Jellyfish Entertainment’s VERIVERY have made a comeback driven by reclamation with their latest new single album Lost and Found, a collection laden with vulnerabilities and empowerment in equal parts.
Embodying the meaning of “Han(恨),” an emotion borne of extreme resentment, grief, or regret, the project sees them rediscover their creative spirit framed by determination and dedication to their craft. From focus track “RED (Beggin’),” which infuses The Four Seasons’ famous track “Beggin’” with VERIVERY's own spin to hyper-pop offering "empty," and finally R&B track “Cotton Candy (Blame us)” delivering an ode to their fans, the album is rooted in sonic versatility across every note.
Their first music in two years, since DONGHEON, GYEHYEON, and KANGMIN’s participation on the hit K-pop Survival Program BOYS 2 PLANET, Lost and Found establishes the band's ambition and sincerity as they begin a new musical chapter. In conversation with Earmilk, the band – consisting of DONGHEON, GYEHYEON, YEONHO, YONGSEUNG, and KANGMIN – dive into how their sound has evolved, personal favourite tracks and what sounds they'd like to experiment with.
1. What is the inspiration/message behind LOST AND FOUND?
YEONHO: Lost and Found literally conveys our determination to rediscover what VERIVERY had lost. We had much regret in not being able to meet our fans and spend time with them during our hiatus of two and a half years. Through this album, we wanted to convey the mindset that we hope to regain our time with fans, with a new side of VERIVERY.
2. How would you say your sound has evolved over time and where do you see it going from here?
YEONHO: I believe our sound has progressed with us, and we have confidence in our strength that our sound is never limited to one. We’ll continue to challenge ourselves with a variety of sounds to prove that we can work with any genre or sound.
YONGSEUNG: First, I think our ears for music have improved the most, because we studied and trained our musicality by listening to not only our songs but also songs by many seniors and juniors who promote around the same time as us. We will move forward and improve ourselves by listening to exemplary works.
3. Is there a personal favourite track from the track list and why?
DONGHEON: My favorite is “empty,” because it best showcases our experimental spirit!
GYEHYEON: My favorite is the title track, “RED (Beggin’).” It’s our first take on interpolation, and the final result came out great and the performance is very cool, so I’m very happy with it.
YEONHO: I like “Cotton Candy (Blame us)” because it fits our members’ vocal colors well.
YONGSEUNG: I’d choose “RED (Beggin’)” because it proves how a song would sound if VERIVERY adds our own style to another artist’s song!
KANGMIN: I think the “RED (Beggin’)” performance is very cool because it’s so powerful.
4. Take me through your creative process when you’re working on new music? What’s the most rewarding and challenging parts of the process?
DONGHEON: I would say that the creative process is a series of pain, as I need to play a constant tug-of-war between something new versus comfortable. I usually work on the theme first, then add melody and lyrics to decide the story and the overall atmosphere. The most rewarding part of that process would be when the final product is out, as it feels like a reward for all the challenges and difficulties! I usually make a demo version and listen to it for a long time, and every time I listen to it brings me great happiness.
GYEHYEON: When we have a track, I would create a topline and then work on the lyrics. The most difficult part actually comes when the music we work on is in my personal taste; I already like it because it’s the music that I enjoy, but I have to think about how everyone has different tastes in music, so it’s quite difficult to come up with music that can appeal to the general audience too.
5. If you could experiment with any genre or concept in future what would that be and why?
GYEHYEON: I’d like to take on the New Jack Swing genre again, just like we did for a debut track, “Ring Ring Ring.”
KANGMIN: When thinking of VERIVERY, many fans would think about perfectly angled group choreography or powerful sound. To show various sides of us, I think it’d be good to try a more free-spirited and relaxed sound, as we did in “empty.”
6. What’s been the most surreal moment of your career so far?
YONGSEUNG: I think it’s right now. More people started paying attention to us after BOYS II PLANET aired, and I think that came from the hard work of our members who had appeared on the show. We’ve gained lots of interest and attention for this comeback, and we’ll make sure to work hard.
KANGMIN: We recently held a fan meeting in Japan, and it was the largest show we’ve ever had. It was unbelievable to see such a huge venue filled.
7. If you had to describe VERIVERY’s current artistry/sound in three words what three words would you use?
DONGHEON: I’d choose ‘growth,’ ‘story,’ and ‘color.’ The reason why we take on multiple genres, just like we did for Lost and Found, is to show how we improve musically, and we want to express our growth story in music. That will ultimately create the story and color that only VERIVERY can present.
Connect with VERIVERY : Instagram
