When the K-pop group TRI.BE debuted at the tail end of February 2021 with TRI.BE Da Loca, they garnered mass attention for administering their own impactful take on pop productions.

With the lead single “DOOM DOOM TA” TRI.BE executed an idealistic launch single, with captivating dance beats and a balanced selection of the quadrilingual group’s vocal talents. Their second track on the EP, “LOCA” presented an equal energy level and promptly proved their sheer rookie force as a seven-member collective.

Now, just two months after their debut, TRI.BE has returned for their second comeback to offer a more meticulous sound that feels rooted in genres essentially removed from K-pop. Embracing a strong instrumental dancehall presence and dazzling production choices, the group’s second single “RUB-A-DUM” is by far the strongest of their four-song selection already – marking a fantastic depiction of what the group is capable of. 

Such exponential growth from a group that came out swinging is enough to show that TRI.BE is on a rapid evolutionary path, with plenty of wiggle room. The group’s B-side track on CONMIGO “LORO” sprinkles in a synthy production that finds time to strip away elements for some prominent vocal standout moments – showing how dynamic they can be to a growing fanbase.  

The group has really put tremendous effort into their current discography, making sure not to double back and repeat the success of their debut single. That risk for a rookie group can be concerning, as fans aren’t always the quickest to take in new risky choices by fresh talent – but TRI.BE’s followthrough shows belief in each other, and trust from their label about getting the chance to explore non-traditional options and put their passion to the test. Having worked with esteemed producers S.Tiger (IU, EXID, MOMOLAND) and EXID’s own ELLY (who also contributed lyrics) TRI.BE has had all of the stars aligned to convey their enormous potential.

With their new music video for the single “RUB-A-DUM” out now, the group has brought full-fledged entertainment to the table as an ambitious expansion of their art. The group’s choreography and vibrant visuals create an uncanny pop of color for the already radiant track, with transitions between unique architectural settings, to embracing the enchanting Jeju island backdrop that accompanies the dance track. 

Everything we’ve seen from TRI.BE thus far has only formed an image for the artists as committed, respectful, and full of endless talent – so we took the opportunity to speak with TRI.BE about topics ranging from their flair for music, and stories behind how CONMIGO came to fruition.

I’m so excited you’re back with CONMIGO, and it’s such a starkly different style from your debut! Can you talk about some of your ideas coming into this second project?

SongSun: We focused a lot on our performances while we prepared for this comeback. We honestly didn’t have a lot of time to prepare because we had about two months for this comeback but I’m happy how our choreography and performances ended up coming out so well! I remember that there were weeks when we practiced for 5 days straight with barely any sleep. We also participated in the album components discussions because we wanted to give our fans as many things as possible. It was a great experience being able to think from our fans’ perspective and we managed to get a lot of photos for our fans too!

Kelly: [CONMIGO] is a lot brighter than our debut album [TRI.BE Da Loca]. We tried to put a lot of emphasis on making the overall feeling lighter and fresher, considering that summer is coming up. Also, our choreography has a lot of small details that we had to go over and over again numerous times before we could perfect them.

JinHa: If our debut song “DOOM DOOM TA” was a bit heavy, our comeback title track “RUB-A-DUM” is definitely lighter and fresher. For CONMIGO, we had the opportunity to participate in new experiences: we visited the album printing factory to pack a few of the albums ourselves and also got together with the staff to talk about what we should add to the physical album’s components. I think we were able to take a step closer to our fans by actually thinking about what would make them happy!

HyunBin: I think the main idea we kept in mind while preparing for this comeback was ‘What would make people feel happier?’ That’s why we tried to make “RUB-A-DUM” sound more uplifting by focusing on making our voices sound more cheerful and energetic. We also tried to come up with some simple choreography so people could also dance along with us!

Jia: Some interesting information about CONMIGO is that for both “RUB-A-DUM” and “LORO”, all 7 members participated in drafting the choreography! Although we didn’t make the choreography from start to finish, we worked with our choreography instructor together to finalize the dance sequences for both tracks.

SoEun: First thank you so much for enjoying [CONMIGO]! Due to the short amount of time we had, we all put in extra effort and focus while preparing for this comeback. I was honestly a bit worried at first that we wouldn’t be able to perfect our performances before our comeback, but turns out with extra concentration and practice, you can still polish things within a short amount of time!

MiRe: Our “RUB-A-DUM” choreography was actually finalized on the day before our music video shoot. That’s how tight on schedule we were but we made sure to get everything right from details to formation angles. We’ll try our best to show you the fruits of our efforts and I hope you enjoy our performances!

As I mentioned, CONMIGO pulls from a few different sounds, and it’s very different from current trends in K-pop, so I respect such a bold commitment! Did any part of this comeback bring you out of your comfort zones?

SongSun: We really wanted to show you TRI.BE’s unique colors through CONMIGO and I was excited when I first heard the demos for the two tracks because they represented our colors so well! Also, a big change I personally went through was my hair; I had to bleach my hair 5 times!

Kelly: I think CONMIGO is unique because even though the concept is a refreshing one, the music genre classifies as dancehall. Personally, practicing for the choreography and songs of CONGMIGO was difficult because I had never tried this genre before; everything was a new challenge and I hope I made it through!

JinHa: For the first time ever since our debut, I changed my hairstyle for CONMIGO this time! Also, I had to practice a lot for my vocal part a lot because it had more high notes than before.

HyunBin: I remember having to practice my rap part a lot – I needed to focus on getting the smallest details right for the overall mood and it was a style I hadn’t tried before. Honestly, I was a little worried if I could nail the feeling but everyone helped me during the process and I’m happy with how it came out!

Jia: Yes! I think everything from the tracks themselves to the choreography was a new challenge for us! My singing parts and dance moves were also quite different so it was a very interesting experience learning everything for this comeback!

SoEun: Because this comeback revolves around the Dancehall genre and it was my first time trying it out, I was a little confused in the beginning about how I should understand the genre. Our members got together a lot to practice and discuss about the concepts & genre!

MiRe: This was my first time trying rhythm rap and I had quite a difficult time getting used to my part in the beginning. Throughout the recording process, [producer and former EXID member] ELLY gave me a lot of pinpoint advice on the details and helped me have fun and enjoy!

The lead single “RUB-A-DUM” has an addictive quality within seconds of starting, and might just be my favorite TRI.BE song so far! What would you say was the most rewarding aspect of working on this track? It’s such an elaborate production!

SongSun: Wow, thank you so much for enjoying “RUB-A-DUM!” I’m very happy that our overall performance for this comeback came out well – being able to see the ‘final product’ of our efforts was very rewarding and we’re always trying our best to polish it even more.

Kelly: Personally, my most memorable moment was when I finished recording my parts. Our producer S.Tiger complimented me about how quickly I picked up the wanted feeling of my parts.

JinHa: I feel proud of myself whenever I get my part in “RUB-A-DUM” to come out well on stage! I need to sing in a higher tone than normal and whenever my vocal cords manage to pull it off (laughs) it makes me feel great! Also, it’s very rewarding to finish our performances on music stages and watch them together afterwards.

HyunBin: I think for me, it’s whenever we receive compliments from our producers and instructors for our singing and dancing; it’s a moment that makes me feel proud of my efforts!

Jia: Similarly, it was rewarding whenever I was complimented during our vocal recordings – I spent a lot of time practicing for my parts to get the right tone so these kinds of compliments always make me feel better!

SoEun: I have a specific moment when I was super happy: in “RUB-A-DUM”, we have to roll our tongue to pronounce the “rr” sound for the chorus and I cannot even remember the number of times I tried to get that sound right! I do remember though, when I finally got the correct “rr” sound to come out, everyone in the studio including myself screamed!

MiRe: There was a day when I heard that both my vocals and dancing had improved during our comeback preparation. I think that’s what I remember the most and kept me motivated to continue practicing and practicing!

With “LORO” you expand on that established sound from “RUB-A-DUM,” but it’s paced a little slower until we get a perfect dance break in the chorus! Now that you’ve displayed a few different approaches to music, what type of genres are you usually drawn to from a listener’s perspective?

SongSun: I enjoy listening to pop R&B because it also helps with my vocal practice!

Kelly: I personally don’t have a specific genre I prefer because I actually enjoy listening to all kinds of songs! I’d love to try out different genres in the future too!

JinHa: I think “LORO” is a song that gave us the opportunity to try out a different genre and it’s a great experience. I do like “LORO” but my personal taste is closer to “RUB-A-DUM” because I enjoy listening to music that has a refreshing and bright vibe!

HyunBin: I love listening to dance songs and hip hop because I always like to feel energetic both in the day and at night!

Jia: I love all genres but dance songs when I’m excited and ballads before I sleep!

SoEun: Just like JinHa, I also like listening to bright and exciting songs like “RUB-A-DUM!” 

MiRe: I enjoy listening to music that’s hip and cool! It makes me feel hip and cool as well!

You’ve only been together for a few months and you’re now dropping your second EP which is quite an amazing feat! What would you say has changed the most about TRI.BE in-between EPs?

SongSun: I think we definitely feel a lot less anxious as compared to before. We still have a lot to improve on but we’re able to keep ourselves motivated based on the experience of our first release [TRI.BE Da Loca]!

Kelly: Probably vocals! Including myself, I think everyone’s vocals have improved since we’re always practicing and we’ll continue to do so as well!

JinHa: I think the biggest difference is that we’re enjoying our stages a lot more than before. Back when we had just debuted, everything from the cameras to the stages was new to us so we were a bit more tense and nervous but now I can see all of us having more fun when performing!

HyunBin: If I were to express our concepts in colors, I think our debut concept can be seen as the color black while our comeback is yellow! Likewise, TRI.BE has become a lot more colorful and brighter this time!

Jia: I think there are indeed a lot of differences! I feel like all of our vocals have improved and our choreography styles changed too!

SoEun: Even though we had a short amount of time to prepare for this comeback, we’ve always been trying to improve our skills and performances. I guess the fact that we’ve been constantly improving makes us a different TRI.BE every day!

MiRe: Other than skills, I think visually we’ve changed the most! Most of our members have completely different looks this time and TRI.BE’s concept is fresher and brighter than for “DOOM DOOM TA”!

There are so many artists that have debuted in the last year, so I can imagine there have been different conversations about remaining as authentic as possible for your group’s journey. Now that you’ve had an opportunity to expand your experiences, how would you describe TRI.BE to someone who is just discovering your music/artistry?

SongSun: I want to tell people who don’t know TRI.BE yet that whenever you feel down, TRI.BE will always cheer you up and make you feel better! We’re a ‘vitamin’ group!

Kelly: TRI.BE specializes in powerful performances on stage but is very friendly and funny off-stage so please check out our various content! I’m sure you will also be able to laugh and have fun with us!

JinHa: TRI.BE is a group that doesn’t set any limits on challenges and tries their best on anything they do! Although we’re a very young group, all of our members try to spread the positive message of confidence and want to become an idol group that has unlimited potential!

HyunBin: I’d like to define ourselves as a limitless group! TRI.BE will continue to try out various types of performances, vocals, choreography, and concepts so please look forward to our journey!

Jia: I want to say that TRI.BE is very young but fierce and confident when performing on stage!

SoEun: We’ll keep practicing and practicing until we become perfect! I’m sure you will also enjoy watching us grow and improve as well as our charismatic on-stage performances and our funny off-stage personalities!

MiRe: I want to explain TRI.BE as a group that is very well synchronized when it comes to performances. We’re a rookie group that doesn’t seem like rookies!

You also have a new music video you filmed for “RUB-A-DUM”, how did that process compare to your first on-set music video for “DOOM DOOM TA”?

SongSun: If “DOOM DOOM TA” was more powerful and embodied our “girl swag” concept more, “RUB-A-DUM” is more vibrant and refreshing overall!

Kelly: We shot everything for “DOOM DOOM TA” in an indoor set but this time for “RUB-A-DUM” we flew to Jeju island to film!

JinHa: I think the biggest difference is that we had some outdoor scenes in “RUB-A-DUM”! Also, there’s less CG this time so I would say the “RUB-A-DUM” MV is more ‘real’ as compared to the “DOOM DOOM TA” MV!

HyunBin: It was our first time shooting outdoors and I remember having a lot more fun because we were running around and playing with each other for many of the scenes!

Jia: I think other than the fact we filmed at Jeju Island, I feel like we were a lot less nervous this time. Since we’ve already experienced what it’s like to shoot for music videos through “DOOM DOOM TA”, I think everybody was significantly more comfortable with the cameras and environment!

SoEun: Same for me! I could tell that even for myself, being in front of cameras was easier this time for “RUB-A-DUM”. Honestly speaking I was very nervous back when we shot for “DOOM DOOM TA” but I had a lot of fun when shooting for this one!

MiRe: I think everything went smoother than before; we were more experienced this time and less nervous than our “DOOM DOOM TA” MV so I’m very happy with how our “RUB-A-DUM” MV came out!

I can tell that you all have such a respect for music, so I can’t help but wonder who are artists that you would say creatively challenged you to expand your craft?

SongSun: For me, Beyoncé! I’m sure she’s everyone’s role model and everyone looks up to her unbelievable talent and amount of effort! I like to watch her performances and study how to become a better vocalist.

Kelly: BLACKPINK and Ariana Grande for me. Both of them are amazing on stage and know what they can do well. Their confidence is something I would love to learn from!

JinHa: Personally, I’m a fan of ATEEZ! It’s great to watch them have so much fun on stage while keeping everything perfect; they’re artists that make me want to practice more and become better.

HyunBin: I think I’ve always been influenced by BoA. I think she’s an all-rounded artist who can both sing and dance amazingly, and I would love to be able to do everything well too!

Jia: SHINee for me! They were my introduction to K-Pop and I’ve always admired them ever since. I think K-Pop idols shine the brightest when they are enjoying their stages and SHINee is well known for that – I want to become like them!

SoEun: I’m actually a super big fan of Ariana Grande! I think a lot of her songs give off a positive message and that usually makes me feel better whenever I feel a bit down. I also want to become a person who radiates positive vibes. I love you Ariana!

MiRe: I’ve been influenced by BLACKPINK a lot. Their charismatic stage presence is definitely something I want to learn as well!

If you were each going to pick a member who has grown the most from the time you debuted to now, who would you choose?

SongSun: I would pick Kelly. She used to be very shy but now she’s gained a lot of confidence, is powerful on stage and her Korean has improved so much!

Kelly: Honestly, I’d have to say that all seven members have grown so much. Even as a group, TRI.BE has been constantly improving!

JinHa: I would also pick Kelly! When we first met each other, I remember her being very shy and hesitant to communicate because her Korean wasn’t as fluent. Now, she’s become so much more active, gained a lot of confidence and her Korean is much better! I’m happy to see her seem more comfortable now.

HyunBin: My pick would be SoEun. Her dancing has improved a lot and I’ve been noticing that she’s enjoying the stage more nowadays!

Jia: I think Kelly! I think just overall, including her singing, dancing, and Korean, she’s improved so much!

SoEun: I also think Kelly! I was worried for her before our debut because she didn’t seem very comfortable with Korean and I could see her wanting to improve her dancing as well but I think we’re all seeing the fruits of her hard efforts now; her Korean has improved so much and I’m just happy that she feels comfortable with the language overall! Love you Kelly!  

MiRe: I would pick Kelly! Her Korean has improved a lot and her overall performance skills have gotten so much better!

Fans are thrilled to see every snippet of TRI.BE content that they have access to, and I can only imagine that connection to your supporters is something that’s still evolving as well! Has there been one fan encounter or moment for any of you that currently holds a special place in your heart?

SongSun: So far, we’ve only been able to do online fan meetings and I remember a fan who danced our choreography during our video call! Our fans always keep us motivated and energized!

Kelly: I think every online fan meeting we’ve done until now remains with me. I’m always thankful to our fans who haven’t even been able to see us in person yet but continue to support us and I can’t wait to meet our TRUE soon!

JinHa: For me, our first online fan meeting for our comeback [CONMIGO] is probably my favorite one so far. I got to meet our old fans who participated back when we debuted as well as new fans; it was great to see both new and familiar faces because it really motivated me to work harder and give back the love that our fans are giving us. Love you TRUE!

HyunBin: At our last online fan meeting back for “DOOM DOOM TA”, our fans that participated then told us “We’re happy to know TRI.BE and you really make us happy – thank you for debuting!” I remember being a bit overwhelmed during our video call when I heard this and I probably won’t ever be able to forget that moment and those words.

Jia: I love every single one of our TRUEs! If I were to choose one moment, it would be when a fan told me during an online fan meeting: “It must be difficult not being able to see your family for so long but thank you for debuting, you’re doing a great job!” I was tearing up and almost cried during the video call but I’m genuinely thankful to have such supportive fans!

SoEun: I also remember a fan that told me “SoEun, you’re doing great right now so don’t worry, I’ll always be on your side” and I ended up crying during the online fan meeting. I’m always touched at how caring and loving our fans are… everything that we’re able to do right now is thanks to our fans and I sincerely love them too!

MiRe: We had an online fan meeting on my birthday, which was about a month after our debut, and there were fans that had a birthday cake ready for our video call! I was really surprised and I’ll probably remember that moment forever!

Check out the music video for “RUB-A-DUM” above, and stream CONMIGO now!