Ryul
LNGSHOT return with their new EP S.W.I.S.H. The release continues the “hustle” the group has kept up since debuting in January this year with their first EP SHOT CALLERS. Since then, they have put out two mixtapes, the EP Training Day collecting their pre-debut work, and a string of OSTs and singles.
S.W.I.S.H. captures LNGSHOT’s style in a different way from SHOT CALLERS. Every track on SHOT CALLERS has its own distinct feel. On S.W.I.S.H., you can hear how the tracks connect to each other. Woojin added that it is “an album with a really fun musical attitude.”
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S.W.I.S.H. marks both LNGSHOT’s growth and a turning point for the group. Ahead of its release, Billboard Korea sat down with LNGSHOT for an exclusive interview.
Since September, you’ve been special guests on Jay Park’s world tour SERENADES & BODY ROLLS. How did it feel to perform for overseas audiences, and are there any moments that stand out?
Woojin: I remember that a lot of Louis’s family came to our show in France. We were also lucky to tour with Jay Park for two months, and every show sold out except in one city. The crowds were so responsive, and that gave us a lot of strength. Early on after our debut there was so much to worry about. But the more we performed and the more the audience responded, the more relaxed we got, and we could just have fun. We really enjoyed it. We’re the first idol group Jay Park has created, so I think when we look back later, these two months on the road with him as special guests will feel like a one-of-a-kind moment.
Ryul: I think I learned how to enjoy myself on stage. He also passed on a lot of know-how, like fan service, how to treat fans, and how to handle a busy schedule. He taught us how to take care of our mental health and how to stay mentally strong. We were preparing our comeback while touring, so we matured in some ways, and we learned a lot about what we need to do on stage and going forward.
How did you balance the tour with preparing for your comeback?
Woojin: Even before the tour, we kept making songs whenever we had time. In July and August, before we left, we sorted out all the songs, re-recorded them, and revised every part. During the tour, we shot the music video overseas, changed the choreography, and did more recording. Funnily enough, “Bananas” is a demo we’d been considering since before our debut.
Tell us what makes this album S.W.I.S.H. and its title track “Bananas” different.
Woojin: Looking back to our debut, I think we got off to a good start. I think we had the energy to show people what makes us appealing. On this album, more and more of our own style is coming through, the same way the Memphis sound did on SHOT CALLERS.
“Bananas” is a song with a really fun musical attitude. The hook makes you feel like things are about to get hyped and you’re about to turn up, but then there’s a twist where it dies down. That’s where it hooks you even more. That attitude is what makes it fun.
Ryul: The more you listen to S.W.I.S.H., the more strangely addictive it gets. The tracks are connected, so it’s even better when you listen all the way through.
Ohyul: Every track is good. We started with SHOT CALLERS by making what we love, and that start went well, so I believe people will connect with this too. We made this album in our own style as much as we could.
Ohyul
What time of day would you recommend listening to S.W.I.S.H.? Tell us what feels right to each of you.
Ohyul: No matter what time it is, if our music makes you turn up, I think that makes it a good song. So I hope people listen anytime and turn up. (laughs)
Ryul: All of us, me included, keep a close eye on fan reactions through our 4shoboiz account (LNGSHOT’s second Instagram account). The Instagram algorithm showed me a post from someone who said listening to “Never Let Go” (track 5 on SHOT CALLERS) before bed helps them fall asleep. I hope the songs on S.W.I.S.H. also stay with listeners, whatever time of day they listen.
How was “Bananas” chosen as the title track?
Woojin: Before our debut, the production team sent us links to demos. There were quite a few songs, and the one we picked was “Bananas.” When I heard the hook, the shock was like getting CPR. It felt kind of like an electric shock, too.
Before it became the title track, there were five versions of “Bananas,” with names like “Bananas A” and “Bananas D-1.” There was even a version with a band feel. While refining the song, we also tried putting the parts in all kinds of different places.
Woojin
Ryul: Everyone liked “Bananas.” I was really surprised when I first heard it. The version on the album was reshaped into LNGSHOT style as we wrote some of the parts ourselves.
Ohyul: Right. The demo of “Bananas” was shocking. Before our debut, we recorded it in our practice room, sent it to Jay Park, and played it for him too. So it’s amazing to see that song make it all the way to the title track.
We heard “Bananas” honestly captures the complicated emotions you felt as everything around you changed so quickly after your debut. What were those emotions?
Woojin: For me, it felt like reaching a big turning point. I’d been a trainee since elementary school, and I debuted at 19, right before becoming an adult. Preparing for stages and working on music while going to school felt surreal. Going to school and then catching a flight at the airport, actually being with an artist like Jay Park, all of it. Music was a big part of why I became a fan of Jay Park in the first place. Meeting rappers and beatmakers was amazing too.
There was pressure, too. I was attached to SHOT CALLERS and the response was good, so the pressure was huge. When we came back with the next EP, we had to show something even better. I think that feeling comes through in “Bananas.” I see “Bananas” as a song with two sides. Both the lyrics and the beat have that duality, and I really relate to it.
Ohyul: I think this album holds more emotions than SHOT CALLERS. A lot of fun moments and a lot of shocking moments went into it. When the beat in “Bananas” switches, I get that dual feeling Woojin talked about, and I like that. Listening to it feels like being transported to another place.
Woojin: It’s almost like an out-of-body experience.
Did you play the new songs for any peers or friends? How did they react?
Ohyul: Early in recording, I played it for Woonhak from BOYNEXTDOOR, and he really loved it. We play each other a lot of our music, not just EPs but even practice tracks.
While working on this album or on tour, what feedback from Jay Park stuck with you?
Woojin: What he kept saying was “This is really sophisticated.” He said he was moved that, only nine months after debut, our music already sounded mature and even polished.
Ryul: He said we feel more grown up. We also got closer to him during this tour. We were already close, but it feels like we’ve gotten even closer.
S.W.I.S.H. stands for “Swag With Integrity Shapes History,” and we heard it reflects LNGSHOT’s direction of starting a new wave with a swag that is genuinely your own. What does “swag with integrity” mean to you?
Ryul: To me, “Kim Ryul’s swag” is “swag I try to hold on to.” Staying the same, always. I try to be the same person whether I’m working or not. I think that’s more human and cooler. Jay Park is always the same too, with no line between work and his personal life, and I’ve learned a lot from seeing that side of him.
What does S.W.I.S.H. mean to each of you?
Ohyul: It’s like the starting line of a marathon. This is LNGSHOT’s first comeback, so it feels like we’re setting off again, in a different way from our debut. I want to look at LNGSHOT’s journey over the long run. You don’t finish a marathon in one go. You run it while managing your pace. Like a marathon, S.W.I.S.H. feels like an album where we’re just starting to run.
Ryul: I think it’s an album that marks a turning point. We’re releasing it at an important moment, not just for me but for LNGSHOT.
Woojin: To me, S.W.I.S.H. feels like the end of my teens. It’s like a year-end party of an album. Maybe because I’m still in school, it still hasn’t really sunk in that I’ve debuted. But I think S.W.I.S.H. might be the album that lets me say goodbye to my trainee days. It’s sad, but I’m grateful too.
It’s year-end awards season. It must be hard not to think about Rookie of the Year.
Louis: We’ve given it our all and worked hard the whole way, so whether we win or not, I don’t think we’ll have any regrets. If we don’t win, that’ll become motivation in its own way.
Louis
Ryul: If we win, I plan to send a thank-you message to our SHOTTIES and give a better reaction than anyone. (laughs)
Ohyul: Of course it would be great to win. But I realized that if you keep thinking about just one thing, beyond the award itself, you end up chasing only that and might feel empty later. So I decided to focus on what I can do right now.
What kind of year was this for each of you, and what do you hope next year will be like? What do you want to achieve next year? Even small things are fine.
Woojin: Something I realized on tour is that next year I want to put on a show just for SHOTTIES (our fandom name). Festivals and events are great too, but I want to do a show that’s LNGSHOT’s own. For the rest, I’ll go with the flow. (laughs)
Ryul: I have no plans. This year we did a lot of overseas schedules, so next year I want to see our fans in Korea up close more often.
Louis: I don’t have a specific goal. It’ll keep being tough, but I want to keep having fun like we have so far.
Ohyul: For me too, it’s starting our solo concerts. Just being able to kick off with a solo show in Seoul would mean so much.
LNGSHOT
