There’s a definitive charm behind the K-pop group DRIPPIN that inspires their dedicated fandom – and they’ve officially returned with their 3rd EP Villain to switch-up people’s perceptions of their “Nostalgia” demeanor after discovering the comforts of warm and welcoming vibe. From a concept standpoint alone, when you imagine the embodiment of a “villain” DRIPPIN is probably the furthest from fulfilling that title on a personal level. However as performers, all seven of its members are equally committed to adapting.
Through its title track “Villain” the group follows through with the idea and dives into their more unpredictable side with slick visuals and soothing vocal power. That ability to maintain their rookie momentum and channel their talent into new formats opened up a new side of music for the group – but also their growing fanbase, which landed them their new peak album release at No. 2 on South Korea’s Gaon Album Chart.
As DRIPPIN continues to evolve as a group and expand its repertoire of musical interests, the future feels extremely optimisitc for the group no matter what stylistic path (hero or villain) they choose to take on next. With DRIPPIN selling nearly 30,000 copies of their new EP and amassing millions of views for the new single, we spoke to the group to discover how things have changed since our last conversation – and all of the creativity that went into the Villain era.
I like that Villain offers a bit of a thematic pivot for you, so I was wondering if you could talk about how you initially interpreted this darker concept?
Changuk: When I heard that the title would be ‘Villain’ I thought that it would be a powerful villain, but when I heard the song and then the choreography, rather than a strong villain, it gives the vibe of a chic and charming villain.
Alex: At first I was interpreting it as strong and scowling randomly, but as we practiced, I re-interpreted it as a villain that has a ‘free’ feeling that is strong when needed.
If you looked at each EP as an arc for the story of Drippin, how does Villain reflect this current time as a group?
Junho: I think it’s the important step where you can see DRIPPIN’s story at a glance.
Minseo: it feels like a chapter where DRIPPIN grows a step. I hope that when seeing Villain, our DREAMIN would think that DRIPPIN is good even at this kind of concept.
You’ve managed to sell over 100,000 albums so far since debuting in 2020 and cracked the top 10 on Gaon with both releases! What has been the biggest surprise that you’ve experienced so far due to your consistently passionate fans?
Hyeop: We know that our fans are always making various efforts for us even in the unseen places. We’re always thankful for it and it makes us think that we should work even harder!
Dongyun: The most memorable thing was when we did the dry rehearsal during our first music show appearance. I watched other senior artists on the stage and realized that I actually had debuted.
We have your title track “Villain” which is a pretty fun way to present the theme you’ve introduced! What would you say was the main objective you hoped to accomplish with this unique song?
Yunseong: As the concept is villain, each of us has our own superpower and we fight other villains with this ability, this also continues to our universe/worldview. As it’s our first universe/worldview, it would be great to focus on those parts.
Junho: For the interesting theme that is ‘Villain’, I researched about what Villain actually is and focus on trying to know the character.
You also presented a much edgier look in terms of color scheme and wardrobe with this era’s visuals. Who had the best time getting used to this change-up, and who would you say this style was the most opposite of?
Changuk: When Alex put on the “Villain” makeup for the first time, I thought that his vibe and gaze really fit well, but in our everyday life he’s so nice and cute, a 180 degree difference with “Villain”. Though, he really fits ‘Villain’ once we’re on the stage
Alex: As for the one who really fits, it’s Changuk, while for the most opposite I’d say Minseo. Mostly because Minseo looks so pure and kind.
Outside of “Villain” what were some of your primary creative aspirations with some of the other tracks that ended up making the final cut?
Minseo: There is this song called “Delusion”, it was my first time recording a deep song so I had to do some deep thoughts before we recorded it.
Dongyun: I recorded the songs while thinking that I should make my part fit the song’s feel better
Is there a song on the album that you would each say rivals “Villain” as being title-track worthy?
Hyeop: For this album, there is “Delusion”! Not only us, but DREAMIN and people around us keep saying that they want to see us perform this song as it’s so good and that it’s title-track-worthy!
Junho: All the songs are great! Out of the songs we haven’t performed to, “Delusion” has a really dark-ish power and so I thought it would be good to challenge that song as a title track.
You’ve also now held multiple online concerts for fans as a fun way to connect when live concerts weren’t feasible! What has been the best part about getting to perform virtually, and what’s the aspect that you miss the most about in-person performances?
Yunseong: The fact that there are fans right in front of us makes the feeling of performing on stage itself so different, it feels like we’re really in sync with each other and that we’re enjoying the stage together. The thing that I miss is the feeling of having people watch us and also clap their hands for us directly.
Alex: The good thing about having an online concert is that we’re performing our songs for other people once again, and also having DREAMIN enjoy our songs through our performances once again. The thing I miss is performing directly in front of our fans.
Villain is officially out now, and the music video for the group’s title track can be viewed above!
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