BtoB's New EP 'Remember That' Is Unbound By K-Pop Convention: 'We Don't Let The Genre Dictate Us' Ilhoon Claims

The seven members of the K-pop boy band BtoB aren't simply sticking to the Hallyu script.

In an interview on Tuesday in Seoul with South Korea's Yonhap News Agency and several other local reporters, the K-pop boy band (whose name is an acronym for "Born to Beat") discussed the decision to record "Remember That," the title track of their new EP, released on Monday, despite it being the third consecutive slow song from BtoB.

"Three ballad songs in a row could be risky, but on a scale of zero to 10, with 10 being our maximum potential, I'd say we've only revealed a one, so far," said band member Yook Sungjae, 20.

For 21-year-old BtoB vocalist Jung Ilhoon, it's important that the group is not simply chasing trends within the K-pop scene, but rather making music that is the truest expression of their talents.

"We don't let the genre dictate us," Ilhoon said. "We only put out music that best represents us at a given moment, so we didn't just consider the fact that it's our third ballad."

But while the speed of "Remember That" is on the slower side, it has a message that is meant to cheer up the listener according to BtoB's Im Hyunsik, age 24.

"While our previous songs are about life, 'Remember That' is more about love and thinking back on past love," Hyunsik said. "I was reading [online] comments on our album and there was actually one commenter who said she'd been able to move on from a painful breakup by listening to this song."

And although is has been four years since their debut, according to Ilhoon, whenever BtoB drops new music, it always feels as if they are a brand new artist again, albeit one with a bit of notoriety.

"Every time we release an album, I feel like we're back to square one," he said. "The only difference is that more people recognize us and like our music than before."