EXCLUSIVE | ‘YELLOW PUNCH’: Rocket Punch reveal comeback concepts and more
(Written by Nandini Iyengar)
K-pop girl group Rocket Punch made a comeback on February 28 with their mini-album ‘YELLOW PUNCH’. The mini-album is a part of the ‘Color Collection’ series which started with ‘Pink Punch’ followed by ‘Blue Punch’ and ‘Red Punch’. ‘YELLOW PUNCH’ consists of six tracks, with ‘CHIQUITA’ serving as the title track. ‘CHIQUITA’ is an 80s inspired up-tempo song with Euro-dance influences with vintage synthesiser sounds. Other tracks in the album include an intro titled ‘YELLOW PUNCH’, ‘In My World’, ‘Red Balloon’, ‘Love More’ and ‘LOUDER’.
MEAWW got a chance to ask the six Rocket Punch members — Yeonhee, Juri, Suyun, Yunkyoung, Sohee, and Dahyun about their latest comeback with ‘YELLOW PUNCH,’ which highlights the idea of being under a spotlight on a runway. In an exclusive interview with MEAWW, the girl group spoke about their favourite dance style, challenges in the album and much more.
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MEAWW: YEONHEE, keeping in mind the previous three EPs in the series, how was the narrative taken forward in ‘YELLOW PUNCH’?
YEONHEE: Unlike the previous 3 albums, Rocket Punch makes a stunning transformation with ‘YELLOW PUNCH’. We used the motif of proudly walking on a runway as an inspiration while making the album. We drew from the image of Rocket Punch always moving ahead, always growing.
MEAWW: SUYUN, what was a challenging aspect or something new that you tried in this album?
SUYUN: I think it won’t be wrong to say that there were no new challenges, but if you look closely the visuals have changed tremendously. When you listen to the album, you will find different genres of the song. You will see different shades of the color yellow with Rocket Punch.
MEAWW: YUNKYOUNG, which song do you like the best from this album, and why?
YUNKYOUNG: My favourite track from the album is the fifth track ‘Love More’. I like all tracks from the album, but ‘Love More’ tops the list because of the lyrics. I want to dedicate the lyrics “I will love you more” from the song to KETCHY (their fans), and hence I chose this song as my favourite one!
MEAWW: SOHEE, If you were to describe the album in just three words, which words would you choose?
SOHEE: Passion, Runway, Change.
MEAWW: DAHYUN, according to you, what does the color yellow symbolize in your album?
DAHYUN: Yellow is the closest color to the light. We want to show off Rocket Punch, which shines by itself. People often think of yellow color as cute, but this time we tried to capture the intensity and prowess of the color yellow, which will be quite meaningful in showing our charms.
MEAWW: JURI, you were a part of a girl group before joining Rocket Punch. How did that experience help you in your activities as a K-pop idol?
JURI: First of all, I have performed a lot on stage, so I am able to enjoy it without feeling nervous or trembling. I can have fun without worrying about how to present myself in the shows. Thanks to my experience, I know myself better now and I can be confident in my activities.
MEAWW: It has been just over two years since your debut, what is one thing that you learned that helped you grow as an artist?
SUYUN: I think it is practice and hard work. Since our debut, all of us would go to the practice room to improve our skills. All of us wanted to show a more mature side of ourselves, so we paid careful attention to our practise sessions and what the fans like to see.
Personally, I think I am very passionate about constantly presenting a better version of myself to our fans. I never want to disappoint my fans, because they always believe in us and wait for us. I am not satisfied with my skills at the moment, so I am constantly working hard to improve.
SOHEE: It’s the members! All the members are very sincere and kind, and seeing them gives me inspiration every time.
MEAWW: Please share a memorable moment from the sets of the music video.
JURI: We used a lot of CGI in the music video this time. There is a scene where I break a mirror and run away. While filming I could not see the CGI, so I imagined it in my head while performing. It was quite fun!
DAHYUN: While filming individual scenes, we shot a lot of scenes where I was jumping on trampolines and mats to film scenes showing that I was falling from a height. Since it was my first time doing an action scene, I was quite nervous. It was a strange yet fun experience because I had imagined in my mind how the CGI would turn out eventually.
MEAWW: Are there any fun stories from your recording sessions that you can share with us?
YEONHEE: We had recorded 'LOUDER' long ago, so we needed to re-record it this time, but because Rocket Punch had grown so much we almost recorded everything all over again!! It felt kind of unfamiliar to hear out old voices but it was fun.
YUNKYOUNG: I sang the second verse of the B-side track ‘Love More’. Towards the end of the music, we sing it once or twice in a different manner. The writer of the song told me immediately, “Yunkyoung, this is the ending part of the song, so the feeling has to be different! You have to sing like an ending fairy.” I remember singing the end part and thinking I was caught again in that moment!
MEAWW: Your songs have a pop-style, vibrant vibe to them, which genre would you like to try next?
JURI: Rock! I think it will be quite fun to work with pop-rock that is cute and exciting, instead of the mainstream rock genre! I would like to try that next time.
SUYUN: I would say something that is trendy and sophisticated which shows our strength – brightness! I have thought about this, and I want to show a ‘bright’ style of music to our fans.
MEAWW: Do you have a favourite dance style, when it comes to choreography?
YUNKYOUNG: Since my trainee days, I heard a lot of stories about strength and power. Hence, I like a dance style that has a powerful point. When I first learnt dancing, I learnt the style called ‘Girls Hip Hop’ and I like that style very much.
DAHYUN: Personally, I prefer a dance style that is strong, neat and powerful. I tried to show these strengths in the choreography for ‘CHIQUITA’ as well.
MEAWW: Finally, please share a message for your fans!
YEONHEE: Nice to meet you, KETCHYs! ❤️ I am excited to talk to you all for the first time since our comeback! Rocket Punch has grown a lot since the last comeback. We’ll show you better stages every time, so let’s have fun together!
SOHEE: My dear KETCHYs! I hope to see you all as soon as the situation is normal! I love you, every day.
Watch the music video of the lead single ‘CHIQUITA' below.
Global PR and Marketing by MJ TONZ Entertainment