2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
QWER paves its own path
Band christens own music as 'Q-pop,' emphasizing unique qualities
With its third mini album 'In a Million Noises, I'll Be Your Harmony,' QWER showcased an evolved musicality as well as the growth the group has achieved.
Since its debut in October 2023, QWER has quickly risen to become one of K-pop's representative all-female bands, earning enthusiastic responses from fans at various festivals and live shows. 'This album completes the first page of QWER's story and promises moments that will remain unchanged forward,' said bassist Magenta.
The album includes six tracks: the main song 'Dear,' along with 'Be Happy,' '#QWER,' 'Overdrive,' 'D-Day' and 'Yours Sincerely.' Notably, the members participated directly in the songwriting and composition for all the tracks, further shaping the group's musical identity.
Drummer Chodan shared, 'We wrote lyrics while traveling on concert tours and recorded between concert schedules. It was tough, but it left us with a strong sense of pride.'
The Korean title of the track 'Dear' is 'Holding Back Tears,' and it conveys the determination to bravely carry on despite overwhelming sadness. 'The instrumentation is powerful and energetic, but it carries a deeply emotional story within. I think this track perfectly fits the summer vibe,' explained Chodan.
Magenta stressed that the instrumentation of the new songs was more difficult than before, and they practiced endlessly to the point where her fingerprints were worn down — a testament to QWER's tireless dedication.
The music video centers on themes of tears and rain, featuring emotional acting and intense performances. 'There's a scene where I cry in the rain, so I practiced crying a lot. It was my first time acting, so I was really nervous, but the director gave detailed direction, which helped me a lot,' recalled vocalist Siyeon.
Even before the band's debut, QWER faced popular doubts due to the individual members' unconventional backgrounds on livestreaming platform Twitch and TikTok. However, with a distinct musical identity and continued success on the music charts, QWER has been collecting invitations to major music festivals.
'We're so grateful for all the love. Last year, we even attended year-end music award shows. The growth we made together truly defines who we are,' said Chodan.
Guitarist Hina expressed her ambition to define QWER's unique musical identity as 'Q-pop,' saying, 'We hope our sound becomes so distinct that when people hear it, they immediately know it's a QWER song.'
