Since their achievement upon, “Road to Kingdom,” The Boyz now have a kingdom of their own, along with their quintuple crown, which was given on their fourth year anniversary, proving once and for all that they are the hottest boy group in K-Pop right now. If “Road to Kingdom,” was to get a result of how attractive The Boyz were to the general audience, this quintuple crown set the tone for the group and their fandom to see just how much they had grown through these years. This will be a big gift for The Boyz, and also for their eternal alliance, “The B,” who are making their third new recruits by the end of this year, which will further grow out the best of their abilities. 

Rolling Stone Korea wanted to share this moment of joy with The Boyz, in order to deliver to The B’s about what’s on their minds. We had an interview with The Boyz, who desperately longed to see the day when they can be reunited with The B’s once again.

[RSK] Hello, “The Boyz!” It’s a pleasure to meet you here for this interview by Rolling Stone Korea. Can we start off with some greetings and some introductions please? 

[The Boyz] Hi, we’re The Boyz! Thank you for having us here today!

[RSK] Couple days ago, this team proved to be the trendiest, by getting first place on “Music Bank,” which also happened to be the first time receiving first place on public TV. Even with this pandemic, The B’s (their fans) have been constantly showing love and support, and it’s been such a long time being able to see them. What’s the first thing that you want to do, when the pandemic gets better?

[The Boyz] We have to give a special thanks to The B’s for your continuous support and encouragement that have allowed for us to win a quintuple crown for the first time on public TV. And the first thing that we want to do when things get better, is to have a real live concert where we can actually meet in person! What we really want the most right now is to be able to see all of you. Listening to the cheers from The B’s, while celebrating together and creating new memories. We want to feel the energy that the fans give us. We are really hoping to see this day come, and when it does, The B’s… You’re not going home on that day :) 

Our members with their family and friends outside of Korea need to visit them and become rejuvenated, and once they come back with some new energy, we will go on a world tour! Yes we will! And are so excited about meeting The B’s from all over the world! 

3. [RSK] What was your first impression when you heard the new title, “Thrill Ride,” and were there any memorable reactions from the members?

[The Boyz] As soon as we heard it, we all felt in unison that this was the one. The cool refreshing rhythms made it popping with the Summer, and in general there was a cool breeze to the song overall. The song was so catchy that it had me keep singing it, and within the look of all our eyes, we all felt that this was “it.” 

4. [RSK] Is there a song from this album that any of you are personally attached to? Or a song that you hope to be listened to more?

[The Boyz] I have to say, “B.O.Y.” Eric and Sunwoo took part in writing the lyrics. But the main reason why is because, before we started making it, we said to ourselves, “Hey, let’s give it all that we have for The B’s. Give all that we have for The B’s, and ourselves, and show its value for all that it's worth.” It would mean a lot, if you listen to it. I also want to recommend, “Merry Bad Ending.” Sangyeon and Juyeon said that the song felt sentimental and nostalgic. Time will fly by when you listen to it.

[New, Hyunjae] We want to recommend, “Thrill Ride.” We absolutely love this song, and want for it to be loved as well by others. 

[Haknyeon] For me, I love “Nightmares,” I normally listen to all types of genre when it comes to music, but I really like those with grand, majestic presence. I really like and want to recommend his song, because it’s trendy, but also has a lot of that majestic element to it. 

[Q] I have a rather attachment to “Out of Control,” since it’s the first song that I’ve actually written the lyrics for. We have a special bond. 

5. [RSK] Were there any episodes while filming, “Thrill Ride,” at the studio?

[Eric, Sunwoo] On the first day, our last scene was shot while playing inside the pool in the pension. The weather was pretty hot, so getting cooled off from all the work, and the heat was the highlight of our day. I remember how much fun we had, and how happy we were. 

[Younghoon] I remember all of us wearing gowns and trying to do the rollercoaster dance together! 

[Hyunjae, New, Q, Sangyeon] We were intimidated by the size of the water cannons, but we were able to experience what working and playing was like.

[Juyeon, Haknyeon] We had so much fun filming on the basketball court. We were actually playing a game of basketball, and made us also realize that outdoor sports was a hobby we hope to do more of, once the pandemic gets better.

[Jacob] There was a part where we rode on the UTV. It was our first time, so we were worried about acting and driving, but overall, I am happy, because the scene turned out to be great!

[Kevin] While filming for the teaser version, the wind from the fan was so strong that a piece of bread flew out of my hands and landed directly on Eric’s face. Everyone, including all the staff, exploded in laughter. (HaHa)

6. [RSK] This is a question for Sunwoo, Eric, and Q. The three of you took part in writing the lyrics for this very album. What in particular were your primary focus, or where did the inspirations come from?

[Sunwoo, Eric, Q] A lot of it comes from our imaginations. Sometimes it’ll hit us when we’re in the car, and we will start recording them on our phones. We also tend to focus on the words, and the phrases to mix and match to see which would be the best fit for the song. And we also try to make sure the lyrics match the genre of the music as well. 

7. [RSK] There are a lot of songs that The Boyz have added to their collection. What song would you say are the fans’ favorites?

[The Boyz] “No Air,” and “Reveal.” The fans really liked the song and the choreography. And I think “Walkin’ In Time,” which was in our debut album, has to be favoritized by many. The music video had a nice feel to it, which makes you feel calm, and you can see the other attractives sides of our team.

[New, Sunwoo, Q, Sangyeon] Don’t dismiss “Reveal.” And also, “Bloom Bloom,” which is another one of the fans’ favorite songs!

[Haknyeon] “36.5” is my personal favorite. It warms my heart.

[Jueyon] The performance to the song, “Ego,” will show a new side of The Boyz. 

[Kevin] I’ve been listening to a lot of “Salty” these days. It was a follow-up song, but I hope we’ll be able to perform more of it on stage. 

8. [RSK] While being active, or during your ordinary day, as an artist, what do you want to show off the most? And what do you do in order to prepare for them? Is there a specific routine that The Boyz have? 

[The Boyz] All the members write songs, and take private vocal and dance lessons. We also get personal training in order to stay fit. Maintaining our health is the most important thing for us. We also take different language classes, and are making efforts to learn more about the trends to live out the culture!

[Hyunjae] We gain a lot of synergy while practicing the dance moves to the songs that we will be performing. We practice with a positive vibe, having fun and giving each other great energy. 

9. [RSK] Are there any artists that you would like to collaborate with or interested in? (Can be a company, brand, or a label. Feel free to talk about them!)

[The Boyz] We’ve been listening to a lot of Colde these days. He has such a nice voice, and would love to work with him if an opportunity ever comes! And we also hope to collaborate with IU! Not only are her songs fun to listen to, but you can learn a lot from them as well. Given her experience, we are curious to know her philosophy on music as well as other things.  

[New] I personally think we should first have the time to release good songs, before collaborating and discussing music philosophy with them.

[Haknyeon, Sunwoo] Personally, Nike, Adidas, but any sporting brand would be an honor. 

[Jacob] I really want to work together with Sam Kim. I really like his voice and want to talk about music with him.

[Jueyon] I’ve been listening to a lot of Justin Bieber. I really respect him as an artist, for the way he continues to strive using different varieties of music styles. 

[Q] I want to work with Car the Garden, and The Black Skirts. I really like their music.

[Kevin] It would be amazing to have the contemporary artist, Daniel Arsham performing on the stage with us. I know that he’s collaborated with Justin Bieber, Pharrell Williams, and other famous artists. Me loving art for what it is, would be so honored to be able to work together with Daniel Arsham. Along the lines of music, I am looking forward to the day when I can work together with Justin Timberlake, Doja Cat, and Beyonce. 

10. [RSK] They say that music amplifies your emotions. For instance, listening to an upbeat song in order to hype up more of your happy day, or listening to calm songs when you need some comforting. When do you usually listen to music? What song, and the reason for listening to them? 

[The Boyz] We listen to calm music when we are or want to be feeling relaxed. We do listen to upbeat songs when we’re happy, and songs of comfort in times of sadness. Some of us listen to songs in English, and even classical music. Eric gets his work done while listening to music. I’ve been listening to “Wa-R-R” by Colde, or songs similar to it. We also mind control ourselves when we’re busy by focusing and concentrating while listening to bright and energetic songs. 

[Kevin] I listen to a lot of Lofi, and R&B. Rather than the melodies and lyrics, I like to tune in on the production side, and have fun catching the details as if I am watching a movie. 

11. [RSK] We are looking forward to seeing how The Boyz will mature as a musician, more than they already have. It is always exciting to see how this team grows after overcoming their new challenges. Later in the years, what kind of an artist do you hope the public remembers you as?

[The Boyz] We hope that while you see us on stage for the time length of three to four minutes, all of your stress will be gone. We want to be remembered as “the united boys,” that relieves your stress. An artist that works hard to do music for their fans. And to be remembered as an artist that always keeps it fresh and goes to the next level.

[New] To be remembered as a boy that loved, and was loved.

[Haknyeon] A non-replaceable team! We’ll work hard to become that team!

[Juyeon] To individually expertise in our areas of specialities. We want to achieve this to reflect all the hard work that we’ve put into it.  

[Q] I want for us to be remembered as artists united with different charms that bring happiness to others.

12. [RSK] We at Rolling Stone Korea really enjoyed this time to get to know The Boyz better. We really thank and appreciate you for your time and for allowing us to have this interview. Is there anything that you want to say before wrapping everything up?

[The Boyz] “Thrill Ride,” is coming to the last of its rides, and no doubt has been the wildest and the proudest ones that we’ve been on yet. We’ll be back with more great songs once we finish this one off! It was an honor to be here, together with Rolling Stone Korea. Please continue on to show us love and support for The Boyz! Thank you!