1VERSE recently released “LOOP,” a single that follows their first world tour. The members again took part in writing and composing the song, with songwriting credits going to KENNY, NATHAN, AITO and SEOK. Adrian McKinnon, who has worked with EXO, SHINee and NCT 127, reunites with the group after “SHATTERED” and “WABIF (Wide Awake Before I Fall).” They were joined with producer Skylar Mones, whose credits include Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia.
The up-tempo
electro-pop track features glitchy production built on bit-crushed, retro
arcade sounds. Its concept is being caught in a loop: repeatedly reaching for
something that feels just within grasp, cycling between anticipation and
disappointment until you can no longer pull away. The production mirrors this
idea, with arcade-style electronics and a progression that builds tension like
a video game boss battle, creating the feeling of starting the next attempt
before the last one has ended. A recurring signature sound runs through the
track, embedding the loop in the music itself.
On August 29,
the group performed at gamescom in Cologne as the first K-pop act invited to
its stage, and the next evening they played Asian Revolution in Mainz, Germany.
Ahead of the
release, KpopWise sat down with 1VERSE to talk about “LOOP,” from the creative
process behind the song to the sound and spirit they hope to share with fans.
KW: When you
started working on the song, did you start with the lyrics or a concept?
Kenny: We started with a therapy session. We
went in, and I talked about it: “I just can’t sleep. I’ve been thinking about
claw machines and how they sometimes don’t make me feel like a man. I feel like
I need to be good at claw machines in order to be a man.”
“What do you
mean by that?”
“Well, I
haven’t been able to catch a toy, so I’ve been studying how to catch one.”
If you have a
partner, and your partner says, “Oh, I want that toy right there!” and you’re
unable to get it, I just felt like, “Oh my God, I’m pathetic.”
Everyone else
said, “Yeah, we’ve recently been going to a lot of claw machines, so we could
write something about that!” So, that’s how the song came to be.
KW: …I play a claw machine game on my mobile phone, it has been a source of emotional damage, so I understand.
Let’s act
like the new single is a person and it walks into the room. What kind of
personality would it have and what would be the first thing it said?
Aito: I think if the song was as person, I
would assume the person is an addict. Because there is a negative notion to the
world addict, but I think it is something that we can all relate to and it
doesn’t have to be something horrible. It can be a dependency that we all have
within ourselves.
Kenny: A kid on a sugar-high at Chuck E.
Cheese. Chuck E. Cheese is this little kid arcade area with a lot of games where
you win tickets.
Aito: I’m
21 years old, but when I was younger, I think when everyone is in their teenage
years, they spent a little time in the arcade and we wanted to relive the
moment of having a lot of fun while being very immersed into the experience, so
hopefully the song can help the fans feel the joy that they had while in the arcades.
Kenny: Yes,
enjoy your inner-child.
Kenny: I don’t remember my time at Chuck E. Cheese, even though had my 18th birthday there.
It’s weird but,
if you could add an unnecessary sound to the single, like a kazoo or animal noise,
what would it be?
