With the release of their latest EP Salute, South Korean boy group AB6IX “goes back to basics” and at the same time show their fans a new, more grown-up side to them.
Represented by Brand New Music, the now four man group stated that compared to their previous comeback, Salute is more “fresh” and mature with its soldier/marching band like concept.
“Our previous projects were more sexy, it had more cool factors in it, so we wanted to make sure we show a contrasting concept with this one,” said Donghyun.
Donghyun also added that the album serves as a love letter to their fans, showing how despite their many achievements and growing maturity as a group, they are still the same AB6IX that they know and love.
“We didn’t intend to show how we changed-it was more of going back to basics, and to show our fans our appreciation and who we really are, and that’s how the concept of the album came about,” he said. “Rather than packaging it as something beautiful, as something pretty, I wanted it to be more expressive and as realistic as possible,”
The EP, which contains six tracks, allowed the group to expand their range as they mature both as artists and as people, as all members were able to pen a song for the album and try new things. One thing the group tried with this album was the introduction of more ballad and lo-fi like songs, which is shown in songs like “Heaven”, which was composed by vocalist Woong and written by Woo Jin, and “Maybe”, which was composed by Donghyun. The songs not only showcased the boys’ talent in creating music, but also inspired them to try out many other genres as well.
“As a vocalist, ironically I do not listen much to ballad music but Woo Jin does. So he shows that he has a very wide spectrum of music and I respect him for that,” shared Woong.
For vocalist Daehwi, this change is especially noticed in his contribution and the title song, “Salute”, an expressive dance hip-hop song with marching band elements, where he raps for the very first time.
“When I was first making Salute I put this verse in it and then had our CEO listen to it. And he thought it would be a good idea if I could just rap on the verse instead of singing it. And it’s not like I wanted to do the rap part initially, it kinda just happens as the song goes along,” he shared.
And perhaps that is a good thing, as Daehwi delivers a velvet smooth rap with his airy vocals that are a pleasant juxtaposition against the grittier elements of the song.
Other than an avenue for experimenting with more mature themes, the album also allowed the group to reflect on what drives them to create.
“When it comes to songwriting, yes it is important whether the song is good or bad,” concluded Woo Jin, “But I think it’s more important how the song fits to a certain audience,”
Salute is now available through all digital streaming platforms through Warner and Brand New Music.