It hasn’t been long since 82MAJOR left their mark on the UK K-pop scene. Just a few months ago, the six-member powerhouse brought their “BEBEOM : BE THE TIGER” tour to a close at London’s EartH, delivering a high-performance that solidified their reputation as one of the genre’s most exciting rising acts. You can read my full review of that unforgettable London night here.
But the “tigers” aren’t resting on their laurels. Fresh off the back of their first European tour, the group is already back with a bold new project: their 5th mini-album, [FEELM]. Led by the genre-bending title track “Sign,” this record marks yet another chapter in the group’s rapid evolution. Since their debut in late 2023, 82MAJOR—consisting of Seongil, Yechan, Seongmo, Seongbin, Seokjoon, and Dogyun—have stood out for their heavy hip-hop roots and their deep involvement in the production of their own music.
With [FEELM], they continue to push boundaries, blending their signature gritty style with fresh, modern sounds. I had the pleasure of catching up with the boys to discuss the inspiration behind the new record, their experiences touring Europe, and how they manage to keep their sound so original in a crowded industry.
From the stories behind my favourite B-sides like “W.T.F.” and “YESSIR” to the secret ingredients behind their creative process, here is our exclusive chat with 82MAJOR.
Davide: Hello, 82MAJOR, my name is Davide, and it’s very nice to meet you! A huge congratulations on the release of your new mini-album, FEELM. It’s such an exciting time for you! To kick things off and break the ice, could you please introduce yourselves and tell us your roles in the group?
Nam Seong Mo: Hello, I’m Nam Seong Mo, the rapper of 82MAJOR.
Park Seok Joon: Hello, I’m Park Seok Joon, the rapper of 82MAJOR. My signature is my low-toned voice!
Yoon Ye Chan: Hello, I’m Yoon Ye Chan from 82MAJOR, and I’m good at pretty much everything. I can dance, sing, rap, and even write and compose music!
Cho Seong Il: Hello! I’m Cho Seong Il, the leader and main dancer of 82MAJOR.
Hwang Seong Bin: Hello, I’m Hwang Seong Bin, the rapper of 82MAJOR.
Kim Do Gyun: Hello, I’m Kim Do Gyun, the youngest member and main vocalist of 82MAJOR.
Davide: I had the pleasure of attending your London show recently, and the energy was incredible! Thank you for such a great night! Now that your first European tour has come to an end, how are you feeling? What was the most special or surprising thing about performing for your European fans?
Cho Seong Il: Thank you so much for coming to see our performances! It was our first Europe tour, and the fans’ energy was incredible, which gave us even more strength on stage. Seeing everyone sing along to our songs and truly enjoy the performances was really moving for us.
Nam Seong Mo: It felt both amazing and deeply grateful to see so many people overseas loving our music. What made it even more special was the sincerity we could feel through the fans’ eyes and expressions, so I think this tour will stay in our memories for a long time.
Davide: Let’s dive into your 5th new mini-album, FEELM. How did this album come together, and what is the main message or theme you want fans to take away from it?
Kim Do Gyun: This album started from our desire to show a more mature atmosphere and deeper emotions compared to our previous releases. Since [FEELM] combines the words “Feel” and “Film,” we wanted the album to flow naturally like a movie, capturing a variety of emotions throughout.
Hwang Seong Bin: I think the biggest keyword of this album is “love.” Even within all the different emotions we explored, what we ultimately wanted to convey was love, and we hope that message was delivered well to our fans.
Davide: The title track, “Sign,” feels like a brand-new sound for the group. What is the story behind this track, and why did you feel it was the right choice for the lead song?
Nam Seong Mo: “Sign” is a song built around restrained beats and dreamy melodies, capturing the moments when two people are drawn to each other and naturally communicate their feelings without even having to say anything. We chose it as the title track because we felt it best represented a more mature and controlled side of us compared to our previous music.
Yoon Ye Chan: While we’ve previously shown a more confident and intense image, “Sign” focuses more on restrained emotions and a captivating atmosphere. We thought it was the perfect track to showcase a new side and colour of 82MAJOR.
Davide: The music video for “Sign” is very striking. Can you tell us about the storytelling in the music video and if there were any fun moments while filming?
Cho Seong Il: The “Sign” music video tells the story of people who have lost true love due to brainwashing and ended up with pink-coloured eyes. Through our “signal of love,” we help them return to their original selves. As the people who rediscover love go on to change others, we wanted to express the message that true love gradually spreads further and further.
Hwang Seong Bin: In the music video, the “pink-coloured eyes” symbolically represent the inability to experience true love. At first, Do Gyun also has pink eyes, but after the members shoot flower guns, he regains the ability to feel genuine love again. After that, Do Gyun becomes someone who spreads the signal of love to others and creates change. The love we’re talking about here isn’t just romantic love between couples — it represents love in all kinds of relationships in the world, and we’re portrayed almost like “agents” delivering that love.
Nam Seong Mo: There were a lot of fun moments while filming, but the one I remember most is dancing on the water! Since the surface was really slippery, we kept falling over again and again. I remember laughing a lot watching the members slip and fall, haha.
Davide: You are all very involved in the “behind-the-scenes” creation of your music. Could you tell us more about how the members participated in making this album? Who worked on the lyrics or the production this time?
Yoon Ye Chan: Out of all the albums we’ve released so far, this one has the highest level of member participation. Personally, I took part in every single track!
Park Seok Joon: For this album as well, all the members shared a lot of ideas and actively participated throughout the process. We constantly discussed the mood of the songs and the way we wanted to express them, so that 82MAJOR’s unique colour could come through naturally.
Davide: Where do you usually find your inspiration when you are creating new songs? Does it come from films, your own lives, or perhaps other artists?
Cho Seong Il: I think I get a lot of inspiration from movies and different kinds of music.
Hwang Seong Bin: I also get influenced by conversations with the people around me. A lot of ideas come from everyday moments and conversations with the members, too. When we talk together, new ideas seem to come naturally.
Davide: I have to mention the B-sides! “W.T.F.” is a massive opening track, and it really caught my attention. It has that classic 82MAJOR vibe but with a fresh twist—how did this song start, and what do you love about it?
Yoon Ye Chan: First of all, this song was created in a really free atmosphere. I incorporated jazz elements that I personally love, and especially the narration in the intro was almost completely freestyle! While keeping 82MAJOR’s signature strong energy and free-spirited vibe, I wanted to show a different mood and sound from what we had done before. My favourite part is definitely the jazz-inspired opening and the way the song gradually pulls you deeper in as it progresses. When thinking about the album’s track list, I strongly felt that this was the perfect song to open the beginning of [FEELM].
Davide: Another personal favourite of mine is the final track, “YESSIR.” To me, it feels like the perfect way to close the album. What do you like most about this song, and why do you think it’s the right “final chapter” for FEELM?
Park Seok Joon: I think “YESSIR!” is a song that stands out because of its energy and atmosphere that everyone can enjoy together on stage. When we performed it live, the fans’ reactions and how much they enjoyed it with us were really memorable. After that, we refined it even further and decided to officially present it in a more polished form.
Kim Do Gyun: While [FEELM] is an album that carries a strong sense of tension and deep emotional flow throughout, we wanted it to end with a track where everyone could simply have fun together and let all that energy explode. That’s why we chose it as the final track on the album.
Davide: Since your debut, your sound has evolved so much, yet you always keep that unique 82MAJOR “flavour.” What is your secret ingredient to staying original while trying new styles?
Yoon Ye Chan: We talk a lot about music among ourselves, and by directly participating in the creative process, we’re naturally continuing to build and shape the team’s unique colour.
Cho Seong Il: Exactly. We also make an effort to constantly explore and study different kinds of music and trends so that, even within new movements and changes, we never lose our own direction and identity.
Davide: For someone who is discovering 82MAJOR for the very first time today, which one song from your career would you recommend they listen to first?
Cho Seong Il: I’d choose “Choke”! I think it’s the song that truly marked the real beginning of 82MAJOR, and it was also the track that helped more people discover us. It’s probably the song where you can feel our signature strong energy and identity the most.
Hwang Seong Bin: I’d recommend “82” first. Since “82” is the most symbolic number in our team name, 82MAJOR, I think the song really represents both Korea and the unique character of our team very well!
Davide: Do you have a special message for your fans (82DE) who are supporting this comeback?
Kim Do Gyun: We want to sincerely thank all of our 82DEs who have always believed in and supported us. We were able to prepare for this FEELM era with even more energy thanks to the love and support from our fans.
Nam Seong Mo: We’ll continue to show even better music and performances that are uniquely 82MAJOR, so please keep looking forward to us and stay with us for a long time.
Davide: Thank you so much for your time. It was a joy to see you in London, and I can’t wait to see what you do next. Keep up the amazing work!
Cho Seong Il: Thank you so much for joining us for this interview. We’re especially grateful to hear that you even came to our London concert. We’ll continue working hard to show you even better music and performances, so please keep supporting and looking forward to us. We hope we can meet again soon!
Cover image courtesy of GREATM Ent.
DAVIDE K-POP 