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Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Music and Concerts devider K-pop group EPEX teams up with American synth-pop duo Joan for 'so nice'

K-pop group EPEX teams up with American synth-pop duo Joan for 'so nice'

Published May 7, 2025 10:10 am

At A Glance

  • K-pop boy band EPEX released their first digital single "so nice" in collaboration with joan, a powerhouse duo of retro synth-pop genre in the US. 

K-pop boy band EPEX released their first digital single “so nice” in collaboration with joan, a powerhouse duo of retro synth-pop genre in the US. 

The single is EPEX’s first release in 2025 and their first English track. This is not the first time that EPEX collaborated with a global artist, having worked with Japanese boy group, the Fantastics from Exile Tribe, for the single “Peppermint Yum” released last year. 

“It is an absolute pleasure to be able to reveal this collaboration from a good opportunity! It was a meaningful experience for us as we received positive stimulus and created musical connections while working with joan. ‘So nice’ expresses the fluttering and exciting emotions when spending time with a loved one, and I constantly thought of our fans, ZENITH, when we were working on the track. As much as we have been eager to share this with everyone, we look forward to the moment when ‘so nice’ is released around the world!” said Keum, a member of EPEX. 

EPEX with Joan (C9 Entertainment)

“So nice,” produced by Joan, is a follow-up to their 2021 hit “so good.” With heartfelt lyrics like “When I hold your hand, stars align,” the song explores the emotional depth of romantic connection. This vibrant collaboration brings together the best of both teams’ upbeat and radiant musical styles, delivering a feel-good experience sure to resonate with listeners everywhere. 

“Last fall, we got tagged in a video of Yewang from EPEX singing one of our songs. We had been on a huge K-pop kick around that time and literally had just listened to ‘Universe.’ We connected with each other and ended up dreaming about writing a song for them, and “so nice” came out of that,” said Joan. 

They added, “We wrote it specifically for them, and we were so happy when they said they wanted to record it for their project. When they asked us to feature on it, it was an immediate ‘yes,’ and then when they asked us to fly that next week to shoot a music video together, it was an even more immediate yes. We’re so excited and honored to have written and produced this track, and cannot believe that the EPEX boys let us be on it as well. Hope you love it!” 

In addition, EPEX will be the first all-Korean idol group to hold a concert in mainland China since the country’s 2016 ban on Korean culture, including K-pop.

EPEX’s concert in Fuzhou, China on May 31 could represent the diplomatic and cultural resolution between the two countries and open opportunities for other Korean artists to visit their Chinese fans. 

The members of EPEX, under C9 Entertainment, are Wish, Keum, Mu, A-Min, Baekseung, Ayden, Yewang, and Jeff.

Related Tags

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