“We always hope to leave a little piece of ourselves behind wherever we go, and that it stays there for a while.” is what Haemin hopes fans take away from their current tour, 8TURN TRACE. Back on the road again and a chance for TURNING to see another layered side to the eight members: Myungho, Jaeyun, Minho, Yoonsung, Haemin, Kyungmin, Yungyu, and Seungheon that they perhaps didn't see on the last tour. 

Since their debut in 2023, 8TURN are a group that has gone on to write their own music that has given us hits like “TIC-TAC” and "Rum-Pum-Pum", of which each has showcased their desire to play with genre and not box themselves in one style so early into their career. Their recent comeback of THE 3RD SINGLE ALBUM [8.X] saw a more mature brooding side compared to comebacks such as EXCEL. Again, this attitude is what can be seen within their shows, and one of their main goals on this tour is to be in the moment more with the fans. Those attending can expect quite the treat with unit performances and a full eight-member cover. Both of which have been handpicked by the fans, which is surely to go down incredibly well. 

With night one of the tour underway and as they head out to more of Europe and onto the US, new lessons and adventures await. The members sit to tell us what they’ve prepared for the tour and what they are most excited to share with the fans.

September sees you return to Europe with your upcoming 8TURN TRACE. How do you go about visualising what kind of set you want fans to see this time?

MYUNGHO: For this tour, we’ve prepared stages where we can come together with TURNINGs, let loose, and enjoy the moment as one. We prepared this tour with the idea of TURNINGs and us coming together as one, feeding off each other’s energy, and just going wild together.

JAEYUN: We had so much fun last year, and the love we received was beyond our expectations. For this tour, we wanted to deliver an unforgettable show tailored just for our fans. Alongside our new tracks, we’ve added long-requested songs that weren't on last year’s setlist. We hope our fans enjoy every moment and get the complete 8TURN experience.

The title 8TURN TRACE suggests leaving something behind wherever you go. What kind of memory do you hope fans will take away from this tour?

HAEMIN: We always hope to leave a little piece of ourselves behind wherever we go, and that it stays there for a while. Through our performances, we hope people can find new inspiration and positive energy. I’d love it if our presence gives a positive impact in every city we visit. And when we come back again someday, it would be amazing to see those traces grow into something even bigger and more meaningful.

KYUNGMIN: During our first tour, I was so focused on doing well on stage that I wasn’t able to fully enjoy the performances myself or communicate with the fans as much as I wanted to, which was something I regretted a little. So for this tour, I’m planning to interact with the audience much more actively, and I hope our fans can truly enjoy themselves and have a great time while they’re at our show.

For those seeing 8TURN's live performance for the very first time on this tour, what would you most like them to discover about the group? How would you describe yourselves to them in a short sentence?

YOONSUNG: I hope the audience can see that 8TURN is a group with a wide range of charms that truly loves being on stage and knows how to enjoy performing. And if I had to describe us in one short sentence, I’d say we’re eight guys who are cool, sexy, and cute all at once.

SEUNGHEON: Through this tour, I want the audience to see 8TURN as a group that brings incredible energy to the stage and genuinely knows how to enjoy performing. And I’d say we’re a group that truly loves being on stage more than anything.

If you could borrow one strength from another member for this tour, who would you choose, and what would it be?

YOONSUNG: I’d like to borrow the grit in Seung Heon’s voice. Whenever he hypes up the crowd, he uses that powerful, raspy vocal style, and I’d love to be able to do that too.

YUNGYU: I’d love to borrow Jae Yun’s English skills for a bit. While we’re on tour, I want to communicate more freely with TURNINGs overseas and be able to fully express everything I want to say to them.

You were in Europe last year. How do you approach putting together a setlist this time round? Are there specific songs you know are favourites with TURNING?

JAEYUN: We have some new covers that are definitely worth mentioning. Unlike last year's tour, we’ve prepared both unit covers and a full eight-member cover. Since the eight-member cover was handpicked by our fans, we think they’re going to love it.

MINHO: For this tour, we wanted to create a set that feels even more energetic and gives us more chances to have fun together with the audience than last time. You’ll definitely be able to see how much we’ve grown and how much more energy we bring to the stage, so we hope you’ll come and enjoy it with us!

Which of your own songs are your personal favourites that make you excited to perform? Anything from the vocals to dance routines, or just pure energy from the crowd?

MINHO: For choreography, my favourite is "Wonder", and for vocals, I’d say “Say My Name". I really enjoy performing both of them because I feel like they match my energy the best.

HAEMIN: We’ll be performing "NOM", a song we’ve never performed anywhere before. Since a lot of TURNINGs have been wanting to see it, I’m really looking forward to the energy we’ll get. I’m also especially excited for the songs that are great for singing along together.

Since the last tour, do you feel like you are approaching this one from a place of new confidence and direction?

KYUNGMIN: This time around, I want to feel a little freer on stage and show something new that people haven’t seen from me before. I think that’s something I want to approach differently from our last tour.

SEUNGHEON: Having experienced this once already, I think we were able to approach this one by looking back on how we felt at the time. Even when selecting the songs and putting together the setlist, we kept thinking about what kind of performances would make the show even more enjoyable for everyone. And of course, I feel much more confident than I did last time. So, please look forward to it!

What's the most enjoyable and exciting aspect about touring that you all look forward to the most?

MYUNGHO: As always, I’m most looking forward to TURNINGs’ reactions and the energy they bring to the show. The way they sing along and enjoy every moment really changes the atmosphere on stage, and that energy always gives us even more excitement while performing. I’m really looking forward to feeling that again on this tour.

YUNGYU: I would say I’m most looking forward to meeting TURNINGs in Europe and the U.S. again and enjoying the shows together after such a long time. We made so many great memories with them during our last tour, so I’m really excited to reunite with everyone, see how they’ve been, and create even more special moments together this time.

Does touring give you a boost of creativity for future songwriting? Do you find yourselves pulling from experiences while travelling to different places and meeting new people?

YUNGYU: For sure, I think I get a lot of inspiration from touring, and I really felt that during our tour last year. Every city had such a different atmosphere, from the streets and architecture to the way people lived, so I kept looking around and taking everything in. In particular, when I was writing the lyrics for “8PM”, I often pictured an orange sunset, and memories of our time in LA during the last U.S. tour gave me a lot of inspiration.

JAEYUN: Definitely! While we’re always getting fresh ideas while performing on stage, travelling to different countries and immersing ourselves in their cultures really broadens our horizons. It has played a massive role in expanding our creative vision.

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