Kep1er invites listeners to 'Kep1er Island'

Members of K-pop act Kep1er perform during a press event in eastern Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of Wake One Entertainment, Swing Entertainment

By Dong Sun-hwa

K-pop girl group Kep1er is inviting listeners to "Kep1er Island" ― a place of happiness created by the nine members.

The group rolled out its second mini-album, "Doublast," Monday afternoon, about five months after the release of its debut EP, "First Impact." The singers, who sang about their determination to become the best player in the K-pop scene in "First Impact," have transformed themselves into the "spreaders of joy and happiness" this time.

"We brought our charisma to the forefront in 'Wa Da Da' ― the lead single off our debut EP ― but this time, we will display our refreshing vibe," leader Yujin said during a press event at the YES24 Live Hall in Gwangjin District, eastern Seoul, Monday.

Chaehyun elaborated, "We want to show that we can also pull off something different like this."

Leading the mini-album is "Up!" ― a rhythmical song drawing together the sounds of two genres: funk house and soulful house. Unlike most other K-pop summer bangers that are often characterized by bubbliness, "Up!" highlights the members' powerfulness, according to Dayeon.

"We will be able to show off our energetic performance through 'Up!'" she said.

"Doublast" centers on different episodes taking place on the "Kep1er Island" where the nine members' musical journey begin.

"'Kep1er Island' is the place where everyone can find happiness," Yujin explained. "It is also the first destination that Kep1er has arrived at after starting our adventurous journey."

The other four tracks included in the album ― "Le Voya9e," "Attention," Good Night" and "Rewind" ― all have different stories. "Attention," for instance, is a tune about love that starts with friendship.

The teaser for Kep1er's new EP, "Doublast" / Courtesy of Wake One Entertainment, Swing Entertainment

"It was physically strenuous to gear up for our mini-album while appearing on Mnet's competition show, 'Queendom 2,' but we have learned a lot from this experience," Japanese member Mashiro said.

Kep1er went head-to-head with four other K-pop girl groups ― WJSN (Cosmic Girls), Loona, Brave Girls and VIVIZ ― and soloist Hyolyn on "Queendom 2," which wrapped up on June 2.

Although it ranked sixth on the program, the nonet still succeeded in winning the hearts of numerous global fans with their eye-popping performances, with its take of "The Boys" performed during the show garnering nearly five million views on YouTube as of Monday. "The Boys" is the 2011 release by iconic K-pop act Girls Generation ― a role model for Kep1er.

"Our relationship has grown stronger after we went through a tough time together while filming 'Queendom2,'" Chaehyun said.

Youngeun added, "We also learned more about each other. I think one of our competitive edges is that we have been together for quite a long time and so we have good chemistry."

Kep1er, which was formed through Mnet's 2021 talent search show, "Girls Planet 999," revealed what it wants to accomplish with its fresh release.

"I hope our 'Up!' music video can hit 100 million views on YouTube," Chinese member Xiaoting said. "It would also be great if we could grab the No. 1 spot on a music show, too."

Mashiro added, "If our music video exceeds 30 million views, we will release a new video featuring our performance."

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