After more than 15 years in the K-pop game, Super Junior is here to reassure fans the boy band has no intention of leaving. In fact, their new music is coming in multiple chapters to prove the point.
The latest volume of new music, The Road : Keep on Going The 11th Album Vol. 1, unveiled on July 12, is packed with messages meant to raise listeners’ spirits during the summer and uplift their longtime fans, affectionately called E.L.F. for Ever Lasting Friends.
“The album title The Road : Keep on Going is about Super Junior’s path and how we will keep on going,” member Siwon tells Billboard. “It’s an album that tells the story of Super Junior’s present, includes a message of Super Junior’s now, as well as the ways we’re walking forth. Following this path, we hope you’ll also look forward to Vol. 2 of the album, which will come out later.”
Member Ryeowook adds that he’d “like our fans to feel Super Junior’s energy once again” after the group last came together in March for their slower, more sentimental The Road : Winter for Spring. He says, “We always want to share bright, positive energy, and I hope our fans will be able to let go of their stress and be happy when listening to our music. I believe that the bright energy we have is only what Super Junior can show, and all of our tracks in this album carry that. It was nice getting to work with such a great team of composers, so I hope everyone enjoys this album.”
Led by a sweet new single “Mango,” Keep on Going lets listeners know where SuJu stands. Read on for more commentary and behind-the-scenes info from the members themselves.
1. “Mango”
LEETEUK: Just like how someone might crave mangoes during the hot summer, “Mango” is an exciting track that suits the summer season well and is one that people will be reminded of each summer. I think mangoes are an attractive type of fruit as it’s more refreshing and sweeter than others. Just like a sweet mango for a loved one, the lyrics to “Mango” is a confession of wanting to become an oasis in a hot desert for a lover, expressed through the keyword mango.
KYUHYUN: It’s a very straightforward track about wanting to become the love, an oasis in the desert, for someone looking for love.
SIWON: “Mango” is one of my favorites on the album. I tend to have a bit more affection for the title tracks of our albums since it’s the ones we practice and prepare for the most; it’s always the most memorable.
LEETEUK: It’s probably because it’s been a while since we’ve gathered together as a full group, but recording this in the studio together reminded me of our good old days. With “Mango” being such a rhythmical and exciting track, we also had a lot of fun recording it.
KYUHYUN: I was assigned the last part of the track and because I’m more used to singing ballads, I actually ended up singing it with a ballad tone during group practice — the members made a lot of fun of me for turning a dance track into a ballad.
2. “Don’t Wait”
SHINDONG: “Don’t Wait” is a lively track that matches the vibe of Super Junior and is a song that’ll boost your confidence before confessing to a loved one. The lyrics are playful, and I believe it’s a track that also suits the cheerful performance of Super Junior on stage as well. To explain the concept of the music video, the Super Junior members are divided into two groups, the dandy-looking versus the tough guys, and they compete in a dance competition in order to impress the lady. But the lady turned out to be…LEETEUK. How sad! This probably wasn’t what the director had in mind but, starting with myself, we all got a bit competitive over being funny. So the behind-the-scenes story would be us working hard to make the scenes funnier and we couldn’t stop laughing throughout!
3. “My Wish”
YESUNG: “My Wish” is a pop ballad track with a whistling sound that sets the vibe when it comes to this album. It’s a song that expresses always wanting to be with a loved one, and beautifully speaks about our hopes for all those listening to be happy and wanting to give them strength.
LEETEUK: “My Wish” is one of my favorite tracks from this album. It’s got a great melody and is a bit sentimental, giving off a very romantic vibe.
DONGHAE: The track was great from the starting [demo version], but it was even better when we heard the final version after all our members finished recording. For me, this is one of the tracks from this album that stands out the most.
YESUNG: I spent a lot of time thinking about and practicing this track before going in to record. Though there were some parts that went a bit differently than I had imagined, I recorded this track thinking of all the individuals with us who’d listen to this song, so it was very meaningful. I hope that everyone, including our fans, will gain a bit of strength when they listen to “My Wish” and be reminded of good memories whilst feeling love and hope as well.
4. “Everyday”
EUNHYUK: “Everyday” is an alternative-rock track with a rhythmical electric guitar and addictive melody. It’s an exciting easy-to-sing-along type of track with lyrics that express an overflowing heart one has towards a loved one in a concise-yet-cute way where “Everyday” is not enough to express that love.
RYEOWOOK: There’s a part in the lyrics that go along the lines of “I like this moment with you, always want you, the answer is always you.” We sang this song with the thought of being with our E.L.F. so when you’re feeling down, or even when you’re feeling happy, I hope you’ll think of Super Junior and find strength.
5. “Always”
DONGHAE: “Always” is a track that speaks of the promise we’ve made with our fans to always be by their side. It’s a message of us being by our fans’ side and our fans being by ours, expressing the love and affection we have and how we both need each other.
EUNHYUK: I really like how the lyrics are for our fans. This is actually a track that’s dear to me because I was able to participate in writing the lyrics and, by doing so, express more of the heart we have for our fans.
RYEOWOOK: I’d have to say I’m most excited to perform “Always” live because it’s a track that really shows Super Junior’s vocals. If you listen carefully to the lyrics, you’ll be able to feel the love we have for our fans. Especially for the high notes, we tried to hit them clearly so that our fans can feel that surge of energy when listening.
