BTOB wants to make music that heals

By Park Sojung SEOUL, March 29 (Yonhap) -- What is it that makes BTOB's music as sweet as a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter night? The boy band, which released two ballad tracks "It's Okay" and "On Way Home" last year, is back with its eighth EP album "Remember That," the title song that completes the ballad trilogy. "Three ballad songs in a row could be risky, but on a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being our maximum potential, I'd say we've only revealed 1 so far," Sungjae said of the album during an interview with a group of media representatives in southern Seoul on Monday. The seven-track album opened on top of music charts at midnight Sunday. "We have so much more in us, and in order to reach a wide range of listeners, we'll explore all genres -- ballad, dance and hip-hop." "Remember That" is a track with a sunny melody that belies the wistful narrator yearning for lost love in the springtime. Like Sungjae, the rest of the group acknowledged that a third ballad could run the risk of boring listeners. But the band had decided to rely on gut instinct, not the pressure of having to constantly contradict itself in song selection, as is often expected in the trade. "We don't let the genre dictate us. We only put out music that best represents us at a given moment, so we didn't necessarily consider the fact that it's our third ballad," Ilhoon said. Contrary to its two predecessors, which contain relentlessly cheerful messages, "Remember That" is more nostalgic and bittersweet, BTOB said. "While our previous songs are about life, 'Remember That' is more about love and thinking back on past love," Hyunsik said. The message of hope, however, remains, Ilhoon said, adding he hopes listeners are able to find comfort in the latest ballad. "I was reading comments on our album, and there was actually one commenter who said she'd been able to move on from a painful breakup by listening to this song," he said. Asked about their most memorable moments from spring -- the Korean title of the song literally means "Memories from Spring" -- the group was quick to recall their fans. "We've always released songs in the spring. If we'd taken breaks this time of year, we wouldn't have as many memorable moments. It's meaningful to have constantly formed new memories with our fans," Minhyuk said. The band also celebrated its fourth debut anniversary last week. Although four years may be considered a long time, BTOB says it still considers itself a rookie group. "We're still going through a musical adolescence of sorts and experiencing growing pains," Sungjae said. "Every time we release an album, I feel like we're back to square one," Ilhoon said. "The only difference is that more people recognize us and like our music than before." Looking forward, the band says it will focus on domestic activities before tending to its fans in Japan and China. "We want to become a band trusted for its music," Changsub said. Eunkwang echoed the view, saying he wants to create albums whose every track is listened to. They also vowed to come back with more surprises. "Music that heals is good, but we'll make sure to try music that attacks, too, in the future," Ilhoon said. sojungpark@yna.co.kr (END)