The 11 member boyband THE BOYZ is back with their third single album,  Maverick, and after years of unbridled tenacity, the group is ready to transition towards a sensationally modern, edgier side of music. 

In the four years that THE BOYZ have been together, they’ve covered unimaginable territory. Making use of each member’s skills, paired with their ability to cohesively blend has built the group’s transcendent stature with each passing phase. The group has excelled so tremendously that they’ve garnered over 20 awards, 40 nominations, won the popular series Road to Kingdom, and placed second overall on Kingdom amongst some of the biggest titan-like groups in the K-pop industry. 

In addition to being revered artists, they’ve charted on sought-after platforms like Billboard and Gaon – with millions of albums sold, essentially making them a pristine success story. While we’ve seen the group come across as serious performers in that pursuit of being appreciated as valued artists, Maverick feels like a chance to introduce their passionate fandom to a different, hard-hitting, vibey collection of songs. THE BOYZ not only feel ready to fortify their customary artistry on Maverick, but they even appear to be thriving with this edgier switch-up.

Considering THE BOYZ lead the charge as one of the more recent influences in K-Pop, they have mastered handling their music with utmost fragility, making every single provide an exciting surge of energy and charisma. Through their music videos, the group is used to expressing their proficiency, but even the new visuals for the group feel like they’re open to presenting new, unseen details about their style/art that comes with the territory of attaining stability. 

Now that THE BOYZ have been able to momentarily step back from endless commitments to enjoy their achievements, they’re back with a fresh series of songs that feels like the beginning of a brand new chapter in their expansive careers. In celebration of Maverick, we spoke to the group where each member took the opportunity to tackle one question centered on the new release.

Congratulations on the upcoming comeback! It’s your final major release of the year, and it’s been a busy one for you, so what is the primary feeling you’re experiencing leading up to Maverick?

SANGYEON: I am looking forward to the moment [our fans] THE B will listen to the new album and enjoy our performances on stage. 

To begin this era you dropped an incredible teaser photo that feels very cyber-punk-like, and it’s combined with natural beauty in a floral aesthetic! How would you say this first photo correlates with this next era of THE BOYZ? 

KEVIN: Like the word ‘Maverick’, it refers to the idea of not being stuck in a given frame and blossoming like a flower in rough places rather than just surviving. 

When it comes to the sound or vibe of your new music, what would you say are the core elements of it?

SUNWOO: The core of this album is the fact that the songs are very much THE BOYZ’s trendy songs. It’s an album with charismatic songs that make you feel like you’re a player in a game. We’d love for you to listen to the album with that sound in mind. 

How would you describe the concept of each track on your third single album, Maverick? 

JACOB: Maverick: It’s a powerful song that showcases the aspiration to be unique and break out of the given frame. It also makes you feel like you’re the main character of a game. 

Hypnotized: A song that makes you feel hypnotized! It’s a song that’s hard to stop falling for the more you listen to it. 

Russian Roulette: “Russian Roulette” a song that is chic, and has a mysterious atmosphere, is a song that plays off just like its title. It shows the ambition to take risks and go on adventures despite the dangers. 

I’ve always enjoyed your commitment to fashion as well, and we get to see some striking looks in your concept photos! How would you say your image plays a part in this Maverick mini-album? 

NEW: I think it’s the concept and impression of this album itself. As we’ve tried various concepts and looks, we wanted to pull it off well, so before filming, we actually looked for a lot of references. Since the (individual concept) photos are the first images shown for the album, I think they’re very important. 

If you had to describe the biggest obstacle and biggest success of your music video for “Maverick” that you felt unique to this song – what would you say for both?

Q: The most difficult part of filming the music video was the acting part. I was really worried because it was very difficult. I kept thinking about how I should do well and not break the vibe or mood of the music video! And the most successful thing was that I succeeded in acting my part! 

After selling over 600,000 copies of THRILL-ING it became your best-selling release to date, so congratulations on that! Based on the responses you’ve received from fans and peers, why do you think it was able to connect with so many people so quickly? 

JUHAKNYEON: The reason why the album THRILL-ING probably received so much love and support is because we performed on stage with such sincere excitement. We looked happy and it really felt like we were playing on stage, so I think people really liked this. 

You’re coming up on four years together and in that time your careers have gone to such exciting places already – when you think about the next four years, what do you hope to accomplish? 

JUYEON: We haven’t met our fans in 2 years. I really hope in that time that we can meet our fans, and rather than a specific goal, I want us to continue to work hard and do our best so that we can go even higher. 

A lot of people enjoy the bond you all appear to have with each other, and I’m sure at this point, you feel like you know one another even more! Are there any members in particular that usually initiate any group plans outside of studio time? 

ERIC: Our group members get along very well when we spend time together! Whenever we have time, the members that can and of course are available, gather and hang out.

The B has been so supportive, and there’s a lot of excitement about every bit of content you share! If you had to describe recurring traits you’ve picked up about your fans over the years, what would you say is something you believe they have in common other than their appreciation for THE BOYZ?

YOUNGHOON: We’re able to release even better content because they always support us, trust us, and continue to follow us. For me, just the existence of The B itself is so precious to me. I think the common ground lies in the fact that THE B exists because THE BOYZ exists, and THE BOYZ exists because THE B exists. 

To conclude our interview, what would you most like people to discover about THE BOYZ through your new release Maverick? 

HYUNJAE: I hope you can feel that THE BOYZ’s performance is both limitless and powerful!

THE BOYZ’s new release Maverick is available to stream on Spotify, and the music video for the title track is included above!