Photo credit: Allele Entertainment.

At first glance, RE:WIND might feel like a throwback with their Y2K visuals, glossy harmonies, and choreography straight out of a 2003 TRL countdown. But look closer, and it’s clear this isn’t just a revival. It’s a reframe. The trio’s debut era is drenched in millennial pop nostalgia, but laced with a distinctly 2025 sensibility: self-aware, emotionally complex, and rooted in an Asian American experience that rarely had space on the main stage back then.

Their debut single “FOREVER” is a sugar-rush love letter to early-2000s pop – but also an intentional subversion of it. Underneath the pastel glow and syncopated hooks lies a tension: between fantasy and reality, surface and self. That duality runs through RE:WIND’s DNA. Before their official debut, they dropped “RE:SET,” a prelude track that unearthed the pressure, precarity, and perseverance behind the scenes. As they put it, RE:WIND isn’t about reinvention – it’s about reclaiming what was once out of reach.

Their visuals evoke the frutiger aero optimism of DCOM-era aesthetics, but their messaging hits deeper: identity, belonging, and the quiet work of bridging cultures. As one of the first Asian American groups navigating the K-pop industry on their own terms, RE:WIND are building something for the next wave to step into.

In this exclusive Q&A, the members of RE:WIND unpack the tension behind their debut MV, reflect on identity in limbo, and explain why nostalgia – when handled with intention – can be one of the most radical tools for storytelling.

KPOPWORLD: “FOREVER” feels like a love letter to the Y2K era, but also flips some of its motifs. What parts of that time period felt relevant or resonant for you today, as Asian American artists debuting in 2025?

LEI: The music of the Y2K era was so revolutionary for us. Since we were all born between 2000 and 2003, artists like Britney Spears, *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, S.E.S., and Shinhwa were huge inspirations. We wanted to pay homage to the artists who helped us and inspired us to become musicians. Especially as Asian-Americans, we wanted to be able to blend the Y2K elements that occurred in both the American and Asian Music industries.

You kicked things off with “RE:SET” before your official debut, almost like a prologue. What did you want to express with that track that sets the foundation for RE:WIND’s story?

ELAYA: With “RE:SET,” we really wanted to share every part of the journey that brought us together. We all thought that we were struggling alone as Asian-Americans in the music industry, but quickly found peace knowing that there was someone else out there who was going through the same thing. Our producers, ENIJAE, really encapsulated the beauty in our struggles. We hope that all listeners can resonate with our story of the delayed achievement of our dreams. This song signals our past and how we have “RE:SET” the narrative and are not afraid to try again.

The opening scene of the “FOREVER” MV hints at emotional tension behind the glossy visuals. How much of that narrative is personal? Was it important for you to break the fourth wall a bit in your debut?

EDDIE: Our whole narrative as RE:WIND is centered around fantasy versus reality. For our debut, we really wanted to highlight our personal stories of being pushed between two worlds: personal life and artist life. With the opening scene, I walk into a photoshoot after receiving some sort of bad news. While tackling these emotions, I know I have to bury those feelings and act like everything is fine. Throughout the “FOREVER” MV, we show glimpses of the pop star fantasy to pay homage to Y2K artists, but also to align with our personal lives of being in the industry and having to act like we are okay, even when we are not.

Your visuals feel deeply curated – are there any visual artists, directors, or aesthetic moods that are shaping the RE:WIND world?

ELAYA: When researching this era, we felt so reminiscent of our childhoods with the frutiger aero aesthetic and 2000’s Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOM). The visuals from that era were fun and exciting because it was a new generation of technology, art, music, and fashion. When conceptualizing RE:WIND’s world, we wanted to build a world that invoked nostalgia for all audiences.

There’s also something raw and nostalgic in the aesthetic of your music videos for “RE:SET” and “FOREVER”. Was that a conscious decision, and what kind of world are you trying to build visually?

ELAYA: We want RE:WIND’s world to take place in limbo, somewhere between two worlds. The nostalgic aesthetic is signaling the start of our dreams (early-mid 2000’s), while connecting it to the present, or the achievement of our dreams. From our music, to our merchandise, to our performances, every detail is very intentional. Both “RE:SET” and “FOREVER” truly sit in the 2000’s timeline with a modern edge to it.

What was the most unexpectedly difficult part of debuting? And on the flip side, what’s been surprisingly fun or freeing about stepping into this new chapter?

LEI: Since we focus on having both personal lives and artist lives, we had one week to record and rehearse everything for our debut. It was difficult at times to step into this world so quickly but we learned so much from each other and helped where we could. It was definitely so much fun being in the recording studio together and hearing all of our voices on one track. Everyone worked so hard and we worked so well together.

Your name RE:WIND implies movement: going back, looping, restarting. What moment in your personal or artistic journey do you wish you could rewind to, and why?

ELAYA: I would love to go back to my 16 year old self who was training so hard and just tell myself, “Everything will be okay.” I know it’s cliche, but if I knew where I would end up now, I would not have stressed out so much and overworked myself.

You’re being described as the first Asian American K-pop group; a milestone, but also a lot of expectation. How do you personally interpret that responsibility, and how do you hope to shape what comes next for others like you?

EDDIE: It’s honestly wild to hear that we are the first Asian-American K-Pop group. There is a huge responsibility that comes with it because we want to help make a change and show Asian-Americans that they can be the star. Our identity as Asian-Americans has always been a rather complicated one since we never felt we fully belonged in one of the two. Even if it is a small dent, we hope to impact the industry by proving that American pop stars can look like us.

As artists who move between cultures, what parts of your identity feel the most stable, and which parts are still evolving through your music?

LEI: Something that is never changing is our love for music and for making music. Music has always been a huge part of my life and whether or not I chose to be an artist, I would have still been involved in music. As we continue to grow as artists and young adults, our music will definitely reflect our experiences and journeys.

Now that you have officially debuted, what would you say is one thing you do not want to lose sight of?

ELAYA: We definitely will always remember all the hard work we put into this journey and where we started one year ago. We were just three boys who almost gave up, but were still itching to make music and perform. We are also so grateful to our fan base, the Day 1’s. They have truly supported us even before we had any music out and are continuing to support us everyday.

"FOREVER" by RE:WIND is out now.