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EPEX says love is the universal language from the heart in 4th EP ‘Prelude of Love Chapter 1. ‘Puppy Love’

By Park Jun-hee

Published : Oct. 27, 2022 - 16:08

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Boy band EPEX poses during an online press conference in Seoul for its new album. (C9 Entertainment) Boy band EPEX poses during an online press conference in Seoul for its new album. (C9 Entertainment)

As the famous phrase goes, love is like two birds that can teach us about unconditional love. Boy band EPEX welcomed cuffing season with its fourth EP, “Prelude of Love Chapter 1. ‘Puppy Love’” released Wednesday evening.

Though there are many words that can express falling head over heels in love, the rookie band opted for puppy love, a term that refers to an intense but shallow surge of feelings, and is also synonymous with having a crush.

“I’m excited to show a different side of us (to fans and listeners) through the new album. We’ll try to unfold the different stories of love by giving a little tweak to what we’ve done before,” A-Min said during Tuesday’s online press conference.

“We are thrilled and delighted to meet fans with our new album, and that’s how we prepared for our fourth EP. That’s how much effort we’ve poured into it,” Baek-seung said.

This marks the boy band’s return, six months after its last release. It released its third EP, “Prelude of Anxiety Chapter 1. 21st Century Boys,” in April. If the K-pop act’s previous album talked about the younger generation and its struggles in the oppressive systems of modern society, this time the band underwent a seismic change by releasing songs about love.

During Wednesday’s event, Wish said the band’s new album combines four different love stories. He added that listeners can understand the narrative flow of the album if they listen to all four tracks.

Boy band EPEX poses during an online press conference held in Seoul for its new album. (C9 Entertainment) Boy band EPEX poses during an online press conference held in Seoul for its new album. (C9 Entertainment)

He went on to say that the lead track, “First Love’s Law,” is about the moment when one first encounters love. He likened the feelings of love in the song to the ones depicted in “Choonhyangjun,” one of South Korea’s best-known folk tale about love.

When asked why the old folk tale was used, Baek-seung said the octet wanted to convey that everybody’s first love is all the same. He added that “Prelude of Love Chapter 1. ‘Puppy Love’” aims to share EPEX’s version of what first love felt like for the band.

The second song “Love Bomb” is about confessing your feelings with all your heart to your lover. The third song, “Hymn to Love,” is about two lovebirds expressing their honest emotions to each other. The last track, “The Vow,” promises a future for the lovebirds, as the title suggests.

“The four tracks go over the process of how a boy falls in love with his lover,” Wish added.

Mu chimed in, saying that the main message of the new album is that love is the universal language.

“The way people express love can differ, but the definition of love doesn’t change, regardless of where one is from or from which era they came. As we used a lot of Asian elements to show the concept of love in our promotional videos and lyrics, we dressed up as sergeants and marionettes to add some Western characteristics.”

Boy band EPEX poses during an online press conference held in Seoul for its new album. (C9 Entertainment) Boy band EPEX poses during an online press conference held in Seoul for its new album. (C9 Entertainment)

Jeff said it was challenging to convey the album’s core idea, but he tried his best by investing more time in making facial expressions depicting a boy in love.

At the end of the event, A-Min said he hopes to see EPEX as a band with which the younger generation can resonate, adding that they are a group that speaks for the youth.

EPEX’s fourth EP, “Prelude of Love Chapter 1. ‘Puppy Love’,” hit global music platforms on Wednesday at 6 p.m.