Marking their next major milestone with a release on September 10th at 11pm KST, global K-pop group 1VERSE—comprising members Kenny, Nathan, and Aito—is stepping into a new phase of creative evolution. Moving beyond their debut narrative, the trio opens up about their collaborative songwriting process, their artistic growth over the past year, and the everyday moments off-stage that keep them grounded as friends.
Nathan, you mentioned that this comeback feels deeply personal because you put so much of yourselves into the concept, composition, and direction. How has the internal decision-making process within 1VERSE evolved since WABIF, especially when balancing your individual musical identities as Kenny, Nathan, and Aito?
Nathan: “Yeah, so last time with our songwriting process, even though each of us contributed something, this time we were all in a room together, so we all had immediate ways to bounce ideas off each other. As we keep going through life—since we already bring our own experiences and stories into our songwriting process—as time goes on, we experience more things together, like going to the arcade and playing claw machines. We were able to come up with ideas easier than last time because we experienced that together. Compared to last time, we were able to bounce off each other much easier this time.”
After a full cycle of world tour stages and media coverage, the initial ‘debut story’ naturally shifts toward artistic continuity. When building the sound and narrative for this upcoming single, what specific trope or expectation from your debut phase were you all most determined to move past?
Aito: “I think it’s important for me to show how much we have grown since we debuted. In the new song we’re releasing, we put in everything we learned in our first year, so I hope we can continually learn, grow, and apply that into our music.”
Touring involves sharing spaces, long flights, and tight schedules for weeks on end. What is one unwritten rule or personal boundary that developed organically among the three of you to keep daily life peaceful on the road?
Kenny: “We have video evidence of this! One night in Milan, the beds were really close, Olympic-style. I had a really good night of sleep, and my leg just decided to tickle Nathan a little bit over on his side. He was like, ‘Hey yo, Kenny, can you put your leg back on your bed?’ I was like, ‘What? Oh, my bad!’ So spatial awareness! We decided to separate our beds even further now.”
Nathan: “It’s an unwritten rule of spatial awareness!”
When you have a rare day completely off from rehearsals, vocal recording, or filming, what is a shared activity or meal that instantly brings the three of you back into synch as friends rather than group members?
Nathan: “After a long day’s hard work, the three of us actually go to arcades quite often to play claw machines. Also, going to a sushi buffet together!”
When something unexpected happens live on stage—like a wardrobe malfunction, a missed cue, or a sudden prop issue—what subtle facial expression or signal do Kenny, Nathan, and Aito use to communicate with each other without the audience noticing?
Nathan: “Actually, no! When we were in Detroit, the projector screen fell down right in front of our faces while performing Shattered, blocking the view for 5TARZ. I didn’t look at the guys at all, but we all just kept going. The music stopped, and we just went from the top. Our teacher always tells us that if you make a mistake on stage, make sure you don’t make it visible.”
Kenny: “There was also a section where Nathan got his shoe stuck on his outfit and disappeared for a bit! I thought he was injured, but then he came back hopping on one foot!”
Nathan: “Yeah, I was hopping on one foot off stage, but the guys were still totally locked in.”
Elisa Cutullè