The members of K-pop boy group BOYNEXTDOOR pose for photos at the media showcase for their second extended play 'How?', April 15, 2024. Courtesy of KOZ EntertainmentMANILA — South Korean boy band BOYNEXTDOOR unveiled Monday its second extended play (EP), capping a trilogy of releases that chronicles a story of a tumultuous first love.

The six-piece act dropped the EP “How?”, which completes a story about first love that was introduced in the group’s past music.

“Our debut single [album] ‘Who!’ encapsulated the heart-fluttering excitement of first love and our first EP ‘Why..’ talked about a heartbreaking breakup. ‘How?’ is somewhere in between those two releases,” member Taesan said in a media showcase held hours before the EP’s release.

The members of K-pop boy group BOYNEXTDOOR pose for photos at the media showcase for 'How?'. Courtesy of KOZ EntertainmentHis bandmate, Leehan, said “How?” tackles “the various emotions you get to experience as you go from falling in love to finally breaking up.”

“If you’ve ever been in love for the first time, I’m sure you’ll find this album super relatable,” Leehan added.

Also consisting of Sungho, Riwoo, Jaehyun and Woonhak, BOYNEXTOOR debuted in May 2023 under KOZ Entertainment, a sub-label of K-pop giant Hybe that is run by rapper-producer Zico.

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The new seven-track “How?” is led by the single “Earth, Wind & Fire,” a song that lyrically likens the frustrations over love to the uncontrollable nature of the classical elements.

“The song captures, in a kitsch way, the frustration that runs through your mind when you're in love but nothing goes as planned,” Riwoo said.

Notably, the song includes lines that are delivered in a fast-paced manner. “The killer part of the lead single is the sped-up section and the chorus where we spit out the lyrics at machine gun speed,” Sungho said.

“To be honest, when we first started practicing, we were not really sure if we could perform this live… [but] we practiced so hard and I think I learned again through this experience that practice makes perfect, indeed,” he said.

Jaehyun said he practiced the lines “by hitting the notes on the piano to make sure I wasn’t off tune despite the speed.”

BOYNEXTDOOR performs its single 'Earth, Wind & Fire' during its media showcase. Courtesy of KOZ EntertainmentThrough “How?”, BOYNEXTDOOR also debuts a distinct style called “kitsch core,” a combination of the words “kitsch” and “normcore” that points to something being “effortlessly cool,” Leehan explained. Such styling is reflected in the group’s concept photos and music video, Woonhak said.

With its “First Love” trilogy coming to an end, Taesan assured that the group would continue telling stories “that’s very relatable” for future releases.

“When you think about BOYNEXTDOOR, you think of songs that are very relatable so that’s what you are going to find in our next installment,” Taesan said.

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