Dressed in cosy white knits and a chirpy aura, TRENDZ hopped on a call with the press recently to answer questions about their newest single, STILL ON MY WAY. The release’s title track MY WAY is delightfully addictive; with its drum and bass influences and positive melody, the song is absolutely pumped with energy. The lyrics, uplifting and poetic, detail flying free with the wind towards one’s dreams, powering through any obstacles. 

The choreography has been masterfully utilised to replicate this narrative. Earlier that day, the septet made an appearance on a music show to perform MY WAY. During such showcases, we get to see their entire dance routine, and the choreography has quite a few notable parts, the most obvious of which being during the chorus; we see them extending their arms behind in quick motions, as if racing with wings outstretched towards those dreams they’re singing about pursuing.

Eunil elaborated on how this resonates with them on a profound level as a team: “Our journey as K-pop idols is, in itself, a testament to us following our unique path. We, who were once strangers, came together driven by a shared dream and created an album that’s loved by many: a true miracle in its own right. Our collective pursuit of a common goal is a wonderful journey, and it represents the very essence of “my way” that we’re pursuing.”

It’s not a TRENDZ release without a glossy music video. Complementing the single’s heartening message, the official video for MY WAY has the group dashing through a forest and dancing on a pristine beach. Havit shared that the latter was his favourite part to film: “While shooting the music video on the beach, the weather was absolutely perfect with clear skies and no clouds in sight. It did get a bit hot, but the director was truly dedicated to capturing the best footage.”

What one may not notice on an initial watch is that this fun little video actually contains several movie references. The boys spoke about the video’s concept being a movie club, which had them reenacting scenes from titles such as Romance of Their Own and Her. According to ra.L, one of the scenes at the beach was filmed themselves using their own cameras, which he was glad made it to the final cut. So when they’re not Naruto run-dancing atop a glowing white platform in those same soft knits, they’re participating in the filming process themselves, bringing the video’s concept to life.

There are two other tracks on the single: ven conmigo and O.Y.E. The former has subtle latin vibes, and the title of which means “come with me”. About writing the song, Hankook shared, “[It] means “let’s go together” or “let’s move forward together.” When crafting the lyrics, I had our fans in mind, encouraging them to progress alongside us.”

Like on their BLUE SET series, TRENDZ worked on this release with producer LEEZ, who has credits on albums from artists like ATEEZ and Dreamcatcher. When we asked how the creative collaboration has evolved, Eunil had a few thoughts. 

‘The main difference [with] the BLUE SET era is how our song parts were distributed. In the past, we would practise and record only our designated parts in the songs. However, when we started working with LEEZ, we began practising all parts, and he would assign the most suitable parts to each member. This change allowed us to showcase improved versions of ourselves to the audience.’

Now, that they’re back and more polished than ever, the boys spoke extensively about the growth they’ve undergone since the beginning. Ra.L admitted that the creation process this time round wasn’t easy. “But we are proud of the result that we achieved,” He assured then added, “During our hiatus, we had to work on the album while we were abroad in Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Japan. We trusted each other and communicated extensively to complete the lyrics for the album. We practised the choreography thoroughly together to achieve a great end result.”

By the time all the questions had gone round, the boys had been chatting with the press for about an hour and a half. Despite this, the bright smiles and enthusiasm of the seven did not fade by the end. It’s this sort of eagerness and energy that is pivotal in being an idol group in the K-pop industry, and is very telling of their sincerity. Hankook put it wonderfully: “Our strong chemistry has been [achieved] through spending significant time together. Whether it’s in our music videos, on stage, or in our everyday life videos, our exceptional teamwork is evident, and I believe it sets us apart in a special way.”

Written and interviewed by Maddie Armstrong

_{View of the Arts is a British online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and art, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop / K-music, and Asian music in general, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts, worldwide.}