BOYNEXTDOOR says 'If I Say, I Love You' is gift for fans
A concept photo for BOYNEXTDOOR's new digital single "If I Say, I Love You" / Courtesy of KOZ Entertainment
K-pop boy group BOYNEXTDOOR kicked off the new year with its first digital single “If I Say, I Love You,” released Monday.
The six members — Jaehyun, Sungho, Riwoo, Taesan, Leehan and Woonhak — shared that they were eager to release the song amid the busy schedule for their first solo tour, “BOYNEXTDOOR TOUR ‘KNOCK ON Vol.1.'”
“Thanks to the love Onedoor (BOYNEXTDOOR's official fandom) gave us last year, we were able to carry on with a lot of strength. As a way to repay the love you've given us, all members actively participated in preparing this new song,” the group said.
“We're currently on our first solo tour since debuting and we thought fans who couldn't come to the concert would miss us a lot … We hope you'll enjoy this new song like a gift.”
Described as fresh but relatable by the members, the new single is a dance-pop song with realistic lyrics about suffering from a breakup. Taesan and Woonhak took part in creating the song.
“After gaining good confidence and deviating from our previous album '19.99,' we wanted to tell a new story with this new song. We thought the emotion of 'patheticness' would suit well with the melody and felt it would be fresh to sing about self-deprecating portrayal after a breakup,” the group said.
“Anyone who has had similar experiences to the lyrics of this song should be able to relate and immerse themselves in it as if it were their own story … The ideas of all members can be found throughout the song. You'll be able to strongly feel BOYNEXTDOOR's unique color.”
Photos from the music video teaser for BOYNEXTDOOR's song "If I Say, I Love You" / Courtesy of KOZ Entertainment
The members noted they tried to capture a wide range of emotions in the upbeat song, adding they thought of recording the song more as acting rather than singing.
“While recording, we tried to put various emotions into our voices. And we'd be grateful if you also pay attention to the relatable lyrics. You'll be able to feel a different vibe compared to our previously released songs,” Taesan said.
Riwoo added, “Although the theme is about breakups, since it has a cheerful aspect, we focused on vocally expressing a middle ground — not too excited but not too depressed either.”
The members hinted at the lively choreography to go with the song’s lyrics, saying “As always, the biggest charms of BOYNEXTDOOR's songs are the witty lyrics and choreography.”
Referring to the song as a breakup song for Gen Z, Woonhak shared that it will entertain listeners from start to finish.
“This song has a charming composition that flows naturally. We hope you'll feel that flow well. Being a 'Gen Z breakup song,' every part is a highlight,” he said.
The group started its first solo tour with Incheon concerts on Dec. 14 and 15 and is slated to perform 12 concerts in six different cities, including Osaka, Singapore, Bangkok and Jakarta.
The members emphasized that continuing to show their passion for music will be their goal for this year.
“Our goals don't seem to change much each year — showing great music and performances! We'll approach this year with the same mindset as well,” Jaehyun said.
Sungho added, “Through our busy activities last year, we were able to realize many things and grow. This year, we want to grow even more and show you an even more amazing side of us.”