DRIPPIN are Villains ready to steal your heart

Can a Villain become a superhero? The answer can be found in seven talented and charming boys from South Korea. They are DRIPPIN, a rookie boy group under Woollim Entertainment whose global pr are handled by MJ Tonz Entertainment, whose come back into the K-pop industry last January left every k-pop enthusiast shocked by their multi-talent. The septet, formed by Hyeop, Yunseong, Changuk, Dongyun, Minseo, Junho, and Alex, made its debut in 2020 with the album Boyager and is now ready to show other shades of their color in an album in which the boys are channeling their talent. In Villain, DRIPPIN were able to step out of the rookie-kind-of-comfort-zone and run towards their mission to become one of the most influential voices of the K-wave. Their album promotion started on their social media, which appeared for a while like they were fully hacked. Dreamin - the boys' fandom - immediately hinted that something was happening within the group. The result was beyond imagination. Villain in a six tracks album, it's dark, mysterious, and enchanting. It keeps you hooked from the first note until the last one. Can you fall in love with a Villain? Looking at Hyeop, Yunseong, Changuk, Dongyun, Minseo, Junho, and Alex... We can assure you it's possible, indeed.

Panorama.it had the chance to speak with the boys.

Congratulations on your comeback! Can you please introduce yourself to the Panorama readers?

Hyeop: Hello, we are Drippin, the group that will go down in Kpop history, I am the main vocalist Hyeop!
Yunseong: Hello! You can say I can control the hearts of Dreamin, I’m Yunseong!
Changuk: Hello! I am Changuk who came back in ‘Villain’ as the time controller!
Dongyun: Hello! I am Drippin’s Dongyun, looking forward to it
Minseo: Hello, Italian Dreamins, I am the pure Minseo!!
Junho: Hello, readers! I am Junho who will put your heart on fire!
Alex: Hello!! I am Drippin’s predator Alex!!

So. Let’s start with the name of your new mini-album – “Villain”. How did you choose it?

Yunseong: I guess it has to do with us getting our special powers. Also, there are totally bad villains but there are also good villains who have this sexy side with its own brand of peculiar weird attraction. I think we wanted to show and express that.
Dongyun: Often in films, villains are portrayed as evil but also they have their own attractive side and I think we as Drippin expressed that!

You used a sentence that is stuck in my mind: “He became a villain because he loves you so much”. Can you explain to us the concept behind it?

Minseo: oh haha, I think it’s romantic. We are villains and we love Dreamin so we will be villains... It is a sad yet emotional lyric.
Junho: It is up to the people to interpret. I personally think it’s a situation when you love too much and you want to protect that love and you express that as being a villain.

Let’s talk about the tracks in your album, starting with the title track – “Villain”. Did you enjoy playing the role of the bad guys? What kind of track is “Villain”?

Hyeop: I personally liked this strong magnificent concept and wanted to try such a song and performance! So it was a great chance to do this concept with ‘Villain’ and I am very happy about it!!
Changuk: The title song expresses the passion to move forward to achieve your goal of being a villain. Also, through the music video, you can see all the individual members discovering and using their powers in the world.

I’m curious; if you could be a villain what kind of villain would you be? You can choose any kind of character - from movies, dramas, videogames, comics...

Dongyun: I’d like to be Light in ‘Death Note’ and engage in a battle of the wits!
Alex: I think I’d be a villain like Vector in ‘Despicable Me’. Goofy and a friendly villain.

Then we have “Switch”, “Shy”, “Delusion”, “Remember”. It’s like you are tracing a path with this album. Can you tell us more about these songs?

Hyeop: There are lots of good songs in this comeback! Firstly, “Switch” shows Drippin’s start of a new challenge and it is a high-energy fun song. “Shy” is a song dedicated to our Dreamins as we are expressing our fluttering heartfelt messages to them. “Delusion” can be perceived as dark but it’s a good song about finding hope even during tough times! Lastly, “Remember” is a good hopeful song that would be good to listen to when on a trip!!
Yunseong: “Switch” shows strong determination stoking a fire within me and being reborn from that fire while “Shy” shows the nervousness and heartfelt emotion of first meeting someone. For “Delusion” I think the main point would be the following: having the will to go forward despite the unstable chaos. “Remember” is about enjoying the moment together and the hopes of being together forever on this great life adventure.

This is the third mini-album since your debut. Which is your favorite song so far and why?

Changuk: I personally like a lot of superhero films and when I listen to “Villain” I think of the scenes from those movies, so it is my favorite song.
Junho: My favorite song always changes per album, but after releasing this album “Delusion” became my favorite song! It has a dark dreamy attraction to it.

I’d like for your fans to know more about you. What do you do when you are dead tired and need to recharge?

Minseo: When I am really tired I go for a walk. I actually really like the Han river in Seoul and when I have too much on my mind, I have some coffee and have a walk around the Han river to recharge.
Junho: Well I guess one thing the fans should know is that we love Dreamin more than they possibly can imagine .. hehe. Also, when I am resting I need to have my whole body focus on that so I lie down.

Do you have any comfort food?

Hyeop: Often warm food like shabu-shabu gives me comfort. After eating I feel warm so I feel like it’s food that is made to make you feel comfortable.
Junho: When I am sick of eating or not in the mood to eat but need to, I tend to opt for kimchi stew which I often had as a child. It is a common dish but it’s comforting.

If you could describe yourself right now, with one adjective, a color, and a feeling, which one would they be?

Changuk: I personally like the color black and I think that color suits my personality well.
Dongyun: I want to be a refreshing person like the color orange, so I will pick that.

Is there a song you are obsessed with and would like to recommend to your Dreamin?

Yunseong: I would like to recommend “Remember”. People often feel this healing for the soul when they go on a trip, but I think you can feel those similar soul healing properties by listening to “Remember”. Often Dreamins give that soul healing feeling to us, so we recommend this fan song to Dreamin.
Minseo: I would like to recommend the song “Switch”. When you check it out you suddenly get hyped up and can have an energetic day.

Do you have any role models in the industry? Someone you would die to work with?

Changuk: I have a lot of people I admire but I feel like NCT’s Haechan would be my biggest Kpop role model.
Alex: My Kpop role models would be Monsta X and Mamamoo. Not just the music or as an artist, but I think also on a personal level there are lots of things to learn from them.

This is your third work and you stepped up your game. I loved all the hacking concepts used on your SNS. What would you like to try next?

Yunseong: I’d like to try a classy and sexy concept next time. Something with the feeling of playing a card game.
Junho: I want to try so much so I think the idea that I don’t fully know the next concept is actually quite fun and exciting. But if I had to pick it would be something sexy!

If you could speak for 30 seconds with your old-pre-debut self. What would you say to him?

Hyeop: If I could briefly talk to the pre-debut Hyeop, I would like to tell ‘him’ that he will go through a lot of things, and even if things are sad, tough, or happy that he should trust himself and enjoy it!
Dongyun: work out diligently, Dongyun

Can you share some messages with your fans?

Junho: We will be the Drippin that will keep going beyond your expectations! We love you, Dreamin!
Alex: Hello to all the Italian Dreamins! We would like to go to Italy and show you all a great performance! Till then… ‘Fighting’ everyone!