As the boundaries of global pop continue to evolve, AM8IC (엠빅)—the five-member boy group under TOV Entertainment—stands out as a uniquely compelling voice in the 5th generation K-pop landscape. Composed entirely of Chinese members—Mingkai, Roux, Saho, Chungyi, and Chen—the group fuses the deep emotional resonance of their Chinese heritage with the meticulous artistry and performance precision of Korean training. Their very name, derived from “AMBI” (two-way) and “CONNECT,” embodies their core mission: creating authentic, multidirectional connections across borders, languages, and identities through music.

Ahead of their highly anticipated appearance at THE A FESTIVAL in Paris on October 24 and 25—organized by 5Oceans and Envol Production—AM8IC spoke with us about navigating cross-cultural narratives, their reverence for European fan culture, and how their personal journeys shape their collective identity. In this interview, the members open up about what “home” truly feels like amidst a global career, how they approach genre transformations, and what drives their passion as they step onto the European stage for the very first time.

European & Global Synthesis

Operating as a cross-cultural group anchored by Chinese heritage and Korean training, how do you perceive the dialogue between Eastern and Western pop traditions? Beyond artistic differences, what specific cultural nuances or historical musical movements in Europe feel most compellingly distinct from your own background?

To be honest, we’re still getting to know European culture and its musical history, so we wouldn’t want to single out a particular movement without understanding it better. We’re excited to experience more of it firsthand.

What interests us most so far is seeing how fans in Europe have made K-pop part of their own lives. It’s not just about the songs. It’s also the connection between artists and fans, the energy of the performances, the fashion, and the visuals. Fans respond to all of that in their own languages and in their own ways. We find it interesting that the same music can take on a different meaning depending on who is listening.

To us, the exchange between Eastern and Western pop is about people influencing one another and finding new ways to express themselves. We grew up in China, trained in Korea, and now have the opportunity to perform for European audiences. That makes us part of that exchange, too. We want to be active participants in it—to share what we do, learn from the people we meet, and give them a reason to be curious about us.

The Sensory Mosaic of Home

Having navigated diverse geographic and cultural landscapes throughout your training and career, the concept of home often becomes abstract. What is one specific sensory anchor—a regional dish, an ambient city sound, or a familiar scent—that instantly transcends cultural borders and grounds you in a sense of home?

There are so many things—food, people, familiar streets—but if we had to choose one, it would be the sound of familiar voices when we arrive at the airport. After spending so much time training and working in Korea, we sometimes return to China for a short break. Before we’ve even seen our families or reached home, hearing the conversations around us is enough to make us think, “I’m back.”

There’s a sense of relief before we’ve done anything at all. Then we eat something familiar or walk down a street we’ve known for years, and that feeling becomes even stronger. It’s almost as if our bodies recognize the place before we consciously think about it.

That’s the special thing about home. You don’t have to achieve anything or explain yourself. Just being surrounded by the sounds and atmosphere of somewhere you’ve spent so much of your life can make you feel at ease.

Cross-Cultural Narrative

Transcending language and cultural boundaries is central to your global identity. When bridging different linguistic traditions and audience expectations in your creative work, how do you ensure the core story of your music resonates universally without losing its distinct cultural authenticity?

We trained and debuted as K-pop artists, so we put a lot of effort into understanding the language and expression of the music we perform. That goes beyond getting the Korean pronunciation right. We work on what each line really means, which words need emphasis, and how our phrasing and delivery can bring out the emotion. We spend a lot of time in the studio going over those details.

Our CEO told us that when he was planning a K-pop group made up entirely of Chinese members, one of his biggest priorities was our attitude toward K-pop. For us, that means respecting and learning from what earlier generations of artists have built, then thinking about what we can contribute through our own voices and experiences.

Our Chinese backgrounds are also a natural part of who we are. We film most of our own content in Korean, but we’re not completely fluent yet, so we sometimes switch between Korean, Chinese, and English. We might end up talking about something from our lives in China or sharing a part of the culture we grew up with. That’s simply how we communicate with each other.

We think feelings like missing someone, chasing a dream, or being afraid of what comes next can reach people across languages. Our job is to understand the story we’re telling and mean what we sing. If we do that, we hope listeners from different backgrounds can hear something of themselves in our music. The combination of what we’ve learned and what we’ve lived is what gives AM8IC its own character.

Alternative Reality

Stepping outside the frame of global entertainment, what field of study, technical discipline, or academic pursuit would each member be engaged in today if your paths hadn’t led to a creative career?

CHEN: If I hadn’t become an artist, I think I would have wanted to work in fashion design, styling, or visual identity for a brand. I really like the idea of starting with a thought and gradually turning it into something real. That process would give me a real sense of achievement. Even if I weren’t a singer, I think I would still choose a field where I could make things and express myself. In the future, I’d love to bring my interests in music, fashion, and visuals together to create something of my own.

CHUNGYI: I know the question asks us to imagine a life outside entertainment, but my mind still goes to acting. It’s something I’ve been interested in for a while, so if I hadn’t become a singer, I think I would have studied acting and tried to become an actor.

ROUX: It’s hard for me to picture myself in a completely different field. If I weren’t an idol, I think I would have explored music production or worked as a dancer. Music and dance let me express feelings that I can’t always put into words. I think I would have wanted to keep doing that in some form.

MINGKAI: If I hadn’t become an idol, I think I would have studied photography or film directing. I like expressing my feelings and the way I see things through a camera. I’d love to turn the images and stories in my head into something people can actually watch.

SAHO: It’s honestly difficult to imagine doing something completely unrelated. [Laughs.] Even if I weren’t an idol, I think I would still be connected to music somehow—as a musician, working behind the scenes, or perhaps as a teacher. The job itself might be different, but being able to keep pursuing what I love and building the life I want would make me happy.

Genre Transformation

If AM8IC were tasked with taking an intimate, localized acoustic indie-folk song from a completely different cultural setting and re-imagining it into a heavy, electronic dance track, which song would you choose to transform, and how would you preserve its original essence?

We haven’t settled on a particular song, but we’d be interested in reworking music with a delicate sense of rhythm and atmosphere, such as the guitar sounds you hear in bossa nova. We’re especially drawn to guitar-led music and the idea of creating choreography that tells a story throughout the song.

We explored something similar when we created our own choreography for a cover performance of Lucky Daye’s “Buying Time.” We wanted to express the mood and emotional progression of the song through a full choreographed performance. Finding ways to tell more of a song’s story through movement is something we want to keep pursuing.

If we were taking that approach into a heavier electronic dance track, we would build around a distinctive guitar melody or rhythmic pattern from the original, then introduce a stronger bass line and electronic production. Even as the sound became more intense, we’d want the movement—and the moments of stillness in the choreography—to hold on to the original’s more delicate feelings.

For us, preserving a song’s essence doesn’t necessarily mean keeping every sound the same. It means finding a new way to communicate the feeling that drew us to it in the first place. If our version made someone curious enough to go back and listen to the original, that would make the reinterpretation meaningful to us.

Elisa Cutullè