Just ahead of their appearance at Sound of Colors – the biggest and first-ever K-pop festival in Poland – View of the Arts sat down with The Wind following the release of their 4th mini-album, Second Wind: S#00.

Since their debut in May 2023, the six-member group – Thanatorn, Choi Hanbin, Park Hayuchan, An Chanwon, Jang Hyounjoon and Kim Heesoo (currently on hiatus) – have become known for their refreshing music and positive energy, offering a modern take on the classic feel-good K-pop.

While many fourth- and fifth-generation K-pop groups have moved towards darker concepts and incorporated influences from Western genres such as Afrobeats and EDM, The Wind have, so far, stayed true to the bright, feel-good style that made second-generation K-pop so beloved.

The new mini-album shows that The Wind are growing as artists, but without leaving behind the warmth and positivity that made so many fans fall in love with them in the first place.

Throughout our conversation, the members spoke candidly about pushing themselves beyond familiar territory, combining their refreshing sound with a stronger, more confident edge. For The Wind, “Party Like A Rock Star” caught their attention the first time they heard it. The song was more powerful than anything they had released before, and Park Hayuchan admitted that, at first, he wondered whether the group could really pull it off on stage. After weeks of rehearsals, those worries disappeared, replaced by confidence in their choreography and the performance. Thanatorn shared similar feelings, saying he was excited to mix the group’s well-known style with a slightly “hipper” image.

Among the B-sides, Thanatorn singled out “That’s Smoove!” describing it as a track that reveals a completely different side of the group. The members also told us that before recording, they each took time to interpret the lyrics in their own way, adding their own emotions and personalities before working with the producers’ detailed guidance.

As The Wind get ready to perform in Poland for the first time, they are also excited to explore the country and its culture. None of the members have previously visited Poland, making Sound of Colors not only their festival debut in the country but also an opportunity to experience its culture firsthand. They eagerly spoke about wanting to try traditional dishes such as pierogi and bigos, admire the country’s landscapes and, if time allows, explore the surroundings.

Listening to the members speak, it’s easy to understand what their new music is all about. They talked about stepping outside their comfort zones, working hard to improve and simply enjoying the journey together.

We worked incredibly hard on this album, so I hope people can really feel the effort we’ve put into it. More than anything, I hope it gives our fans confidence too! – Jang Hyunjun

View of the Arts: Your new mini-album “Second Wind: S#00” has such a bright, energetic atmosphere from start to finish. What was your honest first impression when you heard the songs for the first time? Was there a track that immediately made you think, “This is our new album”?

Park Hayuchan: The title track, “Party Like A Rock Star,” has such a strong personality that as soon as I heard it, I could immediately picture the direction our performances would take. At first, I was a little worried about whether we’d be able to fully capture that atmosphere on stage, but after a lot of practice, I feel we can now perform it with confidence.

Thanatorn: I was both excited and a little nervous. We were adding a cooler, more stylish vibe to the bright image we’ve always had, so I wondered if we’d be able to pull it off. As soon as I heard “That’s Smoove!“, I thought, “Wow, this is so good!” It felt like a completely new side of THE WIND and a song that could really surprise people.

VOA: Every track on this new release was produced with lyricist and producer Park Kyung, alongside several composers and songwriters. Before recording, did they explain the stories and messages behind the songs, or did each member interpret the lyrics in your own way?

Choi Hanbin: Every song on this album was so good that I naturally focused on understanding the lyrics as soon as we received them. Each member interpreted the songs a little differently, and I think that helped create a more colourful new chapter for The Wind.

An Chanwon: We first interpreted each song in our own way, and afterwards we received very detailed guidance from the producers.

The title track, “Party Like A Rock Star”, has such a strong personality that as soon as I heard it, I could immediately picture the direction our performances would take – Park Hayuchan

VOA: “Party Like A Rock Star” is full of confidence and positive energy. What does this song mean to The Wind, and what do you hope fans will feel when they listen to it?

Thanatorn: For us, it’s a song that let us truly enjoy ourselves on stage and have fun, so it means a lot. I hope our fans can also feel The Wind’s confidence and positive energy through this song, and I hope it reminds everyone of how important their own presence is.

Choi Hanbin: I think it’s a song that boosts your confidence. I really hope our fans listen to it and, even if it’s just once, think to themselves, “I’m the best.”

Park Hayuchan: This song is a brand-new beginning for The Wind, so while recording it I tried to put as much energy into it as possible. I hope everyone listening can feel and receive that energy too.

An Chanwon: This song is all about having the confidence to enjoy yourself on stage. I hope our WHIZ can listen to it and approach everything they do with confidence.

Jang Hyunjun: We worked incredibly hard on this album, so I hope people can really feel the effort we’ve put into it. More than anything, I hope it gives our fans confidence too!

VOA: Every comeback is an opportunity to grow as artists. While preparing “Second Wind”, what do you think has improved the most compared to your previous releases, whether that’s in recording, performing, or something else?

Park Hayuchan: I think I’ve become much more confident on stage. I’ve also learned to think more about how to fill the stage and take more initiative during our performances.

Jang Hyunjun: Personally, I think my live vocals have improved a lot. As a result, all of us have become much more confident. I hope people can really feel The Wind’s energy when they watch us perform.

I think it’s a song [“Party Like A Rock Star”] that boosts your confidence. I really hope our fans listen to it and, even if it’s just once, think to themselves, “I’m the best” – Choi Hanbin

VOA: Recording in the studio and performing live are completely different experiences. Was there a song on this mini-album that took more time or effort than you expected, or was particularly challenging vocally?

Thanatorn: For me, it was “That’s Smoove.” Even though the song has a strong bass line throughout, I had to sing my parts with a slightly arrogant attitude and use a different vocal tone, which was challenging but also really fun. One of my favourite moments was recording the ad-lib in the second verse. I was told to come up with it completely on the spot without any practice, and that made it even more enjoyable.

Choi Hanbin: Personally, “With the Wind” was the most difficult song. It’s much slower than our other tracks and requires a laid-back vocal style, so I remember having to stay extremely focused while recording it.

VOA: Fans only get to see the finished performance or music video. Was there anything funny that happened during the recording sessions or while filming the music video that fans would never expect? We’d especially love to hear any stories from filming “Party Like A Rock Star.”

An Chanwon: During the music video shoot, Hanbin was filming on wires in front of a green screen. It was his first time doing something like that, and it was really fun just watching him.

Jang Hyunjun: There was a scene where Hanbin and I were supposed to splash a little bit of water on each other. Instead, we kept joking around and ended up throwing much more water than we were supposed to, so we both got completely soaked!

This song [“Parry Like A Rock Star”] is all about having the confidence to enjoy yourself on stage. I hope our WHIZ can listen to it and approach everything they do with confidence – An Chanwon

VOA: The choreography for “Party Like A Rock Star” is incredibly impressive. Was there a particular move or section where everyone finally felt, “We’ve got it”?

Choi Hanbin: For me, it was definitely the dance break. It was the hardest part of the choreography and also the most dynamic, so both individually and as a team we spent a lot of time practising it.

Park Hayuchan: The choreography during the rap section was especially difficult because there are so many fast movements. After all the practice, finally getting everything perfectly in sync was incredibly satisfying.

VOA: THE WIND is known for bright, refreshing music, but each member has a different personality. Which song on this EP do you think suits each member the best, and why?

• Which song suits Thanatorn the best?

Choi Hanbin: “Party Like A Rock Star” – I think it suits Thanatorn really well because the song fits him perfectly, and it allows him to show one of his strengths—his relaxed, effortless gestures on stage.

Park Hayuchan: “That’s Smoove!” – It matches Thanatorn’s newly dyed hairstyle perfectly, and it also suits his vocal tone really well.

An Chanwon: “With the Wind” – I think it’s a song Thanatorn can express beautifully, and his voice sounds especially lovely on it.

Jang Hyunjun: “Shiver” – The song has a cute, playful atmosphere, which reminds me of Thanatorn’s mischievous personality, so I think it suits him well.

• Which song suits Choi Hanbin the best?

Thanatorn: “That’s Smoove!” – I chose Hanbin because his high notes are incredibly attractive.

Park Hayuchan: “Shiver”– Hanbin’s occasional low register fits this song really well.

An Chanwon: “Back and Forth” – I think it matches Hanbin’s cute and charming side perfectly.

Jang Hyunjun: “With the Wind” – Hanbin’s distinctive soft vocal tone suits this song really well.

• Which song suits Park Hayuchan the best?

Thanatorn: “Shiver”– I think the song’s fresh atmosphere matches Hayuchan’s voice very well.

Choi Hanbin: “That’s Smoove!” – Since it’s a rap-focused song, it suits Hayuchan perfectly as our rapper.

An Chanwon: “With the Wind” – I think Hayuchan’s gentle and delicate voice fits this song the best.

Jang Hyunjun: “Back and Forth” – The song has an innocent but adorable feeling that reminds me of Hayuchan.

• Which song suits Ahn Chanwon the best?

Thanatorn: “With the Wind” – The soft atmosphere of the song matches Chanwon really well.

Choi Hanbin: “That’s Smoove!” – It suits his playful side and the energetic feel of the song.

Park Hayuchan: “Back and Forth” – It feels quite similar to the type of music Chanwon usually enjoys listening to.

Jang Hyunjun: “Party Like A Rock Star” – I think Chanwon’s playful personality fits the mood of the song perfectly.

• Which song suits Jang Hyunjun the best?

Thanatorn: “With the Wind” – Because it matches Hyunjun’s voice perfectly.

Choi Hanbin: “Shiver” – His rap fits the song really well.

Park Hayuchan: “Party Like A Rock Star” – No one enjoys performing this song on stage more than Hyunjun, and that really stands out.

An Chanwon: “Back and Forth” – I think Hyunjun’s unique vocal tone suits this song perfectly.

For us, it’s a song [“Party Like A Rock Star”] that lets us truly enjoy ourselves on stage and have fun, so it means a lot. I hope our fans can also feel THE WIND’s confidence and positive energy through this song, and I hope it reminds everyone of how important their own presence is – Thanatorn

VOA: This year you’ll be visiting Poland for SOUND OF COLOR. Have any of you been to Poland before? Apart from performing, what are you looking forward to the most?

Thanatorn: I’m really looking forward to the weather and the scenery. I’ve only seen Poland through photos and videos, so I can’t wait to experience those beautiful landscapes in person.

Park Hayuchan: It’ll be everyone’s first time visiting Poland, and I’m especially excited to try Polish food. I’ve heard that bigos and pierogi are famous, so I’d definitely love to taste both.

VOA: If you have the chance, we’d highly recommend visiting Kraków – it’s one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, full of history, stunning architecture and cosy cafés. If you had one free day in Poland with no schedules or filming, how would you spend it?

Park Hayuchan: Even on my days off, I enjoy looking at beautiful architecture. I’d love to spend a day exploring Kraków, seeing its historic buildings and enjoying delicious food.

An Chanwon: I’d love to walk around the city, try different foods and take in Poland’s atmosphere while visiting beautiful places.

Jang Hyunjun: I’d definitely like to try pierogi and visit Kraków. Besides that, I’d love to explore as many places as possible.

VOA: If THE WIND went on a road trip together, who would take each role?

• DJ: Park Hayuchan
• Falls asleep first: Jang Hyunjun, Choi Hanbin
• Talks non-stop: Ahn Chanwon, Thanatorn
• Gets everyone lost: Jang Hyunjun, Park Hayuchan

Park Hayuchan: It’ll be everyone’s first time visiting Poland, and I’m especially excited to try Polish food. I’ve heard that bigos and pierogi are famous, so I’d definitely love to taste both – Park Hayuchan

VOA: Imagine The Wind really had to “Party Like A Rock Star” for one day. What’s one rock-star thing you’ve always wanted to experience – crowd surfing, smashing a guitar (a fake one!), performing in a stadium, riding a motorcycle, or something completely different?

Thanatorn: I’d love to perform at Coachella, and I’d definitely like to try crowd surfing!

Choi Hanbin: I’d love to play an electric guitar. I think performing like a real rock star with one would be so much fun!

Park Hayuchan: I don’t know how to play the guitar, but if I could, I’d love to sing while playing an electric guitar like a real rock star.

An Chanwon: I’d love to perform with a live band. I think that alone would be incredibly fun.

Jang Hyunjun: I’d love to smash a guitar on stage in front of a huge stadium crowd!

Written and interviewed by Maggie Gogler

Feature image © PPANGSTAR ENTERTAINMENT

_{THE WIND will perform at Sound of Colors in Poland on August 15 and 16.}

_{View of the Arts is an online publication dedicated to film, music, and the arts, with a strong focus on the Asian entertainment industry. As we continue to grow, we aim to deepen our coverage of Asian music while remaining committed to exploring and celebrating creativity across the global arts landscape.}