TREASURE

COVER STORY

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COVER STORY ✦

In 2020, YG Entertainment (home to fellow industry titans like BLACKPINK and the super rookie group BABYMONSTER) debuted their brand-new boy band TREASURE – revealing an exceptionally gifted roster of young men committed to paving their own path in the global pop music scene. And just like several of their influential labelmates who came before them, TREASURE immediately lived up to the company’s stellar reputation for curating talent through a penchant for delivering distinctive, fresh pop bangers with each passing release. 

Now, after repeatedly proving themselves as dominant artists with a capacity for consistent evolution, TREASURE has returned with a brand new chapter of their compelling career through the narrative-centric, dynamic track “KING KONG.” Thematically, the single acts as a gripping story depicting the intoxicating aspects of love through rose-colored lenses, invoking a strong sense of passion and urgency with its careful combination of potent production attributes and uncanny vocals. 

Photography: YG Entertainment | Editor-in-Chief: Aedan Juvet | Cover: Laramie Cheyenne

When delving into the hit song’s origin and intentions, TREASURE’s own JIHOON explains, “The central theme of this single, ‘KING KONG,’ is blind love. Incorporating the iconic KING KONG love story, we expressed the concept of blind love – someone who is willing to give up everything for the person they love, despite knowing that they’ll never be able to be together.”

To convey more nuanced emotions, the song’s immersive approach essentially offered the popular K-pop concoction its own set of original obstacles to overcome. He continues, “As this kind of intense and powerful love story is unlike anything we’ve showcased before, we’re really looking forward to performing ‘KING KONG’ and seeing our TREASURE MAKER’s reactions!”

Looking back at the group’s initial exposure to the track, he eventually goes on to add, “When we first heard the song, we especially loved the powerful and intense imagery conveyed in the chorus. Additionally, the lyrics, ‘네 사랑에 숨 쉬어 – Your love is the air I breathe’, stood out [to me personally], as it perfectly illustrates the main theme of the song.”

Strong lyrics aside, the song intentionally pushes the group into a different creative space by funneling these introspective themes and new sounds into a seasoned story that departs from several of the concepts we’ve witnessed in the past. YOON JAE HYUK admits, “I think our fans will particularly like the matured vibe of TREASURE, as it is the first time we are performing such an intense love story.”

Delving further into a few of the primary reasons that the song represents a new chapter, ASAHI chimes in, “The music video has a very sophisticated vibe and offers a different feel from what we’ve done before, with a lot of attention placed visually on the set and props, so we are hoping our fans will love it!”

While TREASURE has impressively used the “KING KONG” release to revamp their approach to artistry, this isn’t the first time the group has undergone a massive change of style – as witnessed in the groundbreaking 2023 [REBOOT] album. So naturally, after the overwhelmingly positive reception the album received, the group then embarked on a 2023-2024 tour, which is still currently underway. 

When reflecting on everything that TREASURE has experienced during that specific pop music revival, the group’s own SO JUNG HWAN admits to us, “We can confidently say that the interactions we had with our TREASURE MAKER during our concerts in Seoul, Japan tour, and Asian tour were the highlight of our [REBOOT] promotions.” 

YOSHI then jumps in to elaborate on the group’s gratitude for the priceless opportunity to connect with listeners through that particular album, adding, “Other key moments of our [REBOOT] era were when we were able to showcase TREASURE’s charms to the public through various appearances on different radio channels, music programs, YouTube, and more.” 

From the group’s opening show in Seoul, the album-focused tour proved to be an unmissable event for everyone in attendance, providing audiences with a remarkable opportunity to watch TREASURE challenge themselves on stage – with both TREASURE and TREASURE MAKER cherishing a live experience that’s elevated the group’s artistry.

JUNKYU specifically shares his appreciation for the engaging nature of the tour, explaining, “The more and more we go on tours and gain experience, the more we grow individually and enhance our team. Compared to the HELLO tour, we’ve definitely become more seasoned in performing on stage.”

He then highlights the sheer magnetic nature of their live shows, explaining, “Furthermore, the additions to the setlist for our REBOOT tour offer a lot more variety and spectacle on stage.”

As a result of these exceptional highs and everything the REBOOT era represented to TREASURE, the group isn’t entirely prepared to close out the tour. Still, at the very least, there are already multiple conversations happening about what comes next, and how the group will be able to reconnect with fans soon.

PARK JEONG WOO discusses the emotional transition, divulging, “Performing for and interacting with our TREASURE MAKER all over the world, hearing their loud and passionate cheers is what we’ll miss the most. However, there will be other opportunities for us to meet again, so TREASURE MAKER, don’t be too upset and please wait for us!”

Teasing the next grand chapter of their career, HARUTO also expresses interest in continuing the group’s recent trend of constructing experimental art in the months and even years to come. He clarifies, “We’d love to tackle any genre that we haven’t tried before and show the public a new side of TREASURE!”

Regardless of what those next few steps entail, the group has effectively proven that they’re equipped to handle anything the industry throws their way – as long as they remain united and have the support of their beloved TREASURE MAKER behind them.

“Our biggest goal is to continue creating great memories while giving it our all when performing for our TREASURE MAKER,” DOYOUNG tells us. “There are so many sides of us that we haven’t been able to showcase yet, so we hope to become a group with a variety of different charms in the future.”

TREASURE’s bold new track “KING KONG” is out now.