stage, the audience can feel that. That energy travels. So for this album, I\u2019m trying to lead with my heart and really let myself enjoy the moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
SUNGCHAN: I\u2019m most proud that we\u2019ve learned to be more comfortable as ourselves. Being in our fourth year, I\u2019ve realised that you don\u2019t have to be perfect all the time to keep growing. Sometimes the more honest moments \u2014 laughing off mistakes, joking around with the members, showing who we really are \u2014 are the moments fans connect with the most. I still get nervous and I still want to do well, but now I\u2019m learning to see that nervousness as part of the excitement, not something to hide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before approaching a new project, I\u2019ve heard that you listen to a lot of music and think about the lyrics and themes you\u2019re inspired by. For \u2018II\u2019, which music or artists inspired you? Any particular lyrics that stuck out to you?<\/p>\n
ANTON:\u00a0Since debut, we as a team have always explored new styles and genres, from pop and R&B to house, alt-rock, hip-hop, and more. For\u00a0\u2018II\u2019, rather than being inspired by one specific artist, I think we focused more on how different sounds and emotions could still come together in a way that feels like RIIZE. Whatever style we take on, the most important thing is that the songs still sound like us. \u201cEmotional pop\u201d has become a keyword for that, because RIIZE\u2019s music should make listeners feel something, whether it\u2019s happiness, sadness, or anything in between.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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RIIZE covers a wide array of genres, which usually comes first: the genre \/ sound or the subject and lyrics?<\/p>\n
ANTON:\u00a0These processes really depend on the people making the songs and the goals you have in mind from the start. I think the same can be said for the artists who helped create the songs on our album. In their own ways, they helped make this six-track project feel whole. If you look at our album artwork, there\u2019s a unifying theme across all the different backgrounds we shot in, and I think that\u2019s the sky. The songs on the album all sound different and span different genres, but together they paint one picture, which I think was captured really well in the photos too. It\u2019s a fun process.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Members of EXO are your role models\u2026 What inspired you about their music? And what did you learn from watching them perform?<\/p>\n
WONBIN:\u00a0The first concert I saw after joining SM Entertainment was EXO\u2019s, and I think that was the moment I became really sure about this path. It gave me a clear goal to work toward. What inspired me most was the synergy they created as a group. Each member had their own charm, but when they came together on stage, the energy became so much bigger. I remember being completely drawn in from start to finish, without a single dull moment. Watching that made me want RIIZE to become a team that can show something just as clear and powerful on stage \u2014 something that feels unmistakably our own.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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