Since their premiere on the global debut project MAKE MATE ONE (MA1) in 2024, NouerA (누에라) has been a group on a fast track to the top. Composed of members who have already proven their immense potential—earning a spot as Billboard’s ‘2025 Global Rookie’ and selling out fan meetings across Japan and Korea—the group is back with a bold new statement.
While NouerA initially captured our imaginations with their unique concept as “time-and-space-transcending mission agents,” their third mini-album, [POP IT LIKE], marks a fascinating turning point. Executive produced by LAY, this release acts as a “spin-off” from their intricate lore, allowing the members, GIHYEON, JUNPYO, HYUNJUN, YUSEOP, LIN, FAN, MIRAKU, to step out from behind their designed roles and show us their raw, unfiltered energy.
The title track, “POP IT LIKE,” is a provocative fusion of lyrical orchestral sounds and hard-hitting Trap/Hip-hop, designed to represent the explosive “shining moment” of youth. From the sophisticated R&B vibes of “Silhouette” to the 90s New-tro aesthetic of “A-LIST,” the album is a strategic record of NouerA’s identity at this very second: fearless, experimental, and deeply connected.
Following their recent appearance at the K-pop Revolution festival in Mainz, Germany, I had the chance to virtually sit down with NouerA for an exclusive interview. We discussed the transition from storytelling to raw emotion, and what it means to truly “ignite your own spark” in 2026.
Welcome to the new chapter of NouerA.
Davide: Hello NouerA! It is such a pleasure to have you here. Thank you for taking the time to chat with me. To kick things off, could each member please introduce yourself? Tell us your name, your role, and one fun fact about yourself that fans might not know yet!
GIHYEON: Hello! I’m GIHYEON, the eldest member of NouerA. I’m in charge of the “calm voice” in the group. A fun fact about me is that I have two moles on my lips—one on the top and one on the bottom!
JUNPYO: Hi everyone! I’m JUNPYO, and I’m in charge of the visuals in NouerA. I am a burger lover!
HYUNJUN: Hello, I’m HYUNJUN, the leader of NouerA. I’m actually a total “maepjjiri” (someone who can’t handle spicy food at all). The other day, I even found Bibimmyeon (spicy cold noodles) way too spicy!
YUSEOP: Hello, I’m YUSEOP! I’m a vocalist in the group. I occasionally get the chance to rap too, so please look forward to that!
LIN: Hello, I’m LIN! I’m the main rapper of the team. Here’s a TMI: I’m actually the “Delivery King” of our group. I love online shopping so much that sometimes I have packages arriving every single day of the week.
FAN: Hello! I’m FAN from NouerA! In the team, I’m the “puppy” who gives energy to everyone. I also really love eating delicious food! Even though I’m not good with spicy food, sometimes I crave it so much that I just can’t help myself.
MIRAKU: Hello! I’m MIRAKU, the main dancer and the maknae (youngest) of NouerA! My TMI is that I’ve been missing our fans, NovA, so much lately that I spend the entire day thinking about them!!!
Davide: Huge congratulations on the release of your 3rd mini-album, POP IT LIKE! This project feels like a significant milestone. How did this album come together, and what is the overall theme or “vibe” you wanted to explore this time around?
HYUNJUN: For our previous albums, we really focused on showing sharp synchronisation and presenting ourselves as a perfectly organised team. But with POP IT LIKE, we put a lot of effort into highlighting our individual personalities and capturing a more free-spirited, “knowing how to have fun” vibe. We wanted to show a more natural and energetic side of ourselves this time!
Davide: Let’s talk about the title track, POP IT LIKE. It’s such a standout piece! What is the core message you want to convey to your listeners through this song?
JUNPYO: Since this song tells the story of agents breaking through their own boundaries, we hope our listeners feel inspired to take on new challenges courageously without fearing their limits. It’s not an overly serious or heavy track, so we’d love for everyone to just enjoy the upbeat energy and vibe along with us!
Davide: The music video and choreography for the new title track are incredibly impactful. Were there any memorable moments or challenges while filming the video? How would you describe the “killing point” of the choreography?
MIRAKU: The most memorable moment during the music video shoot was the scene we filmed on the building rooftop.
There were fire effects and money falling all around us, which was such an impressive sight even in person! That production really helped us get into the groove, and I think we were able to have a lot of fun during choreography because of the incredible atmosphere on set.
As for the “killing point” of the choreography, it has to be the dance break! The routine maintains a very cool and groovy vibe throughout, but then it suddenly shifts into sharp synchronisation. I think that’s where NouerA’s unique charm really shines!
Davide: Now that you are on your third mini-album, how do you think your sound and image have evolved compared to your previous releases? What makes POP IT LIKE different from what we’ve seen before?
FAN: Up until now, we’ve mostly shown very powerful music and high-energy performance styles. However, this new album leans much more toward a hip-hop-inspired sound. Through this shift, we really wanted to reveal a different side of our charms and highlight each member’s unique personality even more!
Davide: For someone who might be discovering NouerA for the very first time through this interview, which song from the new album would you recommend they listen to first (besides the title track) and why?
GIHYEON: I recommend “We are young”! I think it’s a song that truly captures the kind of youth we are experiencing as artists right now. I believe listeners will be able to “sync” their own youth with ours while listening to it.
JUNPYO: The song I want you to hear first is ” We are young”. Since it’s only been a year since NouerA debuted, I feel this track perfectly embodies our rookie passion and the essence of youth. Most importantly, it’s a great sing-along song, so it’s just a fantastic track overall. Please give it a listen!
HYUNJUN: It’s ” We are young”. Since it’s a song about our youth, you’ll be able to feel a mix of excitement and a touch of emotion at the same time.
YUSEOP: I’d like to recommend ” We are young” from our 3rd mini-album. We’ve poured our hearts and our experiences of youth into this song since the very beginning of the preparation stage, so I highly recommend it.
LIN: I’d like to recommend “Silhouette.” It’s a song that fits any mood—whether you need a boost of energy or just want to relax and unwind, it’s the perfect track to listen to!
FAN: I definitely want to recommend “Silhouette”! It’s in the R&B genre, which I personally love, and it’s a new musical style that NouerA hasn’t tried before. I hope it feels like a refreshing gift to everyone.
MIRAKU: It’s “Silhouette”! The reason I recommend this song is that it’s the very first time we’ve showcased a track in the R&B genre. It’s a song where you can really appreciate each member’s unique and charming vocals, so I’m confident you’ll fall in love with it the moment you hear it!
Davide: I’m curious to know who some of the artists or groups are that inspired you to pursue this career? Is there a specific performance you watched that made you say, “I want to do that too”?
GIHYEON: For me, it’s SHINee sunbaenims! When I was younger, I saw the music video for their song “Sherlock” and thought they looked so incredibly cool. That was the exact moment I started dreaming of creating my own amazing music videos and performing on stages just like them.
JUNPYO: Believe it or not, I’ve never actually been to a concert in person! However, I’ve watched many of MAMAMOO sunbaenims’ concerts on YouTube. There is a specific video where Hwasa sunbaenim shared a famous quote: “If I don’t fit the world’s standard, I will have to become a new standard.” Seeing that video was a turning point for me and is likely what brought me here today.
HYUNJUN: I began dreaming of becoming an idol after watching Jungkook sunbaenim (from BTS) singing “Euphoria” while flying on stage during a concert. It was such a magical performance, and I hope that one day, I can also fly across a concert venue while performing our songs for our fans!
YUSEOP: I’ve always been a huge fan of Jay Park sunbaenim’s music and performances. I watched and learned so much from him during my trainee days. I still find myself thinking a lot about how I want to be able to own the stage with the same kind of energy and style as he does.
Davide: When you aren’t busy practising or performing, how do you spend your downtime? Do you have any specific hobbies or interests that help you recharge your energy?
GIHYEON: I recharge my energy by having little chats or joking around with our fans, NovA! I also love just listening to music and “spacing out”.
JUNPYO: Since our schedule is always changing, my rest time is pretty flexible too. I usually like watching movies by myself or having deep, honest conversations with my parents to recharge. Also, since I’m always with the members, just talking to them feels like a break to me.
HYUNJUN: To be honest, I have a rule where I should be in the practice room even when I am not busy, so I don’t have a specific hobby. But I’m really into online window shopping for clothes lately!
YUSEOP: My biggest interest is fashion. I believe that what you wear gives you a lot of strength when you’re dancing or performing on stage, so finding cool outfits has become both my hobby and my passion.
LIN: I absolutely love window shopping and shopping! It’s a huge stress reliever for me. Another way I “heal” is by listening to an entire album from start to finish—it’s my favourite way to unwind.
FAN: I’m a homebody, so I usually just stay home. We don’t get much sleep during promotion periods, so I try to sleep as much as I can when I’m off. I also love eating delicious food and watching dramas. When I watch a drama, I feel like I’ve entered a whole different world, which is really relaxing and fun.
MIRAKU: These days, I get so much strength from talking to NovA through the Bubble app! When I’m not doing that, I also enjoy drawing on my iPad.
Davide: You’ll have finished the K-pop Revolutions concert by the time we are having this chat! After that, many European fans are dreaming of a solo tour. Is a trip back to Europe for your own tour on the horizon? Can you give us any hints about your future travel plans?
LIN: Since this is already our third mini-album, we’ve actually built up quite a collection of NouerA songs! A solo tour definitely feels like it’s not too far off. Right now, we are fully focused on our promotions for this album, but once we wrap things up, who knows? Maybe we’ll be heading out to meet NovA in every corner of the world!
Davide: Finally, do you have a special message for your fans who have been supporting you throughout this comeback?
GIHYEON: Even though the wait for this comeback was longer than usual, thank you so much for sticking by us and for your high expectations. I’ll work my hardest to make sure this promotion cycle truly rewards those who wait!
JUNPYO: I personally see this song as a major turning point for NouerA, and I really want our NovA to be part of this special moment with us. It’s not just a time of change for the group, but a point where we all grow together. I’m always so grateful and constantly thinking of ways to give back to you. I’ll always stay as the same JUNPYO of NouerA. Thank you.
HYUNJUN: NovA, it’s been 8 months, and I’m so thankful you waited for our comeback! We prepared really hard for this, so please look forward to it! Thank you!
YUSEOP: NovA~~ thank you for waiting so long!! Since you’ve waited for us, I want to show you as many amazing performances as possible. Please never forget that you are my biggest source of strength whenever I’m on stage. I love you!
LIN: I can’t believe we’re already releasing our third album! This is all possible because of NovA’s love and support. We’ll keep pushing ourselves to do better, and I hope your lives are always as sweet as popcorn!
FAN: NovA, thank you for always cheering us on! Since the preparation period for this album was a bit long, I’m truly, truly grateful to everyone who waited for us. The energy you sent our way was what kept us going through it all. Please show a lot of love to the new album and enjoy listening to it! I love you!
MIRAKU: It’s been a long 8 months, but thank you so much for waiting. Now that we’re finally back, I hope we can make tons of new memories together with our new songs!!! Let’s stay together forever! Thank you!!!
Davide: Thank you so much, NouerA! It’s been an absolute joy learning more about POP IT LIKE and your journey as a group. I wish you nothing but success with this promotion—keep shining, and I hope to see you in person very soon!
YUSEOP: It was truly an honour for us to be able to introduce our new album, POP IT LIKE, and we are so grateful for this interview. We will continue to work even harder to show you the best versions of ourselves during these promotions. Thank you so much, Davide!
What a pleasure chatting with NouerA about their latest super catchy track, POP IT LIKE! And the surprises do not stop here! NouerA just announced the ‘CATCH THE WAVE’ World Tour! Make sure to catch them on the road!
DAVIDE K-POP 