Since their debut in 2023, 82MAJOR has been slowly, steadily building. This September, that journey hit a turning point with the group’s second single album HEAT – and their first music show win.

“Like Fire” scored 82MAJOR a number one on Show Champion, a moment made even more meaningful for SEONG MO, who served as an MC on the show for over a year. At last, he spoke about the feeling of being on the receiving end of a trophy rather than being the one presenting it. For SEONG IL, the award was also a gift for the CEO of Great M Entertainment, who he described as a mother figure. Each step towards that sought-after milestone has been led, first and foremost, by dedication and gratitude.

YE CHAN describes the excitement he feels for creation and for the future of 82MAJOR, a future led by what DO GYUN defines as the group’s "irreplaceable" identity. SEONG BIN emphasises the impact of the fans, whose encouragement plays a huge part in the formation of that identity and in their own enjoyment on stage. SEOK JOON recalls behind-the-scenes laughter during filming and the late night brainstorming that led to the creation of HEAT. All amount to the authentic, consistent success that 82MAJOR has accrued so far, and points to an upward trajectory.

KPOPWORLD caught up with 82MAJOR to discuss the creation of HEAT and its two leading tracks, “Like Fire” and “wyd?”, as well as their vision for the present and future.

Congratulations on the release of your single album, HEAT, and on the success of FEELM earlier this year. How did you feel seeing the response online?

HWANG SEONG BIN The response was even better than I expected, and I’m truly grateful. I’m so happy because it feels like we’ve taken another step toward achieving the goal I’ve always dreamed of. We’ll keep working hard!

PARK SEOK JOON Every time we get to see and feel that kind of response firsthand, it makes me incredibly happy.

YOON YE CHAN Honestly, when we first released FEELM, I knew it was going to do good. But not THAT good. It came as a surprise to all of us.

How has the support that FEELM received impacted your approach to the release of HEAT?

NAM SEONG MO The amount of love FEELM received gave us a lot of motivation to make HEAT an album as strong as FEELM.

KIM DO GYUN FEELM gave us the chance to meet so many 82DE, and with this album, I wanted to meet more of them and give them something they would be happy with. That made me determined to work harder.

Two new songs from your single album HEAT, “Like Fire” and “wyd?”, are both quite laid-back and understated in comparison to some of your previous music like “TROPHY” and “CAGE.” What is your intention behind this new style?

YOON YE CHAN Honestly, as the producer for “wyd?”, I wanted to express a feeling we’ve yet to express through our music. Obviously, we’ve done R&B, we’ve done easy listening, but we haven’t done anything with a hint of the 2000s mixed into it, and obviously, as a 2000s baby, it was inevitable. I had to do it.

Some of the teasers for HEAT take on more of a bizarre, comedic approach. What was it like to film?

PARK SEOK JOON It was extremely hot when we filmed the “82club” video, so we worked even harder to keep our energy up! The atmosphere on set was just super fun.

HWANG SEONG BIN There’s a scene in the music video where only our heads are sticking out of a grassy field. The whole set erupted in laughter because everyone thought we looked so cute.

As usual, several members participated in the behind-the-scenes creation of the new release, HEAT. Can you share any stand-out moments from the process this time around?

PARK SEOK JOON We worked on the lyrics for “wyd?” late at night after we had wrapped up our schedule for the day. Even though we were tired, I really enjoyed staying up late, discussing ideas, and working on the song with the guys.

YOON YE CHAN During the creation of “wyd?”, it first started with a loop I made back in like 2023, and I sent it over to Konquest (shout out to him), and he linked us up with Jay Dope, who co-produced the track with me. Definitely an experience.

Do you think your approach to creating music has changed since your debut? How?

NAM SEONG MO We’ve been creating our own music and communicating with our fans through it since our debut. Now, I think we have a better sense of what kinds of music and performances our fans like. At the same time, their feedback and encouragement whenever we try something new give us energy and help us create music freely.

YOON YE CHAN Definitely, I feel like my approach to music as a whole has changed. The

way I make music, the places I get inspiration from... they have all changed over time, and I can feel myself developing as a producer and as a songwriter. We have a whole lot of songs in the vault right now ready to come out to the world, and I can’t wait to show it to you all, seriously.

Does taking on the responsibility of contributing to your own music give you a sense of added pressure? How do you deal with that?

CHO SEONG IL I think that kind of pressure is necessary. It pushes us to do better. But when I think about the people listening to our music, the pressure seems to disappear. All I can think about is wanting to do my best for them.

YOON YE CHAN Honestly, no. If anything, I’m super excited for the future and excited to see what I can create. I’m always super down to make tracks, songs, and melodies as long as you don’t give me like a 2-day due date lol.

82MAJOR has become known as a performance-oriented group, with such strong choreography and impressive live performances. Are there any songs that stand out as your favourite to perform, and why?

HWANG SEONG BIN It’s “Need That Bass” for me. Our fans really jump around and have fun when we perform it. Seeing them enjoy themselves makes us perform with more energy.

KIM DO GYUN I would choose “Face Time.” Between the chair choreography and the overall vibe of the song, I naturally become more confident whenever we perform it.

PARK SEOK JOON I would also choose “Need That Bass.” Our fans always respond so

enthusiastically, which makes it the most fun song to perform.

Your music and especially your performances carry a sense of confidence. How do you embody that attitude on stage? What is going through your mind?

NAM SEONG MO Since we created many of the songs ourselves, I think we know them better than anyone. That allows us to perform them with greater confidence.

CHO SEONG IL I think the confidence comes from all our practice. During rehearsals, we spend a lot of time visualizing how the performance will go. For example, we imagine how our fans might respond when we hold the microphone out to them, and we also practice how to draw an even bigger response. I think all of that comes out naturally when we’re onstage.

Are there any performance styles or concepts that you’d like to try in the future?

CHO SEONG IL I think it would be fun to try a concept that lets us just mess around and have fun together onstage, like “wyd?” from this album.

KIM DO GYUN I’d love to try new styles, but I also want to develop our own distinct identity even further. I think we’re still in the process of discovering exactly what that is.

Earlier this year, 82MAJOR toured Europe for the first time. Over the summer, you have also performed at several awards shows and festivals, including WATERBOMB. How has the variety of events and audiences strengthened your performances?

NAM SEONG MO As we’ve gained more experience interacting with different audiences,

we’ve started including more songs in our setlists that we can enjoy together with the audience. It makes our performances more fun.

PARK SEOK JOON Those performances and the sound of our fans cheering are what fuel us. The more we perform and the more we hear our fans’ voices, the harder we want to work.

When people hear the name 82MAJOR, what do you want them to think of? What do you want to be known for?

CHO SEONG IL We want to create a trend that is uniquely 82MAJOR. I hope more people will remember us and follow our lead.

KIM DO GYUN “Irreplaceable.” I want us to be remembered as a group with such a distinct identity that no one else could take our place.