GreatGuys, an eight-member idol group in their 6th year of debut, are back with their 5th mini album, RECORD OF YOUTH EP. 1: DESTINY, which begins a new series focusing on the time they’ve spent together with their fans since their debut, and on the new memories yet to be made in the future. The new mini-album follows the group’s July 2022 release of their 4th mini album, WE’RE NOT ALONE FINAL: ONLY YOU ending the "Not Alone" series with a bang. Now GreatGuys will show their sweet and friendly side with the first part of this new series.
RECORD OF YOUTH’s title song "luv luv luv" is an adorable, addictive song with a cheerful melody, honest heart and emotions, and witty lyrics and vocals, written and composed by GreatGuys member Dongin in collaboration with NUVO.
The album’s b-side track, “only U,” was also written and composed by Dongin, in collaboration with HOZE. The song consists of familiar sounds with acoustic pianos and guitars, and the color of the piece is further enhanced by using a simple but addictive synthesizer main theme. It is a fan song with a simple and soft melody and a message of love and gratitude to the GreatGuys’ fandom, "Grace."
The album features each song, “luv luv luv” and “only U,” in three versions - Korean, Japanese, and instrumental - for six tracks in total. In addition, GreatGuys member Haneul created the choreography for “luv luv luv,” which is featured in the music video that will be released alongside the album.
KpopWise reunited with GreatGuys about their new release and what messages they want to convey with it.
KW: Congratulations on your upcoming release, 'LuvLuvLuv!' Can you tell us a little bit about the concept and message behind the song?
DONGIN:
"RECORD OF YOUTH EP. 1: DESTINY" is an album where we look back on the time we have spent since our debut until now, and make new memories without forgetting everything we’ve been through. Let's record the time we spent together as good memories for a lifetime. I just wanted to get the message across. The title song 'luv luv luv' is a synthwave genre song with a cool and refreshing sound and addictive vocal sampling. This is a song that allows you to fully feel the charms of GreatGuys.
KW: Could you share any memorable moments from the recording or production process of 'luv luv luv'?
DONGHWI:
When we were recording the music video for “luv luv luv,” all the members were in very good condition and it went really smoothly! What was fun while filming the music video was the roller-skating scene. It was so much fun that I felt like I went back to my childhood again.
KW: How do you want Grace to feel when they listen to this album?
HORYEONG:
“Luv luv luv’ is a very lovely song! As soon as they hear this song, we want them to think, "Ah! I want to love you, and I want to see the emotions of the person I love.” I hope you can feel it and love it beautifully.
KW: You participated in songwriting for this album, how does it feel?
DONGIN:
I participated in writing the lyrics from our "GANDA" album in 2018 and on "TOUCH BY TOUCH in 2021, I participated in writing and composing all of them as a producer. It’s a very difficult task every time I write the lyrics but I always enjoy the hard work because it's so much fun.
KW: How did you come up with the choreography for 'luv luv luv'?
HANEUL:
I thought that our “luv luv luv” choreography should be choreographed so that anyone can easily follow it. I put a lot of thought into expressing the shape of the “L” in “luv” in the song title as a point of the choreography.
KW: You get a lot of attention for your dances uploaded on SNS. How do you decide which dances you want to try?
DAUN:
We are currently uploading a lot of cover dances on social media, and we are having fun dancing with our members! We make our selection based on how much time we can spend.
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KW: You have begun the "Record of Youth" series. What is your most memorable moment from childhood?
HORYEONG: The memory of going to the valley in the summer with my friends in high school and playing together is the most memorable.
DONGHWI: I remember going to an amusement park with my family, riding fun rides and eating delicious food.
UIYEON: As for my childhood, I remember going on a trip with my family and making many memories.
HWALCHAN: I remember when I went to a track and field event with my father and won first place.
DONGIN: Spring-cherry blossom viewing, playing in the water in the summer, viewing maple leaves in the fall, and sledding in the winter. I think of going out with my family every season.
DAUN: When I was in elementary school, I went to Jeju on a family trip, and the taste of the pork belly I ate at that time was so good that I still can't forget it, and it is the most memorable.
BAEKGYEOL: When I was in middle school, I went to a drum academy, but I skipped school for a week and I still remember how much trouble I got in when my mom found out!
HANEUL: I've loved RC car toys since I was little and one of my favorite memories is when my father bought it for the first time and I played with my older sister while controlling it.
KW: What is something or hobby you currently love?
HORYEONG: What I like the most these days is shopping - I’m interested in seeing clothes and shopping for other things.
DONGHWI: My favorite thing these days is gym workouts and my hobby is driving.
UIYEON: My favorite thing to do is watch movies, and I enjoy collecting keychains.
HWALCHAN: What I like the most is singing and listening to music, and my hobby is exercising.
DONGIN: My favorite thing to do and my hobby is the same, making music!
DAUN: I like listening to music while taking a walk, and watching various videos is my hobby.
BAEKGYEOL: My hobby is to learn the languages of various countries little by little while enjoying travel videos on YouTube.
HANEUL: My hobbies include cover dance, exercise, and going to cafes. When I'm doing my hobbies, I really don't think about anything, and I'm just excited and having fun.
KW: What is your message to Grace?
What we want to say to Grace is that if you have a dream you want to achieve, don't be afraid to try for it! Until your dreams come true, you can’t fail, so push slowly towards your dreams and don't give up until the end. We hope you cheer up while listening to our songs and have a great time
Grace, we love you!
KW: What can we expect from Great Guys next?
Our GreatGuys meeting and communicating with Grace all over the world and making happy memories is the most important thing! It's our goal, and we’re going to run without giving up to achieve that goal.
On our next album, we will show you a new look with a different concept from this album. We look forward to your attention and love!
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The new album can be listened to on your favorite streaming platform and physical copies are available here