There is always room for something eye-catchingly strange and uniquely different in the K-Pop world. Now, an emerging boy group named DXMON has officially debuted and is ready to catch your gaze with, as one fan put it, their “live vocals, insane stage presence and intriguing choreography.”
With the visual quirks likened to groups like 2NE1 or Big Bang and with enough energy to be deemed mini-ATEEZ, it seems fans are really “burning up” over this new boy group. Although all groups have their own individuality and should be seen for their own branded style, these six members of DXMON have received countless compliments and comparisons. Quite the great start!
Now, members Minjae, Seita, Hee, TK, Rex, and Jo sat down to discuss their pre-debut single, “Burn Up,” mini album Hyperspace, and how the group’s chemistry has been before and after debut. DXMON may be new but they certainly have a lot of interesting stories to tell in our exclusive interview.
How does it feel to be the first group to debut in 2024?
MINJAE: “It’s such an honor to be the first group to debut in 2024. We’ll be a group that thinks of this title preciously and do our best in every moment.”
JO: “We happened to debut in 2024 which is the Year of the Dragon! We’re so happy, and we’re so thrilled to show our performance that we have prepared so diligently! We’ll work even harder as members of DXMON!”
Their debut was quite a success. The boys’ debut track is a rowdy hip-hop-inspired title song with strong and steady vocals that mimic many K-pop boy groups without sounding cliche. Something that stands out for fans more than anything is the visual concept for “Burn Up.”
What message do you want to convey to your fans with the track “Burn Up” and how did you feel when you first heard the song?
MINJAE: “I remember being impressed by the song’s catchy sounds right from the start. As soon as you listen to it, you can feel the vibrant energy of this hip-hop track, which also motivated us to show a powerful performance. We wanted to share our powerful energy with our fans through ‘Burn Up.’”
TK: “’Burn Up’ itself was visually powerful and energetic. Through this, we wanted to deliver our unique colors to the fans and the public.”
Surprisingly, no one has yet to comment on JO’s wild spikey hair -YET! (Keep reading and see how JO felt about his whacky hairstyle). It appears DXMON is trying to treat the look as a natural aesthetic akin to Sandara Park’s palm tree hair from her 2NE1 debut days.
Tell us the inspiration behind your mini-album Hyperspace – what inspired the music style and title of this album?
MINJAE: “Hyperspace denotes the idea of a ‘space beyond three dimensions,’ and there are books related to this idea as well. Based on various thoughts, our album Hyperspace is a process of filling that space. It’s an album where you can also preview the future activities of DXMON. The concept of space can also be seen as something where my perspective and another person’s perspective differ. As DXMON leaps beyond this space, it signifies the existence of another world, and with each leap, it encapsulates the idea of evolving our music while growing alongside our fans, with synchronized footsteps. With the double title tracks ‘Burn Up’ which is filled with DXMON’s passion and ‘SPARK’ which conveys our journey of striving toward our dreams, we have encapsulated the message we wish to convey.”
Deep stuff!
Now that their concept has been fully understood, it’s important to connect the stars of this dream galaxy – the members! Life before and after debut can be very frivolous and filled with excitement after all.
When the group members first met, how did you feel about each other? What were your first impressions?
HEE: “JO was polite and full of energy. REX loved rap and looked cheerful. TK was passionate and full of many talents, and I thought SEITA was a meticulous person who cared a lot about his surroundings. MINJAE has the ability to create a good atmosphere around him and I could just sense his kindness.”
REX: “I initially thought SEITA looked a bit cold so I suspected that I would not be able to approach him easily, but he is actually very gentle and kind, so I thought he had unexpected charms. I remember MINJAE’s skills were so good from when he first joined. I thought, ‘So this is a real trainee!’ HEE looked very cute so I thought he was younger than me, and I was surprised to learn that he is actually older than me. When I first met TK, I was pleasantly surprised at how nice he was. Even after some time, he still remained a nice and kind person, which is his true personality. I remember JO being very quiet and cute, and I just wanted to gently bite him as a gesture of affection.”
Biting? Maybe we can expect a vampire concept next? It seems the group happily grew closer in their own Hyperspace.
Are there any funny stories you can share with fans about your pre-debut days?
TK: “There was a time when I thought we were on the same wavelength. I was so hungry one day, and I thought to myself, ‘We should eat something.’ I was about to tell this to the members but suddenly, the members and I said, ‘Do you guys want to eat something?’ simultaneously. It was really cool and fun! I remember thinking, ‘Are we even matching on the times we get hungry?’”
JO: “I went to the hair salon after receiving our concept proposal, and even people at the hair salon were surprised and started laughing. When I came back to the company, everyone burst out laughing. It was such a fun moment! (I was surprised to see myself in the mirror too)”
The mystery of this hairstyle has been revealed! (Somewhat) Whoever chose it and who picked JO will forever remain a secret in Hyperspace.
The group also has Japanese member SEITA among all the Korean members. Are there any cultural differences or difficulty communicating? How do you guys bond with each other?
MINJAE: “In fact, SEITA’s Korean was already good when I joined the company. When there was a word he didn’t know, we would all tell him the meaning, and SEITA would teach us Japanese, which I think helped build our teamwork!”
SEITA: “Honestly, there were a lot of difficulties. However, HEE has been providing a lot of help ever since the first day I came to Korea because we spent a lot of time together in the dorm. Now, I think I can relay my thoughts in Korean without much trouble these days and I’m always grateful to the members!”
What is your current dream or goal as a group?
REX: “My goal as a group is to win the Rookie of the Year award!!”
TK: “I think my biggest goal is to win the Rookie of the Year award as well. We’ll work harder and improve ourselves to achieve that goal.”
The boys are working hard to gain new fans and popularity. Let’s definitely show our support for what’s to come in the near future with DXMON!
After happily reflecting on their debut days and sharing stories of their current feelings as full-fledged idols, the six boys of DXMON had a final message for their new fans.
MINJAE: “First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who loves us. We’ll try to be a group that repays all the love we’ve received in an even bigger form. We hope our new fans will also keep their eyes on our growth in the future! We love you.”
JO: “Please continue watching DXMON’s journey and stay with us! I love you!!”
The boys of DXMON may have a hardcore concept but they are sweeties at heart. DXMON loves the stage as much as they love their fans and they plan to release more songs in the future.
Have you listened to their debut album Hyperspace yet? If so, which song did you enjoy the most? Don’t forget to follow the members on social media and stay tuned for more exclusive interviews with us! Let’s wish DXMON lots of luck in winning the Rookie of The Year award!
