Since debuting in 2023, BOYNEXTDOOR have developed a signature sound, with music that’s full of energy and fun wordplay — and while they flow across genres, they’ve stayed close to their core themes of youth, building on a sound that is true to the members, Sungho, Riwoo, Jaehyun, Taesan, Leehan, and Woonhak. Part of this is surely due to the fact that the members have a big hand in producing their own music and choreography. Jaehyun, Taesan, and Woonhak have contributed to most of the songs BOYNEXTDOOR has released, including their new EP, 19.99, out now. If their image suggests something like the typical, average boys next door, their music is much more varied, expressing both the highs and lows of youth.
BOYNEXTDOOR is notably the first group to debut under KOZ Entertainment, a label formed by the Korean rapper Zico in 2019, and acquired by the major industry force HYBE the following summer. Zico, now 31, has been in the music business for about 15 years himself, and was notably the leader of K-pop boy group Block B; he’s also had a successful solo career. His hit “Any Song” was one of the first TikTok “Dance Challenges” in K-pop to gain traction and virality (almost every K-pop release now is accompanied by a short-form dance challenge as a standard), and his latest solo release, “Spot!,” came out this past April, featuring Blackpink’s Jennie.
19.99 is BOYNEXTDOOR’s third EP, and while the name may not click at first glance, the “.99” is meant to express that they are at the brink of turning 20. The members play with relatable themes drawn from everyday life that feel like canon events. The Korean name for pre-release single “Dangerous” directly translates to “Restricted to Parents,” and the video shows the members trying to sneak out at night without getting caught; “Gonna Be a Rock” walks through experiencing heartache and wanting to become a rock to shatter their a partner’s window, just as their hearts were shattered. The members have developed a playful relationship with one another and have a sincere attitude towards the messages they put out.
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Sungho, Riwoo, Jaehyun, Taesan, Leehan, and Woonhak met with Rolling Stone a week before the release to talk about the production process behind 19.99, how they overcome writer’s block, and the importance of dreaming big.
It’s clear from the content you’ve put out that you’re all pretty comfortable with each other. How did you become so close?
Woonhak: I think we blended together one by one.
Sungho: In my opinion, we actually became a lot closer after debuting, compared to when we were spending time as trainees. There’s a lot more that we learned about each other after debut, like deeper, inner thoughts — of course we were close when we were training, but going through more challenges together after debut really brought us together.
Your group is known for having a big hand in producing music — now that this is your third EP, in which ways was the production process different compared to when you were working on EPs WHY.. or HOW?
Jaehyun: I think the members have become more relaxed in a lot of different ways. When preparing WHO!, WHY.., and HOW?, rather than being easygoing, I think we were hyper-focused on wanting to do a good job. But with 19.99, especially since it’s rooted in our own stories, I think we were able to share our emotions and stories more.
Looking within your group, who has grown the most in the process?
Riwoo: I think it’s Woonhak. He was just a high schooler, but he’s turning 20 soon. Not just his age, but his mentality has matured a lot.
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Woonhak: When I first met everyone, I was in my second year of middle school. [Laughs.] I had short hair back then. It was like 2 millimeters long. Now my hair has gotten longer and I’ve gotten taller since then.
Leehan: He grew in a lot of different ways.
From all the songs you’ve put out, including the new ones in this album, what would you say is your favorite? If I had to choose, I really like “Gonna Be a Rock” and “So let’s go see the stars.”
Sungho: What about “Nice Guy”? [Laughs.]
I like that one too!
Leehan: I like “l i f e i s c o o l.” Because I have a part in the outro. So it’s my favorite.
Sungho: You have lines in every song. [Laughs.]
Woonhak: He has a part in the outro that he really brought to life.
Jaehyun: Personally, there’s a song called “20” in 19.99 that is my favorite. When I listen to that song, I relate to the lyrics and feel uplifted by them.
Sungho: I have a lot, but I really like “But Sometimes” as well as “Nice Guy,” and “Gonna Be a Rock” off the new EP, and “So let’s go see the stars.” “But Sometimes” showed a very different side of ours from the songs that came before — I remember having a lot of fun with that, which makes it special to me. And for the other three, I really like them from a musicality standpoint, so I think they became my favorites.
Riwoo: I like “400 Years.”
Sungho: Our fan song [with lyrics directly addressing the fanbase].
Riwoo: It just makes me feel like I’m with ONEDOOR, our fans, so I like it most.
Woonhak: I like “Nice Guy” and “Serenade.” I like “Nice Guy” because it’s the song that has the most of my lyrics in it [laughs]. And for “Serenade,” it’s just a fun one to sing.
Taesan: It’s hard for me to choose, but for today, I like “So let’s go see the stars.” I really like how the second verse turned out.
I’m curious to hear about how the concept of 19.99 came to be. It’s an interesting way of expressing the moments right before your twenties.
Woonhak: It came quite literally as a number between 19 and 20 to express feelings of uncertainty that can come before becoming an adult. I think it can become an album that is for those who are in that uncertain moment before turning 20, or on the other hand, for those who have already experienced these feelings. Or even for those who are about to enter this stage in life.
Where did you find yourself getting inspiration from when preparing this time around? Any moments in particular that you recall?
Jaehyun: For this EP, in contrast to our other works, where I think we tried to get inspired from a lot of different places, this time, we tried to each give more of ourselves ‚ trying to find the correct words and messages within ourselves, which I think makes it a really honest and raw EP.
To that point, any lyrics from these new songs are your favorites or are you most proud of?
Woonhak: I can kick it off. In the intro of “Nice Guy,” I like the lyrics “Don’t be such a wuss/Seoul is mine tonight.” When I sing that, it makes me feel like I’ve become something [Smiles.] It makes me feel confident.
Riwoo: “I never cross the line, trust me” from “Dangerous.” Because I truly never cross the line [Laughs.] How do I say this… I consider myself to focus on having self-control. So I think it’s a line that really matches me.
Sungho: For me, in the chorus of “Gonna Be a Rock,” [sings] “Oh, I’m gonna be a rock/and break your window now” — I like that part. To say “The way you broke my heart, I’m going to become a rock and break yours,” but also to have the idea of “I don’t want to feel anything anymore” like a rock. There’s a lot of metaphors, and they’re such witty lyrics, so I like them.
Jaehyun: “The playground was way huge back then / Looking back, it wasn’t much,” from “20.” I really like that lyric. It’s a feeling I felt, and it’s my story that I know.
Taesan: I like the lyrics “A child that thought a gold medal was easy” in “20.”
Leehan: In “Nice Guy,” there’s a part of Riwoo’s — or a part where we’re all singing during his part — [sings] “Oh, oh, ah, ah…” Because we’re all singing it loudly together, even though they are simple lyrics, you can feel our happiness
I also wanted to ask about the narrated skit that you have in the middle of the EP. How did you come to the decision of adding that in?
Woonhak: I actually told the producers and begged them about wanting to have one, but turns out the producers were already planning for one on their end too! I noticed that a lot of artists have tracks like this and thought it would be cool if we had one as well. So I told them I really wanted to have one. And producer came to us with a beat and we went into the recording studio and ad-libbed the narrations over it.
Is there a specific skit that inspired you?
Woonhak: Rather than it coming from a specific one, I really like hip-hop, and hip-hop albums often have a skit inserted in them. From seeing those, I thought it would be fun to have one in our album as well.
Aside from the skit, what else was new to you or challenging while working on 19.99?
Sungho: I feel like this, out of all of our releases, is the album that has the most of our true stories in it. In a way, we are directly telling our stories and producing them, so it was a new challenge in that way. And the performance aspect of “Nice Guy” is one that requires our all, so with each member, it was a bit of a challenge.
Leehan: Going back to the part of the song where we’re all singing together – we haven’t done something like that before for a performance. I’m looking forward to us to being able to have a moment where we’re all jumping and singing.
For 19.99, three sets of concept photo shoots have been revealed — Nice, Dangerous, and Twenty. Which of the three shoots is your favorite, and which member do you think stands out in them?
Jaehyun: That’s a hard one. I personally like the Dangerous version. As for which member…
Woonhak: Sungho looked sexy in that one.
[Sungho laughs.]
Leehan: You’re right. It was the first time he did a shoot with his brown hair. The outfits and everything, it was really good. It had a really pretty vibe.
Sungho: Thank you.
Do you agree?
Sungho: Me? [Laughs.] Honestly, when we first tried out the concept, I was really worried, but once we filmed the music videos and took photos, they turned out better than I was expecting. I thought they would look awkward, but they looked really natural. I was relieved. My favorite version of the three is actually the Twenty version, though. From when we took the photos, we pulled together our real worries and fears from our youth to put into the pictures. I think that made it really meaningful, and looking to see how each of these came together as metaphors in the photos, along with slight differences in our tastes and personalities — it added a layer of depth to the shoot.
So do any of you like the Nice version most?
Leehan: [Raises hand.] I like it. I’m not sure why, but I noticed there were more close-up shots of us in that version. I think the members’ visuals were captured well.
Choosing between the pre-release single “Dangerous” and your lead single “Nice Guy,” which team are you on?
Sungho: Which team are you?
Jaehyun: “Nice Guy.”
Sungho: “Nice Guy” for me too.
Leehan: Me too.
Taesan: Me too.
Riwoo: “Nice Guy” for me too.
Woonhak: Me too.
Riwoo: It makes sense that it’s the lead track. [Claps.]
Sungho: “Nice Guy” just puts you in a good mood. “Dangerous” is more… How do I say this… It’s good for when you want to feel more confident. If “Dangerous” is a song that makes you want to walk with confidence, “Nice Guy” is good to listen to in a wider range of moods.
I really like the beat in the beginning of “Dangerous.” Like as soon as it starts playing.
Leehan: Oh, me too. When I first heard just the instrumental, I thought it was so unique and interesting. I thought it would be a fun one to dance to, too.
Do you have any fun stories from production you can share? Whether it’s a fun story while practicing or something that came from working with Zico.
Jaehyun: We practice choreography a lot. I remember I just really didn’t want to practice one day. But we were all together practicing and dancing, and it was actually so fun, reminding me of our trainee days.. I also remember in the writing process, I was one of the members that hit a writer’s block. I couldn’t think of what to write, or how to put my emotions into words, and was thinking, “Would people be able to relate to these words?” The producer told me, “You’re not able to write because you have too much on your mind.” So after clearing my mind a bit, I was able to write more.
What steps do you take to clear your head?
Jaehyun: When you have writer’s block, nothing really comes to mind. The topic, what to write, and to be honest, there are even times where I just don’t want to do it. But I think it’s important to not give up at those times. I just keep trying to think… or I’ll read a book… It won’t help, but you just have to endure until something comes to mind.
Is there any advice Zico has given you for times like that?
Jaehyun: For this album, rather than advice or direction on the musical aspects, he provided more guidance on the topics and overall themes and branding of the album. He talked to us a lot about how he’d like us to portray ourselves, what stories to tell, things like that. Because he experienced what we’re going through in the K-pop industry, and is one of the many artists that helped make K-pop so loved as it is now, he knows so well what concerns or hardships we may have, or in which moments we may feel discouraged. He tells me things like “As leader, you have to do X, Y, and Z for your members.” It makes me think “Wow, without me having to tell him, he already knows how I’m feeling.”
Who are some other artists who make their own music that you’d want to work with in the future?
Jaehyun: I personally, these days I really like BigNaughty, and G-Dragon, those are two I dream of working with.
Woonhak: I’d love to work with Lee Young-Ji, who recently did a special performance with Jaehyun.
Sungho: If I had the opportunity to, Pharrell Williams. It doesn’t even necessarily have to be for a song, because he’s so multifaceted. Collaborating with him would really be a dream come true.
Are you thinking something like fashion?
Sungho: It could be that path, or even in the arts, or in a video, since he doesn’t have boundaries as to what he can create. I would love to keep myself open to all possibilities and would love to work with him. It would be so fun. And I feel like our identity and colors as BOYNEXTDOOR, with Pharrell Williams’ artistry — I can’t imagine what the two combined could be, so it sounds like a lot of fun.
Riwoo: I’d love to sing with IU. I really like her voice, and she’s an artist I grew up listening to. If there’s an opportunity I’d love to.
Taesan: I’d love to collaborate with the Weeknd. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of the Weeknd is synth-pop. To me, I feel like he’s one of the top stars of his time. I really like him.
Leehan: For me, Justin Bieber. I like his music, and he spans across multiple genres, so if he worked with our group, I feel like we could create a new sound. It makes me excited to think about it.
He’s had so many different eras of music — which Justin are you a fan of?
Leehan: I thought he was really cool when he delved into house music. I feel like the music was made in a way that’s easy on the ears, and when he performs, there’s a lot of fun moments, so I’ve been watching those.
What’s a goal you have for the group next year?
Riwoo: I feel like next year, it would be safe to set our sights on the Billboard charts, right? [Laughs.]
Woonhak: Let’s go, let’s go! [Claps.]
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Sungho: And perhaps, the Grammys some day?
Leehan: It’s good to dream big, so we’ll look to the sky.
