Earlier this year, KPOP group Vanner released their latest album, VENI VIDI VICI, to a beautiful response from their fans. The group has been through a lot as a unit and this album brings the positive outcomes of all their circumstances to the forefront. We had the chance to sit down with the guys shortly after the album release to talk about how the music came together, who they look to for inspiration and what they would say to their fans today.
This interview was conducted with the help of a translator and has been edited for length and clarity.
Hi, this is Sungkook. I’m the rapper of Vanner.
Hi, I’m leader, Taehwan. My position is main vocal.
Hello, my name is Gon. I’m a main dancer of Vanner.
Hello, I’m smokeshow Hyesung!
Hello, I am Yeongkwang, youngest in the group.
Atlas Artist Group: There’s a lot of different sounds and influences on this record. How did the album come to life? And how did you bring all of your unique talents together to make it?
Hyesung: I’m Hyesung. I do the opening of the song. And as the opening performer, I try to make the song more dynamic and fresh by changing voices. So, yeah, voices.
Taehwan: All the members, of course, work very hard to make this album. And as the rapper of the group, I try to write good lyrics.
Atlas: You guys collaborated with Hyungwon from Monsta X. What about his creative process really appealed to you and what made you love the final product?
Taehwan: This was very interesting, and I’m very honored to get a song from Hyungwon, a senior artist. And, first, Hyungwon, in the directing guide, he tried to give us as much confidence as we could get. So he shared a lot to us. And, during making the song, he made us to be as natural as possible so we can sing the song in our own way.
Atlas: This album really has something for everyone. Every song has a different vibe. It’s really cool to go through all of those different energies. Do you each have a favorite track off the album? And what makes it so special or meaningful for you?
Vanner: “Performer” because, since it’s the title of the album, it’s commonly the most favorite song of all the members. And since it’s the title and with a new album, we are going to start a new journey, a new voyage with our fans. So I think the “Performer” song contains all the message we have, we want to deliver in the song. And, Taehwan, the leader’s personal favorite is “Diamonds”.
Sunggook: [My] favorite is “Savior” because the “Savior” song is dedicated for all my fans, all our fans. And to make it more meaningful, all the members participate in making the lyrics. So it is my favorite.
Atlas: When you guys are in the studio, do you have any artists that you listen to that give you inspiration while you’re making music?
Vanner: Well, many K-pop artists, our senior K-pop artists give us inspiration, of course. And, in the Western culture, the artists that give me inspiration might be Chris Brown and Justin Bieber.
BTS is, of course, giving us lots of inspiration too. And that’s why we watch a lot of BTS videos and everything, because they weren’t in the very easy starting position. So they went over all the hard times and good times, and that’s made them the BTS nowadays. So we try to follow how they solve this, how BTS solve their hard situations. So we would like to be like them too.
Atlas: Now that the album is out and your fans have heard it, you’ve gotten some feedback from them. You’ve heard what they think about the record. What’s been your favorite response so far from your fans? Do you notice them really connecting with a particular song on the album?
Vanner: Well, “Savior” has got many feedback from fans because, of course, it’s a song dedicated to my fans. And during showcase, when we performed “Savior”, I saw some fans nearly crying, bursting into tears. So I think that’s the way we wanted to make the music to be. And I’m glad that the fans also like the music too. So I think the fans like “Savior” because it contains the story of how we became Vanner nowadays. So I’m glad the fans love “Savior” too.
Atlas: On your next tour, which song from the album are you most excited to perform live? Do you have any spoilers you can share?
Vanner: The title that I’m most excited is “Diamonds”. All of the members of Vanner are very excited to show the performance of “Diamonds” to the fans in actual stage.
Atlas: You’ve accomplished so much since you debuted. What’s been the most memorable accomplishment for you guys? Are there any goals you’re looking forward to accomplishing that you haven’t reached yet?
Vanner: Of course, winning the competition in the program Peak Time would be the most memorable moment for all our members. Because everything has changed a lot after we won the program, and everything happened till now is so happy and so satisfactory for all of us.
We recently received a rookie award from some kind of award ceremony. So it was one of the moments that I had been dreaming for four years after our debut. So I think we would remember that moment.
I think all the activities and the stages and the performance that we’re doing these days are the things that we always dreamed of. And, actually, it’s kind of a dream come true. So we are very grateful and want to thank you, all of us.
Atlas: After you guys won Peak Time and all these things changed for you as a group, how did that experience really make you guys stronger? Did you guys come together more as a unit after winning that competition and bringing that to your new music?
Vanner: Well, even before winning in Peak Time, we were very close. We worked very closely, and we were very close too. But during the Peak Time program, that time made us more friendlier and more intimate to each other. So now we know the highlights of each members, and we now know how to respect each other. So it’s definitely a good time we had during the program.
Atlas: What are you hoping that your fans take away from your music as a whole? What message are you hoping to really communicate to them through your music? And if you could stand in front of them right now, what would you say?
Vanner: Our titles for performer, well, the performer can perform until we have an audience in front of us, so audience, our fans. So I think this performing is something that our fans and we make together. So it took about a year and a half for this new album. So I’m very thankful for our fans who waited for such a long time, and we are all ready to make happy memories together now.
We love you, all fans, until you might feel like you’re smushed up. Just like us, I want my fans to never give up. Just like us. We will be with you. Let’s be together whenever you are, wherever you are. We can be better because VVS is with us.
I hope that VVS knows that we trust them very much. We want to take very good care of them. So, yeah, we are thankful for everything, for our fans.
Stream VENI VIDI VICI, out now!
Story by Olivia Khiel
Photo courtesy of Vanner
