The Boyz show off their power with 'Maverick' EP

Members of K-pop boy band The Boyz pose during an online press event, Monday. Courtesy of Cre.ker Entertainment

By Dong Sun-hwa

It usually takes more than six months or even a year for a K-pop group to release new music, as they have to work not only on the songs but also on the music videos and other content. The Boyz, however, took their fans by surprise when they announced that they would unleash their fresh EP, “Maverick,” on Nov. 1, only about three months after the release of their previous mini-album, “Thrill-ing.”

Asked whether they had a special reason for the quick follow-up, the members said they wanted to show different versions of themselves in double-quick time for their followers.

“This is our first time to release music so quickly, but we did not face any major stumbling blocks while gearing up for the EP,” member Eric said during Monday's online press conference, which took place a few hours before the release of “Maverick.”

“We actually enjoyed the entire process, thanks to the support of our fans. In fact, even before the release of Thrill-ing, we already knew we would put out Maverick in the coming months.”

Sunwoo elaborated, “We are quite accustomed to fast-paced living, because we already tried that out while appearing on Mnet's competition shows Road to Kingdom and Kingdom: Legendary War.”

The 11-piece act ― which debuted under management company Cre.ker Entertainment in 2017 ― joined 2021's “Kingdom: Legendary War” after winning on 2020's “Road to Kingdom,” going head-to-head with five other high-profile K-pop boy bands: BTOB, iKON, Stray Kids, ATEEZ and Golden Child. Although the members were under time constraints for preparation, they created a splash with their carefully crafted gigs, finishing second on the show after only Stray Kids.

The two programs have largely contributed to the band's global popularity. “Thrill-ing,” the groups' first release following its appearance on “Kingdom: Legendary War,” sold more than 500,000 copies, with its title track grabbing the top spots on multiple music streaming charts.

But with “Maverick” ― which is led by the namesake lead single ― The Boyz aim to showcase their magnetism in a different way, which was not visible on the previous EP.

“We displayed our refreshing vibe through Thrill-ing, but this time, we will focus on exhibiting our powerfulness,” Younghoon said.

Kevin added, “Our new EP conveys our message that we will walk our own path without falling into a rut.”

The EP carries two more tunes: “Hypnotized” and “Russian Roulette.” Sunwoo explained that unlike the group's previous releases, which were a little more eclectic, “Maverick” offers only hip-hop-flavored songs.

“We attempted to show our confidence in our performance,” Sunwoo said. “We also want to show people that The Boyz can pull off limitless things.”

Q ended the session by talking about the group's goal.

“We hope our followers love our new EP… And we want to become a team with many kinds of charms,” he said.