Interview: RIIZE on their Rise to Fame, Dreams, and New Hit 'Love 119'
Somebody call 119 because we are love-struck with RIIZE, one of the rising K-Pop rookies that has taken over the world.
From the get-go when they dropped their debut album "Get A Guitar" in September 2023, we knew that RIIZE, SM Entertainment's latest K-pop boy band, is set to achieve great things in the music industry.
Debuting with seven members: Shotaro, Eunseok, Sungchan, Wonbin, Sohee, Anton, and Seunghan (who is currently on hiatus), the group seized the hearts of many with their looks, performance, and vocals, converting them into dedicated BRIIZEs (their fandom name).
The first boy group in seven years (since NCT) to debut under SM Entertainment, RIIZE quickly rose to fame as they swept up multiple awards including Favorite New Artist at MAMA 2023, Rookie of the Year at Melon Music Awards 2023, and Rookie of the Year at Seoul Music Awards 2023.
With less than six months under their belt, RIIZE has proven its worth as one of the rising stars of K-Pop, which also led to all members being appointed as Louis Vuitton's brand ambassadors. And this month, we got lovestruck all over again as RIIZE made its comeback with "Love 119", a hit single that has won the first music win for the group at M Countdown.
So, in celebration of that, we got an exclusive interview with the boys of RIIZE to talk about their newfound success, their hopes and dreams, and their music.
First of all, can you tell us what the group “RIIZE” means and what you all hope to bring to the world of K-Pop?
SHOTARO: Our group name, RIIZE, is a combination of two words – “Rise,” symbolizing growth, and “Realize,” representing achievements. Together, it encapsulates the idea of a team that grows as one while achieving our dreams.
SUNGCHAN: We aim to connect with audiences all over the world through our own original genre of “Emotional Pop,” which conveys our emotions and vibes. We aspire to become a group that represents the new era of K-pop, delivering music that everyone can empathize with. In 2024, we plan to share our journey toward realizing our dreams not only through music and performances but also via various channels such as fashion, social media, and more with our fans.
Congratulations on your comeback and your fans are very excited for this new single. Can you tell us more about what “Love 119” means?
EUNSEOK: “Love 119” captures the feeling of falling in love for the first time. The juxtaposition of the rhythmic drum beats and soft piano riffs creates this dreamy, melancholic vibe. The chorus part is particularly addictive, so it would be great if you could sing along with it.
SOHEE: The new single samples a beloved Korean song, “Emergency Room,” released by the band called izi in 2005. With our trendy musical style, the song captures the distinct charm of emotional pop, offering a different appeal compared to “Get A Guitar,” “Memories,” and “Talk Saxy.”
For "Love 119", we've heard that Shotarou and Wonbin helped to produce the choreograph. Can you tell us more about the experience of creating the dance?
SHOTARO: It was exciting to get a chance to incorporate our own ideas and moves into the choreo for a title track. We were surprised by the number of ideas that ended up being implemented in the final version, like the hand moves for the “119” part, for instance.
The “Love 119” choreo shows a different style, contrasting with the hardcore and intense nature of our other songs’ choreos, but it still very much feels like RIIZE.
WONBIN: We had produced choreographies together as trainees, so it was exciting to get to work together again for our own track. It was a very organic and collaborative process, bouncing ideas off of one another.
From your debut in September 2023 to now, it has only been a few short months and your music has topped multiple charts across the globe including Melon's Hot 100, iTunes Top Songs and Line Music's Top 100.
How does it feel to have risen to fame so quickly and to receive so much love from fans all over the world?
ANTON: We are truly grateful for all of the love and support we’ve received since our debut. The journey we’ve embarked on with our debut album has been nothing short of a dream!
We believe that, thanks to BRIIZE, we were able to grow to the point of topping the music charts and winning four rookie awards within four months of our debut. It has really motivated us to keep working hard so that we can show a new and improved version of RIIZE with each new release.
SUNGCHAN: It’s been amazing to see all of the lives we have been able to touch and inspire through our music and performances. It's this connection with fans that inspires us to continually “Rise and Realize” our potential, not just as artists but as individuals who can positively influence others. We’re just getting started and can’t wait to share more of our journey with fans around the world.
As we are starting the new year now, what are your hopes and dreams for 2024?
EUNSEOK: Like our name, we hope to continue to RISE and REALIZE. We also hope to release more songs that can showcase the diverse talents and characters of our members and reach a wider audience.
SOHEE: It would be great to visit more countries and meet and perform in front of BRIIZE from all around the world. Also, it would be a dream come true if we could hold our own concert, even a small one!
Images provided by SM Entertainment.
