[Interview] 82MAJOR, Poised for Coachella: The ‘Live Performance Masters’
The group 82MAJOR is looking forward to gracing the Coachella stage one day. With their impressive musical capabilities and live performance skills, they have garnered significant attention. Each member is actively involved in songwriting and composing, showcasing their musical talent. Despite having only released their second album, they have already performed at various festivals and sold out their solo concert, earning the title ‘performance idols’. They are seen as the future of K-pop.
The Birth and Growth of 82MAJOR
82MAJOR (Namsungmo, Park Seokjun, Yoon Yechan, Jo Seongil, Hwang Seongbin, Kim Dokyun) derived their name from the combination of South Korea’s country code ’82’ and the word ‘major’, symbolizing their ambition to become a leading group representing South Korea. They debuted in October last year with double title tracks ‘First Class’ and ‘Sure Thing’, making a strong impression. In April, they released their first mini-album ‘BEAT by 82’ and are actively promoting their title track ‘Choke’.
Preparation for Comeback and Development
Park Seokjun said, “After our debut activities, we held a concert and then started preparing for our next album. The six-month period might have felt long to our fans, but we prepared intensely during that time. As a result, we were able to release an album that fully reflects our input.” Yoon Yechan added, “This is our first comeback, so we put in even more effort to show a more developed side compared to our debut.” Hwang Seongbin expressed confidence, saying, “All the members worked hard during the break, significantly improving our musical abilities and performance skills. Our teamwork has also strengthened, and we feel more at ease on stage.”
The Charm and Practice Behind ‘Choke’
Their new song ‘Choke’ showcases 82MAJOR’s talents and individual charms. The track highlights their appealing vocals, rap, and masterful control of dynamics in their performance, with synchronized choreography being a standout feature. Jo Seongil stated, “We really put our all into this song,” indicating their significant growth.
Namsungmo shared about their practice routine, “We usually practice from 10 AM to 11 PM. If we feel the practice is insufficient, we continue even longer.” Yoon Yechan added, “Before our comeback, we practiced until dawn, practically living in the studio.” Namsungmo said, “Thanks to this, we fall asleep as soon as we return to the dorms, doing nothing but sleeping,” confirming their dedication.
Global Response and Future Goals
‘Choke’ has topped the US iTunes K-pop chart and reached 9th place in the pop genre chart. It also secured the 44th spot in the overall genre chart, being the only K-pop song in the top 100. Global fashion magazine Elle India named 82MAJOR as one of the ‘Top 8 K-pop Newcomers to Watch for at Coachella 2025’. The group expressed their desire to perform at famous international festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza.
Jo Seongil emphasized their strength, saying, “82MAJOR’s advantage is that we can perform live and showcase our original songs. We will prove why we are called ‘performance idols’ through our stages.” Park Seokjun shared his ambition, “I want to perform a live encore on a music show after winning first place.”
Yoon Yechan said, “I want us to be a chameleon-like group, showing various musical styles from hip-hop to jazz and rock.” Kim Dokyun expressed his unique wish, “I want us to be a ’tissue-like group’ that fans find essential, with everything going smoothly for us.” Hwang Seongbin added, “I want us to always be within reach for our fans and to be an artist they can be proud of.”
