The Korea Herald

지나쌤

The Boyz returns as fallen angels for 8th mini album "Be Awake"

By Hong Yoo

Published : Feb. 21, 2023 - 14:40

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The Boyz poses for a group photo during the showcase of its eighth mini album. The Boyz poses for a group photo during the showcase of its eighth mini album.

The Boyz unveiled their eighth mini album, “Be Awake,” on Monday during a media showcase in Seoul.

The full-unit return comes six months after the group released its seventh mini album “Be Aware.”

Eric is back with the group after a year of hiatus that he had taken due to health issues.

The new album “Be Awake” tells the story of boys that fight for love after realizing they have fallen in love.

The Boyz transformed into fallen angels, showing their dark instinctive sides for the six-track album.

The titular track of the album is “Roar," an R&B pop dance genre with a whistling sound which is the signature sound in this track, heavy drums and a strong bass sound.

Sidetracks include “Awake” which describes the moment when the feeling of desire is evoked; “Blah Blah," a pop song with a groovy medium tempo; “Savior,” based on a rhythmical synth bass; British folk-rock style song “Horizon"; and “Diamond Life” that portrays the moment when one finally meets the love of their life.

Global hitmakers such as Kenzie, Deez, and Saay took part in producing the album.

Some of the act’s members including Jacob, Kevin, Q, Sunwoo and Eric took part in writing the lyrics, adding the group’s unique color to the album.

“This is our eighth mini album already but we are still excited and nervous about new drops. We prepared a lot to show the best of us to the B,” Hyunjae said during the media showcase, referring to the group's fandom.

Younghoon explained how the boy's story from "Be Aware" has evolved in the latest release.

“In the last one, we described a boy that realizes what love is and in this one ('Be Awake'), we show a boy that breaks taboo and fights to win love,” he said.

When asked about their music videos, New said the "Road" music video took the longest to shoot and a lot of resources had gone into it.

“What I remember the most from the shoot is the last scene where we all got soaked in the rain,” New said.

This year marks the sixth year since the Boyz debuted. The group not only wants to top the music charts but also get to show more of themselves to the fans through diverse content.

“It’s been over five years and until now we have only looked forward. We still want to grow as better artists as a team. Please continue to support us,” said Sangyeon.