K-pop boy band EVNNE tops album chart with 'Hot Mess'; talks about goals, first concert

By Jonathan Hicap

K-pop boy band EVNNE made their return to the music scene with their fourth mini-album “Hot Mess.”

Released on Feb. 10, the album is fronted by the title track “Hot Mess” that captures EVNNE’s free-spirited and more laid-back choreography.

“Hot Mess” debuted at No. 1 on Hanteo Chart’s daily physical album chart on Feb. 10 with 87,668 copies sold or an equivalent of 86,722 points in physical record index, which the chart uses to rank albums by combining sales and album price.

It is also No. 1 on the daily retail album chart on Circle Chart, another music chart in South Korea.

Through “Hot Mess,” EVNNE aims to show off the group’s ability to savor and enjoy all situations and experiences, including the messy ones.

The album has two main concepts: “sowing” and “splatter.” The main concept “splatter” depicts EVNNE freely and boldly enjoying themselves in a space enveloped in a variety of colors.

Listen and stream "Hot Mess" on Apple Music and Spotify

K-pop boy band EVNNE in different concepts for their new album "HOt Mess" (Jellyfish Entertainment)

Meanwhile, the sub-concept “sowing” portrays a more relaxed EVNNE in a garden-like setting, signifying how they can keep their calm through chaotic situations, much like how, when tending to a garden, one must overcome variables and obstacles with patience in order to produce their ideal results.

The album has six new songs: “Hot Mess,” “Birthday,” “Love Like That,” “Crown,” “Youth,” and a Korean version of their previously released single “景色 (Keshiki).”

EVNNE’s members are Keita, Park Han-bin, Lee Jeong-hyeon, Yoo Seung-eon, Ji Yun-seo, Mun Jung-hyun, and Park Ji-hoo.

They made their debut under Jellyfish Entertainment in September 2023 with the mini-album “Target: Me.”

“Hot Mess” followed their previous album “Ride or Die” that was released in June last year.

2024 was a memorable year for EVNNE as they won the Global Hot Trend Award at The Fact Music Awards.

In an interview with Manila Bulletin and other media outlets, EVNNE members talked about their new album, goals and the upcoming concert.

EVNNE during the media interview (Jellyfish Entertainment)

“Hot Mess” is EVNNE’s first album in 2025 and said they want to win again on a music show and appear in a variety show.

“Since we are making a comeback after 8 months, we hope to win first place on a music show again, and we also want to appear on variety shows together as a group,” said Yoo Seung-eon.

He added that the new “album is very memorable to me because I participated in writing the lyrics for the title song for the first time, as well as for the B-side track in the album. It's very meaningful to know that my own story and lyrics that I wrote can be delivered to our fans, so I cannot wait to share them.”

For the preparation for the album, Park Ji-hoo said, “Something we put a lot of thought into is when recording our songs, trying to bring up all the small details. I remember going through a lot of edits and rerecordings to make sure we were nailing those tracks.”

Ji Yun-seo said for this comeback, they also aim to have fun while performing on stage.

“Something we are always aiming for when performing on stage is having fun on stage, as we always talk about it amongst ourselves before going on stage. I think one of the biggest elements and keywords for this comeback is having fun with joy, which allows us to pursue the music and performances we've always strived to do,” he said.

He said the concept for “Hot Mess” captured “EVNNE's positivity of having fun even in messy and chaotic situations, making even those situations intriguing and attractive. I think our album covers multiple genres rather than just one. We were able to express music of various genres in a fun way with our own unique colors.”

Park Han-bin said they have grown as a group since last year and while preparing for the new album.

“I would say that our expressions have become freer and more bold, and our stage presence has gotten stronger especially while touring. I think we definitely improved a lot as a group and noticed our own growth,” he said.

Yoo Seung-eon said they all worked hard for the album and with the support of their fans, they continue to be motivated.

“I think we are always motivated and determined, all thanks to our fans who believe in, support, and love us. Because it has been a long time since we made a comeback, we were even more passionate about working on this album. All of our members participated a lot in producing the album as we are interested in composing and writing lyrics. In addition, we are trying new things that we've never done before, so our music video was pretty experimental and we hope you look forward to it,” he said.

EVNNE’s Keita (Jellyfish Entertainment)

EVNNE's Park Han-bin (Jellyfish Entertainment)

EVNNE's Lee Jeong-hyeon (Jellyfish Entertainment)

EVNNE's Yoo Seung-eon (Jellyfish Entertainment)

EVNNE's Ji Yun-seo (Jellyfish Entertainment)

EVNNE's Mun Jung-hyun (Jellyfish Entertainment)

EVNNE's Park Ji-hoo (Jellyfish Entertainment)

Lee Jeong-hyeon added that “every moment of preparing this album has been super fun and we enjoyed every part of it, but I think the most memorable moment would be when we filmed the music video.”

The album contains the song “Youth.” Keita said for EVNNE, the word “youth” evoked memories of Jeju Island.

Park Ji-hoo agreed, saying, “Yes, I think it's when we all traveled to Jeju Island. On the first night, we had a barbeque and went out to see the ocean together, and I think that really pictured youth for us. That was very fun.”

Besides the new album, EVNNE will be having their first concert since their debut in April.

Park Ji-hoo said they are also working hard for the concert.

“For our very first concert, we are preparing hard and diligently. We are also preparing many new performances, so please look forward to it,” he said.

On meeting fans outside South Korea,Yoo Seung-eon said they always look forward to meet them if there is a chance.

“Even though we don't have any specific plans for now, we are always seeking opportunities to meet our fans all around the world as much as possible to meet them in person and share our performances. Please look forward to our plans in the future,” he said.