The Korea Herald

지나쌤

‘Red Point’ filled with Teen Top touch

By KH디지털2

Published : Jan. 18, 2016 - 14:04

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Sextet boy group Teen Top’s latest EP “Red Point” is packed with music and lyrics from the members themselves, showing that they are slowly making the evolution from an idol group to a crew of self-producing musicians.

“The members all began writing music and lyrics last year,” leader C.A.P told reporters at a media showcase at Ilchi Art Hall in Seoul on Monday. “The whole team is moving in that direction.”

“I think we all began writing so that we could perform the music that each of us wanted,” said Changjo.

Teen Top members pose for the press at Ilchi Art Hall in Seoul on Monday. (TOP Media) Teen Top members pose for the press at Ilchi Art Hall in Seoul on Monday. (TOP Media)

Teen Top members C.A.P, L.Joe, Niel and Changjo are credited on five of the six tracks on the EP, with C.A.P’s production team OllePolle credited for music and lyrics on the last track “Don’t Drink.” Rappers C.A.P and L.Joe cowrote the lyrics and rap for lead track “Warning Sign” as well as “Please, don’t go,” “Day” and “Day after Day.” Niel, who debuted as a soloist last year with the album “oNIELy,” cowrote the music and lyrics for “Liar.”

Notable differences from Teen Top’s previous performances are the presence of a ballad track (“Please, Don’t Go”) and the unusual choreography of the lead track “Warning Sign.”

“Teen Top doesn’t have many ballads,” said Chunji. “We tried out a ballad this time called ‘Please, Don’t Go,’ and it’s a sad song about a guy who regrets a breakup and is asking his love to come back.’”

“I actually really like ballads,” added Ricky. “So ‘Please, Don’t Go’ is my favorite track as well.”

Teen Top performs “Warning Sign” for press at Ilchi Art Hall in Seoul on Monday. (TOP Media) Teen Top performs “Warning Sign” for press at Ilchi Art Hall in Seoul on Monday. (TOP Media)

For the lead track “Warning Sign” produced by Shin Hyuk, who gave Teen Top a boost into the global market with the song “Supa Love” and also masterminded EXO’s megahit “Growl,” Teen Top chose to sidestep their usual perfectly synced dance moves performed in classic idol formations, going, instead, for a more fluid routine that combined clean-cut moves with smoother arcs and had the members roaming around the stage in various groupings and positions.

According to Teen Top’s agency TOP Media, the overall concept for the “Warning Sign” performance is a brooding, masculine image described as going “beyond homme fatale to Teen Top fatale.”

“The structure of the choreography tangles us together, but still creates a sense of harmony throughout,” said Niel. “For this performance, we focused more on the overall structure of the choreography than on a particular key dance move.”

Teen Top’s new EP “Red Point” was released Monday.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)