Following their journey on the survival show ‘Universe League,’ AHOF burst onto the scene with their debut project, ‘WHO WE ARE.’
‘WHO WE ARE’ marks AHOF’s first mini-album, and it captures the members’ feelings, from uncertainty to the excitement of finally debuting and meeting their fans. It features six tracks: “The Little Star,” “The Universe,” “Rendezvous,” “Incompleted,” “Cosmic Underdog,” and “AHOF.”
Through their music, starting with this album, the nine-member boy group (Steven, Jeongwoo, Woongki, Shuaibo, Han, JL, Juwon, Chihen, and Daisuke) hopes to “touch people’s hearts.”
To commemorate AHOF’s anticipated debut, allkpop chatted with the members to talk about ‘WHO WE ARE’ and their ultimate goals.
Check out the full exclusive interview below!
allkpop: Introduce yourselves individually, and tell us a TMI!
Steven: Hello, I am Steven of AHOF! And my TMI is that I haven't been going to the gym lately because of busy schedules.
Jeongwoo: Hello, I am Jeongwoo of AHOF! Today’s TMI is that I ate madeleine, and it was so good.
Woongki: Hi, I am Woongki from AHOF! My TMI is that I am following allkpop. I'm your follower!
Shuaibo: Hello, I am AHOF’s Shuaibo! Today’s TMI is that I am pretty today.
Han: Hello, I am Park Han of AHOF. My TMI is that these days I am into strawberry banana juice.
JL: Hello, I am AHOF’s JL! My TMI is that I have more than 50 ringer shirts.
Juwon: Hello, I am Juwon from AHOF! Today’s TMI is that I ate two rolls of kimbap for breakfast.
Chihen: Hello everyone, I am Chihen of AHOF. And today’s TMI is that I want to be the MC of allkpop.
Daisuke: Hello, I am the maknae Daisuke! My TMI is that I use my phone or move around while waiting for someone.
allkpop: It’s been around 5 months since ‘Universe League’ ended. Could you tell us what happened in those 5 months? What preparations did you make?
Woongki: We trained a lot, individually and together. We practiced a lot and trained a lot. We also studied each other’s languages and…
Chihen: Some cultures.
Woongki: …Talked a lot, slept a lot, ate a lot.
Shuaibo: We were preparing hard for our debut!
allkpop: Now that you’re making your debut, what do you anticipate experiencing as an idol? What are you most excited about?
Han: I love to show myself to people, so I want to stand on every stage. That’s the most exciting thing.
Daisuke: I want to be on the stage and do many performances.
allkpop: AHOF just debuted but you already have lots of fans around the world. What’s your reaction to that? Were there any particular fan comments or reactions that stood out to you?
Jeongwoo: I remember the people who said that they gained the courage to challenge something because of me. They also said that they were waiting for me even though my debut preparation took a long time.
Chihen: I’m very happy. I’m keeping all the gifts and letters that fans send me. I’m so touched.
allkpop: The album captured your anxiety and fear about your dreams, which is normal among idols and people pursuing their dreams in general. What kind of mindset do you have or are you working on to kind of put that fear away?
Woongki: I just had a hard time because I try to act like I am not hurt, that I'm doing well. So, my solution is, just don’t try to act like you are fine. Just let time go by.
JL: For me, if you’re having a hard time and if you want to cry, I think it's just okay to cry. Because I think people tend to see crying as a weakness, but for me, it’s a solution. It's a way to validate your feelings. And if you cry, [it] doesn't mean you’re weak. It's right to acknowledge what you feel. Just cry, and then continue.
allkpop: Tell us more about your first mini-album ‘WHO WE ARE.’ What’s the message you want to convey to the listeners?
Steven: We want to give people the confidence that “It’s okay to be me.” It conveys the meaning that even if you’re not perfect, you’re valuable.
allkpop: Which track is your personal favorite, and why?
Steven: I like “Incompleted.” The lyrics are touchy.
Jeongwoo: The title song and “The Universe.” The title song is so good and the B-side track is the song that I like and prefer.
Woongki: My pick is “The Little Star.” Because the intro and the lyrics are so good! Because the intro is my part and it has my voice. You can feel my voice.
Shuaibo: I say the title track.
Han: I like “Incompleted” because I like the aura that the song gives.
JL: I think for me, it’s the title track because when performing it, the song gives off AHOF vibes. We can perform it really well and naturally.
Juwon: For me, it’s “Cosmic Underdog.” Just by listening you will enjoy it and it will make you smile.
Chihen: For me, my favorite song is our title. The lyrics are good and the melody is great too. But the biggest reason is the beginning and the ending are my parts, so it’s my favorite song.
Daisuke: For me, the title track too! Because AHOF can express the song so well!
allkpop: The title of the album is ‘WHO WE ARE,’ and you’re still in the midst of finding your true colors as an artist. But what are your ultimate goals as AHOF? And where do you envision yourselves 5 years from now?
Steven: AHOF’s goal is to be successful together in five years and to remain in the group as before.
Jeongwoo: First of all, win the rookie award. If we can win the grand prize as well, that would be best!
Woongki: My goal as a group is [to] be in AHOF for a long time. Five years later, 10 years later, 15 years later.
JL: 99 years later.
Woongki: 999999 years later.
Steven: 200 years later.
Shuaibo: I want many people to recognize us.
Han: Actually, I want to be the best in everything. But that’s too greedy. I want to be in first place on the music chart. It would be so amazing that I think I will just look at the music chart all day. Also, I want our group to become famous so that everyone in the world knows us.
JL: For me, since they all said what I wanted to say too… I want to touch people’s hearts through our music and change some of their perspectives, their lives by listening to our music. Because I think if we did that, it’s a very big achievement not only for me but for AHOF as well.
Woongki: I think we can do it for this album.
Chihen: My goal is I want to do a world tour with my members.
Instagram: @ahof_official
X: @AHOF_official/ @AHOF_JPofficial (Japan)
Facebook: @AHOF.Official
TikTok: @ahof_official
YouTube: @ahof_official
Weverse: AHOF
SEE ALSO: AHOF apologizes after drawing criticism for filming content during KBO game
SEE ALSO: AHOF pre-releases ‘Sugar High’ ahead of comeback, set for first-ever performance on ‘Music Bank’
SEE ALSO: AHOF teases bold new era with pre-release single ‘Sugar High’
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