UNIS on What Their Music Means to Them

The girl group talks about their debut album, lessons from Universe Ticket, the story told through their videos, and more!

Please introduce yourselves and share what special charms or skills each member adds to the group! 

Hyeonju: Hello, this is UNIS’s dependable eldest sister and charismatic leader, Jin Hyunjoo.

Nana: Hello, this is UNIS’s main dancer, Nana.

Gehlee: Hello, this is UNIS’s princess-like visual, Gehlee.

Kotoko: This is Kotoko, who is in charge of UNIS’s overreactions.

Yunha: Hello! This is all-rounder Bang Yun-ha.

Elisia: Hello! This is UNIS’s power vocalist, Elisia.

Yoona: Hello, this is Yuna Oh, UNIS’s [puppy].

Seowon: Hello! This is Lim Seowon, UNIS’s smart [and] youngest member.

What word or phrase best describes WE UNIS? 

Nana: “Rainbow.” If you listen to WE UNIS, you will know right away that all five songs have different genres and styles, so you can see UNIS’s diverse charms in one album. Just as various colors come together to form a rainbow, I would like to [say that UNIS made] a rainbow-like album. 

Elisia: “Super.” There is no detail in UNIS’s debut album that we did not pay attention to, from the music to the styling, stages, and members' skills. The album itself is truly super. Please look forward to seeing UNIS’s “super” side in the future [too].

What does each song on WE UNIS have in common? 

Yunha: I think the theme of “the story and beginning of you and me” is the key point of this album. WE UNIS contains the process of growing from pursuing a dream to achieving it. It can be seen as a condensing of UNIS’s entire narrative, as it includes “Dream of girls” and “Dopamine,” [songs about] challenges [while pursuing] dreams, and the song “SUPERWOMAN” is about achieving the dream of debuting. We hope that all listeners of our debut album will receive a lot of good energy.

Seowon: I think what [the songs] have in common is that [they are] 200% addictive songs that you won't get tired of listening to over and over again. Once you listen to all the songs, they will not easily leave your head and you will be able to sing along. I found myself humming [them] constantly, even when I wasn't on stage. I think this magical charm that makes you want to play [the songs] endlessly is what all [of them] have in common.

Please share some information about some of the songs on WE UNIS. This can be whatever you want: a behind-the-scenes story about making the song, a description of the song, a fun fact, the source of inspiration… whatever you want to say about each one! 

Hyeonju: I don’t think we can leave out our debut song, “SUPERWOMAN.” The bouncy melody is nice to listen to, and the lyrics are really gems. The more I think about lyrics such as “Look so shine / Burst into… flash,” “I’ll shine brighter than everyone else,” “I change the world,” and “Even I don’t know everything about myself,” the more I feel like I have become a superwoman. It gives me confidence. I think the confidence in the song is expressed [well] on stage. I hope that many people, like me, will gain hopeful energy and confidence after listening to our songs.

Elisia: I would like to introduce “Whatchu Need,” which has all-English lyrics. It is my second favorite song, after the title song. First of all, I think it is meaningful that we released an English song [on] our debut album, as we have members of various nationalities. I think I'm attached to the song because it contains wonderful ambition. The members singing in English [is] also really cool, so I hope many people will listen to it.

What are the biggest lessons you learned or the skills you improved on the most through participating in Universe Ticket? 

Seowon: I feel like my skills have improved a lot. Universe Ticket was a stepping stone for me to go beyond the trot genre and start doing K-pop in earnest. Through the judges' objective evaluations, I had time to think [about] and research what parts of myself I could improve. I think it was a great opportunity for new challenges, learning, and growth.

Kotoko: I think I learned persistence. Each time, we had to practice [a] song and choreography and set up a stage within a short period of time. It wasn't easy to work together with other participants to create the best performances. However, everyone did not get frustrated and worked hard to put on the best performances until the end. I think that as I worked with many participants, I learned to not give up.

Can you share a “TMI” story from filming the “‘WE UNIS’ Trailer Films”? 

Yoona: It was my first time filming a promotional video like that, so I was excited and nervous at the same time. As you can see from the videos, everything from the set to the style is cool. Because of that, I also felt a desire to do better. [There might] have been some inexperience, but we supported each other by continuously telling [ourselves] that we were really pretty and were doing great. I think the members’ warm words and strong teamwork were able to create high-quality trailers.

Can you share a “TMI” story from filming the “SUPERWOMAN” music video? 

Gehlee: On the second day of filming the music video, there was a scene where we filmed [as] “dark UNIS” instead of “pink UNIS,” so I remember stumbling around.

Is there a particular reason why the “WE UNIS” trailers and the “SUPERWOMAN” music video have such different moods? Is the story told through the trailers unrelated to the story told in the “SUPERWOMAN” video? 

Yunha: While the trailer for “WE UNIS” has a heavy and charismatic look, the music video [has] a strongly contrasting and lively look, so I think fans who watched the videos are also curious about what kind of relationship they have. If you look at the trailer videos and the “SUPERWOMAN” music video, the story follows the concept of all members being female space warriors. Therefore, I don't think it can be said that the trailer videos and the music video are completely unrelated.

What can fans expect from UNIS for the rest of 2024? 

Gehlee: My goal is to meet a lot of fans [throughout] the remainder of 2024. We will strive to create opportunities to communicate with domestic and overseas fans in various ways. I hope our fans join us.

Lastly, is there anything else you want to say about yourselves or your music?

Nana: I am confident that UNIS can present a variety of concepts and music. Just imagining [it] already makes me excited and happy. We plan to work harder than now to be able to share diverse and good music with many people, without being limited to one genre or concept.

Kotoko: There are so many future days that I dream of [and] many things I want to try. I don't know what other valuable opportunities and experiences will come my way in the future, but I want to tell myself to continue working as diversely and diligently as I do now.

Check out WE UNIS here!

Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity. Photos courtesy of F&F Entertainment.