Of course South Korea goes beyond the K-pop genre, and in fact, many joke about the emo-to-K-pop fan pipeline. One group in particular embraces the K-pop rock crossover, and that group is can't be blue. Having formed in 2024, the five members – Lee Dohun (vocals), Kwon Dahyun (keyboard), Lee Hwuiwon (bass), Kim Chaehyun (guitar) and Kim Daehun (drums) – are steadily making a name for themselves domestically and internationally.

That popularity has seen a rise in part due to their honest and relatable lyrics, which are embedded from their namesake. As they mention in our interview, the name itself resonates with listeners before the music kicks in. "Everyone in the world carries some form of sadness their whole life, whether they want to or not.” Over time they’ve allowed Rock and K-pop to collide, and with their rising popularity, they gained a new wave of fans with 2026’s release “Can't Love” featuring Strays Kids HAN. Highlighting that key point that even across different genres, everyone wants the same thing in the end: a good song.

From there this summer saw them open for ATEEZ at Rock in Roma, and then win the top prize at Emergenza 2026, the first Korean band to do so in the festival’s 34-year history. 2026 has seen nothing but success, and in November, the group will bring their BEYOND THE BLUE tour to Europe. We spoke about that upcoming tour, their latest album, and the rock scene in South Korea.

You’re bringing BEYOND THE BLUE to seven cities across Europe. What does it mean to you to be now taking your music to audiences outside Korea?

cant be blue: This still feels a little surreal, to be honest. It's something we always thought of as a someday kind of thing, and now it's actually happening. We were already grateful just to be recognised in Korea, so having people from completely different languages and cultures want to buy a ticket to hear our music means so much to us. This tour feels like getting to see that proof with our own eyes.

When it comes to performing, what are you most excited to share with the audiences?

cant be blue: We want to show people the emotions we put into the songs, exactly as they are. Rather than a polished or perfect version of ourselves, we want to be honest onstage about what we're actually feeling in that moment.

Do you feel there’s a difference between the way Korean audiences experience your music and the way international audiences respond to it?

cant be blue: There's definitely a difference. Korean audiences tend to sing along to every line, while international audiences often respond first through melody and energy, even with the language barrier. But it's interesting, because in the end the emotional connection ends up being the same. That's actually a moment where we're reminded of what music can do.

You recently had the opportunity to open for ATEEZ at Rock in Roma. Did that moment feel like a turning point but also change the way you think about where a Korean band can go internationally?

cant be blue: Yes, it really was a turning point. Before that stage, even we weren't fully sure how far a band from Korea could go internationally. But after that show, we felt firsthand that if the music is honest, it can connect no matter the genre or nationality. Since then, the scale of what we allow ourselves to dream about has changed.

Having started out playing smaller stages, what did it feel like to suddenly be performing in that kind of environment?

cant be blue: Honestly, no matter what stage we're on, the fact that we get to share our music doesn't really change. As long as there's even one person listening and enjoying it, we're always going to give it everything we've got.

How would you describe the current South Korean rock scene to someone outside Korea?

cant be blue: The Korean rock scene is actually growing right now, and every band has a pretty distinct identity. It might not be mainstream, but there are a lot of bands pushing their own sound forward within it, and we grew up as one of those bands.

You recently won Emergenza 2026, and in doing so, you were the first Korean band to do so in the festival’s 34-year history. 2026 has been a great year for you. Does it feel like that hard work is paying off? What did that recognition mean to you?

cant be blue: It didn't really sink in at the moment. It slowly hit us once we heard we were the first Korean band to do it. It felt like confirmation that all the time we spent figuring things out ourselves wasn't wasted, and that recognition meant a lot to us.

Your songs and even band names acknowledge that everyone feels blue, and that instead of hiding, you encourage them to be proud of them. What made you decide to explore those themes and even influence your band name?

cant be blue: Everyone in the world carries some form of sadness their whole life, whether they want to or not. That's why we wanted to write about that feeling. Through our own personal stories, we hope some listeners find comfort and others find something to relate to when they listen to our music.

That name was the title for your first full-length album. What did you want this album to sound like to listeners in terms of story and who you are as a band?

cant be blue: We wanted the emotions we've gone through to flow like one story, rather than just being listed out. We wanted listening to the album front to back to naturally show who we are, so honesty mattered to us more than any kind of polish.

You’ve described the album as the most complete picture yet of who you are musically and personally. What was the most important part of the process for you all to keep that authenticity you’ve all made sure to incorporate? Was there a particular influence for you in regard to sound and songwriting?

cant be blue: The main focus was making sure the story we wanted to tell really came through. Sound-wise, we probably leaned more on sources and chords from J-pop and R&B pop than on typical band-sound references.

If you had to choose one song from the album that represents can’t be blue most completely, which would it be, and why?

cant be blue: Since it's the title track we chose, I'd pick "blue daisy". Honestly there's no big reason behind it, it's just the song I personally enjoy listening to the most, so I'd want people to hear that one.

As you started out together from university writing songs do you feel that friendship has helped trust your intuition in creating songs that feel authentic to who you are as a band?

cant be blue: It really helped a lot. Since we've known each other for so long, there's a sense of just knowing when something feels like us, without needing to explain it in words. That trust let us commit to an idea even before it was fully polished.

You collaborated with HAN of Stray Kids on Can't Love. How did that collaboration come together? And was there anything you learned from working with him?

cant be blue: It came together naturally, out of genuinely liking each other's music. Getting to see how an artist from a completely different environment approaches a song up close was a great experience. It reminded us that even across different genres, everyone wants the same thing in the end: a good song.

When it comes to creating, you’ve mentioned that the one thing you’ve all learnt is to trust the process and worry less about getting everything perfect immediately. How did you gradually come to that conclusion? 

cant be blue: When an idea for a song or a topic we want to talk about comes up, we usually just gather the guys and start working on it right away. Sometimes what comes out of that isn't something we're fully happy with, but we feel like that approach is what lets us make the most honest songs.

Finally, besides the tour, what else does the rest of 2026 have in store for you? 

cant be blue: We're focused on preparing our third EP, which is coming out soon. We're also getting ready for a domestic show around the new album. We want to keep pushing ourselves through the rest of the year so we can show a more grown version of ourselves. 

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