When it comes to drive, creativity, and impressive musical growth, 82MAJOR are in a league of their own. Just over a year since their explosive debut, the six-member group returns with SILENCE SYNDROME, their third mini-album – and arguably their boldest artistic statement yet. With each comeback, they’ve consistently leveled up their sound and identity. The title track TAKEOVER, grabs your attention right away, showing how ready they are to surprise people and stand out in their own unique way.
The paradox of the album’s title is no accident. SILENCE SYNDROME reflects the group’s awareness of a world where noise is constant but meaning is rare. Instead of following the usual rules, 82MAJOR wants to do things their own way, trying new sounds and ideas in their music.
Each track carries the unmistakable stamp of the group’s involvement in the music-making process. Their music speaks louder than ever – and if the silence is breaking, it’s because 82MAJOR is making sure of it.
We caught up with the members once again to talk about their latest project, the creative process behind SILENCE SYNDROME, their thoughts on musical growth, and their dream of reaching fans all over the world. From playful behind-the-scenes moments to reflections on their journey, the guys opened up in a way that shows just how far they’ve come – and how far they’re still ready to go.
View of the Arts: Guys, it’s so good to chat with you again! This is our third time discussing your music, and I can’t believe how much you’ve already achieved since your debut. SILENCE SYNDROME marks your third mini-album in just over a year – such an impressive pace. How would you describe your musical and creative growth from X-82 to this release?
NAM SEONG MO: In the past, I used to focus only on the music I wanted to make. But now, when we work on music, I think about our team and our fans as well. We try to balance the music we want to create with the sounds and styles our fans love, finding a middle ground between the two. When the members come together to work, we have open discussions about what themes would be best and how we should shape our music. We try to maintain a natural, relaxed atmosphere so we can capture the carefree charm that our fans appreciate. I believe this process really helps bring out each of the six members’ unique personalities. One day, we hope to create an 82MAJOR album that feels truly irreplaceable.
VOA: SILENCE SYNDROME is a title that immediately sparks curiosity – it feels paradoxical yet intentional. The more you think about it, the more questions arise. Why this particular title? How does it tie into the themes of the album?
CHO SEONG IL: We wanted to express what 82MAJOR’s music can do in this generation. First, [SILENCE SYNDROME] takes place in the standardised system of this era. We want to break through the atmosphere of SILENCE and conformity within that system, and deliver a surprising experience to people with our unique style of music. The title has the dual meaning that we will stun people into SILENCE with our music.
VOA: 영웅호걸 combines dynamic drum patterns, a solid bassline, and traditional Korean instruments, creating an interesting sound. While IOAH handled the composition and arrangement, you were all actively involved in the songwriting. How did you approach the process as a group, and what were the most exciting or challenging aspects of writing the lyrics?
YOON YE CHAN: The song 영웅호걸 sends the message that we will live ferociously and wisely. We tried to show off 82MAJOR’s style through the song, and I remember the moment when we were discussing the lyrics and SEONG MO came up with “걸음발이 주윤발” (translated to “Walking like Chow Yun-fat”). At that moment, most of the members loved how well it fit with the song. I think the lyrics really express the song’s mood and message well!
PARK SEOK JOON: Not exactly a challenging part, but we did think deeply about how the lyrics would fit in with the Asian mood and beats. I think the result was quite good, so we’re satisfied.
VOA: Passport feels like a personal and uplifting message to your fans. Can you talk about the creative process behind the song and what shaped it? “Which country to go to? Who should I meet? Don’t think about it, here, have a seat.” Be honest – was this written with actual travel plans in mind, or is this just your way of subtly manifesting a global tour?
HWANG SEONG BIN: This song was actually inspired by a thought we had after an overseas fan meeting! Early this year, we had come back from fan meetings in Thailand and Malaysia, and we all came together to discuss what song we wanted to make. Then, the idea of stamping passports came to mind. ‘Don’t we get a new passport issued if we fill all the pages?’ ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to make a song about filling all these pages with a tour?’ Those were the thoughts that we had while making this song. Like the song says, we would love to have 82MAJOR concerts all over the world, so that we can fill the pages of our passports and get new passports issued!
VOA: The rap line distribution in Passport is well-balanced. How do you decide who takes which lines, and how do you ensure each member’s style shines through?
KIM DO GYUN: Each member wrote a verse, and then we thought about which member’s verse should go in which part. We tried to think of a direction that would fit the overall flow of the song, while also highlighting each member’s vocal tone! We considered parts that should amp up the energy, parts that transition and draw attention, etc, and focused on capturing both the vocal charm of each member and the song’s exciting and powerful energy at the same time!
VOA: Promise You carries a nostalgic touch of classic K-pop, with a melody that brings to mind earlier generations of the genre. Was this an intentional choice? What elements of past K-pop influenced the song’s structure and delivery? You were also involved in both songwriting and composition – what was that process like for you? .
YOON YE CHAN: We thought a lot about a mood that could express our feelings toward our fans. We tried to create a song where every member speaks honestly, and those honest feelings are delivered well.
CHO SEONG IL: Same in the lyric writing process, the only thing on our mind was our fans, 82DE. We read through the letters that our fans had given us, and thought of the love and gratitude they had given us while working on the lyrics.
VOA: TAKEOVER is a bold and dynamic track, and Khundi Panda’s involvement as a composer and lyricist brings a distinctive edge. What was it like collaborating with him, and in what ways did his creative input shape the final sound of the song?
HWANG SEONG BIN: He’s been giving us a lot of creative ideas since Stuck. He inspired us to think in new ways, and we tried out different directions in our creative process and rapping, and learned, ‘Oh, we can do it in this way too.’
VOA: The song TAKEOVER kicks off with an explosive old-school hip-hop vibe, then transitions into smooth vocals before shifting again in rhythm. What was the thought process behind these dynamic musical arrangements?
KIM DO GYUN: We wanted to show how versatile and ‘정체 없이 달려가’는(translated to ‘Running without stopping’) 82MAJOR is. Last time, with Stuck, every member, including SEONG IL and me, who are vocal members, all rapped and showed a fresh side of the group. This time, we wanted to show our versatility by showing both our vocal and rapping skills to the fullest.
VOA: With each comeback, your involvement in songwriting and production has increased. How did you approach contributing to this album, and how does your creative input shape 82MAJOR’s identity?
NAM SEONG MO: Like previous albums, all members came together and had a lot of discussions while creating the songs for this album. We focused on showing our growth to many people and presenting the world with music that we want to do!
HWANG SEONG BIN: The process of making songs with all of the members is a lot of fun. As the tracks that we created in a fun atmosphere become part of the tracklist, I think my interest in creating music gets bigger and bigger. And that helps us get even more involved with each album. It feels like we have a new weapon, called 82MAJOR’s unique songwriting!
VOA: As a group, how do you handle creative differences when working on a new album? Were there any moments during the making of SILENCE SYNDROME where you pushed each other to think outside the box or challenge the usual boundaries of your sound?
NAM SEONG MO: We listen to all opinions first, and then choose the best ones out of them. We mostly operate through majority vote, so we follow the direction that got the most votes.
HWANG SEONG BIN: When we’re working on songs, I think I’m challenged in a way when another member’s idea is better. I start thinking, ‘I want to have better ideas too’, and that motivates me to grow and make better songs.
VOA: You’ve performed some of these tracks live before the album release at 82MAJOR BOOM. Did the audience’s reaction influence any final tweaks before the official release?
YOON YE CHAN: The lyrics in SEONG BIN’s part in ‘영웅호걸’ went through some changes. When we first worked on that song, we wrote the lyrics to fit the guide track, because we wanted to show the song to our fans as soon as possible. And while we were working on it again before the official release, we wanted to tweak those lyrics a bit more to express the message that SEONG BIN wanted to say in this song better.
VOA: Having now released three mini-albums, do you feel SILENCE SYNDROME represents a turning point for 82MAJOR?
HWANG SEONG BIN: We hope so haha! A lot of people were very interested in our previous [X-82] promotions, and we hope to get even more love with this album. And we worked hard to prepare in order to achieve that!
VOA: You already performed in Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand, just to name a few. During your concerts, you’re known for giving it your all on stage. Has there ever been a moment when you were totally out of breath but still had to keep the energy up for the fans? How did you power through?
NAM SEONG MO: To be honest, towards the end of Day 3 of our <82MAJOR BOOM> Concert that was held earlier this year, I started to lose my voice. So I was worried whether I could keep it up for the last performance, but during our performance of our encore song, Overheating, my voice just naturally came back! I’m pretty sure it was because the members and fans were all having a great time during that song in particular. I also had a great time during that performance, with no worries at all.
PARK SEOK JOON: I always have fun and enjoy myself on stage. Whenever I see the fans’ shining eyes and hear their passionate support, I automatically feel recharged. I don’t think there was ever a time when I felt like I had to power through!
VOA: Since you’ve been a group for over a year now and know each other well, I have to ask – who do you think is the funniest member, always cracking jokes or making everyone laugh? And on the flip side, who’s the goofiest or clumsiest member, always getting into silly situations or having those ‘oops’ moments?
The funniest member…
SEONG MO: SEONG IL
SEOK JOON: SEONG IL
YE CHAN: YE CHAN
SEONG IL: SEONG IL
SEONG BIN: SEONG IL
DO GYUN: YE CHAN
PARK SEOK JOON: SEONG IL has a very cheerful personality, and as the leader, he makes an effort to lift the mood and get everyone energised whenever the members’ energy levels seem to be dropping!
Goofiest and clumsiest member…
SEONG MO: SEOK JOON
SEOK JOON: SEONG BIN
YE CHAN: SEONG BIN
SEONG IL: SEONG BIN
SEONG BIN: SEOK JOON, SEONG BIN
DO GYUN: SEOK JOON, SEONG BIN
KIM DO GYUN: Sometimes SEOK JOON has a reply that I never even thought of. That’s when I think he’s really goofy!
CHO SEONG IL: SEONG BIN loses his stuff a lot, and sometimes looks for something that’s right in front of him. He’s on the clumsy side [laughs].
VOA: With the promotion of your third mini-album keeping you busy, what else can we expect from you this year?
CHO SEONG IL: We are meeting 82DEs as much as possible through the promotions for this album, while also preparing for the concert in Korea that’s coming up in June. We’re trying our best to meet our fans in as many places as possible, so I hope you look forward to that!
YOON YE CHAN: And we’re also constantly working on songs to bring even cooler and better music to you. We want to try any genre, and we can, so please look forward to the music that 82MAJOR will come out with next!
Written and interviewed by Maggie Gogler
Featured image courtesy of GREAT M Entertainment
View of the Arts is an online publication dedicated to films, music, and arts, with a strong focus on the Asian entertainment industry. With rich content already available to our readers, we aim to expand our reach and grow alongside our audience by delving deeper into emerging platforms such as K-pop and Asian music more broadly. At the same time, we remain committed to exploring the vibrant and ever-evolving global landscape of film, music, and the arts, celebrating the immense talent and creativity that define these industries worldwide.
VIEW OF THE ARTS 