BOYNEXTDOOR bares its soul in first studio album 'Home'

K-pop boy group BOYNEXTDOOR / Courtesy of KOZ Entertainment

K-pop boy group BOYNEXTDOOR, known for its innocent and playful charm, returned with its first studio album, "Home," in which members lay bare their innermost emotions and memories.

The band said it wanted to reflect on its three-year journey with an album that carries members' honest reflections on what the group has experienced so far — ranging from its anxious trainee days to heartfelt messages dedicated to its parents and its ambitious desire for its music to reach a wider audience.

"Since we've shown a lot of our innocent side, we tried to show many of our anxious feelings of living through youth and emotions we had but kept aside," member Woonhak said during a group media interview held Thursday ahead of the album's release. "Personally, I'm more satisfied with this album because I think it allows BOYNEXTDOOR to connect with both our fans and the general public on a more human level."

"I Wonder," one of the two fan-dedicated songs on the record, for instance, contains lyrics, such as "Do you know we are as anxious as we are happy?" according to the band.

"It's not a simple declaration of love toward fans," leader Myung Jaehyun said during the interview at a Seoul cafe. He said the group transferred its real emotions, such as the fear that fans might leave while waiting for it, straight into the lyrics. He added that the words reflect its own experiences and how it has changed since meeting its fans.

For the final, CD-only track, "I Wonder, Always," the band allocated four bars per member to express exactly what it wanted to tell its fans, creating what Jaehyun considers the most touching song on the album.

When asked why the band chose this moment to reflect on its journey, the front man pointed to its third anniversary last month.

"We wanted to mark 'Chapter 1' of BOYNEXTDOOR by packing all the emotions we've felt into this album," he said. He added that the group aimed to create an album that, even 20 or 40 years down the line, could help it find where it started if it ever loses its way.

Questioned about the anxiety of losing sight of its roots to pursue purely commercial success, Riwoo chuckled, admitting that such moments do occur. "But it doesn't last long because the members immediately point it out and snap each other out of it," he said.

For the group, the timing for a full-length project was more than perfect as it passed the three-year mark days ago.

"It had to be now. It is the perfect time to compress and organize the emotions we've felt over the past three years," Woonhak said.

Jaehyun added that while the desire for a full-length album has existed since the band's debut, it took time to gather themes that resonated with everyone.

"Now, all those themes have naturally converged," he noted.

The group also looked to the past to create something new for the lead track "Viral."

"When we began working on the project, we talked about expressing the unique K-pop musical colors we grew up with in our own style," Sungho explained.

According to him, the band incorporated familiar K-pop elements, such as restrained synchronized dancing, a bridge that flows lyrically into a high note leading to a powerful dance break and an overall atmospheric vibe with metaphorical lyrics.

"Releasing a song over three minutes long with weighty, thought-provoking lyrics might actually feel refreshingly new in the current music scene," Jaehyun pointed out.

However, the group hasn't forgotten the fans who love its signature musical style.

"We know there are fans who expect our unique, free-spirited vibe, so we melted that into the B-sides," Riwoo reassured. "When you listen to 'A'dios!' you'll immediately think, 'This is totally BOYNEXTDOOR!'"

Including those four tracks, the album, set for release at 6 p.m. on Monday, consists of nine songs in total, also featuring "06070," "Upside Down" and "Dive."