‘What if’ NiziU never debuted? Then our playlists would be a lot less interesting! They took over the Japanese music scene and are ready to capture even more hearts on the K-Pop scene with their first-ever Korean comeback, LOVE LINE. Mako, Rio, Maya, Riku, Ayaka, Mayuka, Rima, Miihi, and Nina pour so much love into everything they do, and you can definitely hear it on their two latest songs.
NiziU’s Korean debut with ‘HEARTRIS’ and Press Play set the bar prettyyyy high for this comeback – they won first place on Show Champion within just nine days, earning their first-ever music show win and even making them the first foreign group to win the top prize on a South Korean music show! But with a group this talented, you already know NiziU were ready for the challenge with their new era.
‘LOVE LINE’ is an energetic, sparkling track that explores fate in relationships, inspired by the “love line” that appears on our palms. It’s so cheerful and really shows off the passion and excitement that NiziU bring to each of their releases, along with their stellar vocals that make us feel like we’re ascending into a bright pink galaxy full of stars. Anthemic b-side ‘What if’ is just as irresistible, bringing in some powerful guitar as the girls describe the magic of a chance meeting with someone they’re grateful to have in their lives.
We must have some pretty lucky lines on our palms, because our team at The Honey POP got to ask NiziU all about ‘LOVE LINE,’ preparing for comebacks, their connection, and more! Press play on ‘LOVE LINE’ above and keep reading to check out our exclusive Q&A with the group.
Hi NiziU, congratulations on your first-ever comeback in Korea with ‘LOVE LINE’ and ‘What if!’ What do you love most about these songs and the concept for this release?
MAKO: I love both of the new songs, but especially ‘What if.’ It has a unique world of its own, and every time I hear the intro, I get excited. It even feels a little like an anime theme song, with some rock elements mixed in. The more you listen to it, the more it draws you in, so I hope you’ll give it lots of love.
RIO: I also love ‘What if.’ Right before the chorus, AYAKA and I each have a speaking part, and my line is, “Here, take my hand.” It sounds like something a main character in an anime would say, so I’m especially fond of that part of the lyrics.
MAYA: Our title track ‘LOVE LINE’ has a cute and refreshing vibe, while also blending in a nostalgic retro feel with a touch of city pop. I think the rhythm in the “Tic-tac tic-tac tic” part is incredibly catchy and sticks in your head right away. It’s definitely one of my favorite parts in the song.
RIKU: ‘LOVE LINE’ compares love to the fate line on your palm. The lyrics are really cute, and the choreography matches the bright and cheerful feeling of the song, so I think it suits NiziU perfectly. The signature move also ties into the theme of fate line, which makes it even more special.
AYAKA: What I love most is that both songs are connected by the theme of fate. It’s something all of us as members could relate to, and I believe WithU will be able to find their own meaning in it as well.
MAYUKA: Personally, I really love the concept of ‘What if’ from the new album. It has a bit of a rock vibe, and I think it suits NiziU really well.
RIMA: I like how ‘LOVE LINE’ compares feelings of love to the fate line on your palm. It’s such a cute and fresh idea, and something you don’t often see. I also loved how all nine of us danced with a cat concept — it was so adorable and really stood out to me.
MIIHI: I think the idea of comparing your feelings for someone to the fate line in ‘LOVE LINE’ is so adorable and creative. Plus, once you listen to the song, it’s so catchy that you’ll find yourself playing it over and over again.
NINA: I absolutely love the cat concept in ‘LOVE LINE.’ Since we had never done an animal concept before, it was really fun to show a new side of ourselves through the cat-inspired hair, makeup, and outfits.
A first comeback is always a big milestone. Since your debut in Korea, how did your activities in Japan influence your preparation for this comeback, and how do you feel you have grown as a team?
MAKO: It was such an honor for us to be the first girl group composed entirely of foreign members to win first place on a Korean music show. Our Japanese fans celebrated with us as well. After that experience, we all felt even more motivated to work harder—not just with Japan in mind, but with a bigger, global vision. While preparing for our first comeback in Korea, we also went on tour in Japan, and through that experience, I believe each member grew a lot in terms of skills. Additionally, we’ve been steadily taking Korean classes, and one big change is that we can now speak much more naturally than before.
MAYA: After our debut in Korea, we were truly grateful to see even more fans overseas supporting NiziU. Since it had been a while since our last single, we worked hard to present a new side of NiziU. We hope that through various activities in the future, we can share our charm with an even wider audience.
In the lyrics for ‘LOVE LINE,’ you use the unique idea of the fate line on a palm. If someone were to read NiziU’s palms, what would you hope they would say? Have you ever had your palms read in real life?
RIO: We actually had our palms read together in one of our videos. Everyone had good fate lines, and many of us were told we would live a long life, which made me feel really relieved. It made me hope that all of us can stay healthy and be together for a long time.
RIKU: We had our palms read as part of our content, and I was told I would live until I’m 90 years old, which made me really happy!
The title ‘LOVE LINE’ makes us think about the through-line between two people who are in love. What is the through-line between you all as a musical group?
RIMA: I think the different charms each member brings are what connect the nine of us. On stage, we each showcase different strengths, and because our styles are so unique, we’re able to complement one another. Even though our personalities are different, we always try to be considerate and understanding toward each other, which is why we’re able to work so well together.
MIIHI: We’re very close! No matter how busy we get, we always treasure the time we spend together as nine. I think those moments have made us even stronger as a team. The memories we’ve built together have become the bond that ties us.
The concept of a love line suggests an enduring connection. How do you, as a group, nurture your bond and maintain that connection during the demanding aspects of your career?
AYAKA: When we have free time, we eat together or stay up late talking about everyday things. Those moments feel so special to us and naturally deepen our bond.
MAYUKA: No matter how much time we spend together, I think it’s important to always maintain respect for one another. Thanks to how much we help and care for each other, we’re able to keep such a great vibe. When we have time, we eat together, chat, or play games, and I think those fun moments have helped us grow even closer naturally.
NiziU’s debut in Korea was such a success with first single Press Play and its title track, ‘HEARTRIS!’ Can you reflect on the group’s growth over the past year and a half and how it impacted ‘LOVE LINE’ and ‘What if?’
NINA: I think we were able to show our charm in a much more natural way during this promotion. On stage and in front of the camera, we’ve gotten more used to expressing ourselves, and we’re now able to sing with much more confidence and boldness. Also, when doing interviews or filming content, we can speak Korean much more naturally than before. I can really feel how much we’ve grown in that area as well.
‘LOVE LINE’ features emotional yet refreshing vocals. How do you find balance between emotional depth and vocal clarity in your performances? What’s the key to maintaining both the passion and the technical aspects of your singing?
RIKU: For ‘LOVE LINE,’ we practiced our live performances even more than we did for our debut song, ‘HEARTRIS.’ We kept practicing until it felt completely natural to our bodies, and now we’re able to sing much more comfortably on stage!
NINA: Since the song overall has a high vocal range, I worked hard to control it so that the high notes wouldn’t sound too strong, while still bringing out the fluttery emotions. Smiling slightly while singing the high notes helped me soften my tone — that became my own little secret for this promotion.
NiziU, you’ve made a significant impact in both the J-pop and K-pop scenes since your debut. How do you feel when preparing for a comeback? Does growing together with your fandom, WithU, make the process even more exciting? How do you feel debuting in Korea influenced your music and the way you work as a group?
MAKO: This time, it had been a year and five months since our last single, so I had a lot of thoughts while preparing. In particular, I strongly felt, “I want to show an even better performance to all the WithU who waited for us,” and “I can’t wait to meet and connect with them.” I could also feel that our fandom has grown since our debut, and it was so touching. I’m truly grateful that more and more people are getting to know us little by little. Above all, whenever I hear that WithU are connected and united across borders, it makes me feel incredibly happy and thankful. Because WithU are here, NiziU can continue our activities with happiness. I hope that NiziU and WithU can keep walking together down a path full of flowers, with the same heart!
RIMA: I’m so thankful that we were able to achieve our dream of debuting in Korea and now even having our first comeback. It still feels amazing to have fans overseas supporting us, and it
makes me want to work even harder. At first, since we’re a group made up entirely of foreign members promoting in Korea, I felt a little nervous. But thanks to our nine members, our staff, and our fans, we were able to take things step by step. Every part of the process was exciting and joyful.
MIIHI: This comeback was such a precious and happy time for us, thanks to WithU. Thank you so much for giving us our first first-place win — I still can’t forget that moment. We haven’t had a solo concert in Korea yet, so we’re dreaming of the day that dream comes true.
Your concepts are always so fun and beautiful – we honestly haven’t been able to stop watching your music video for ‘HEARTRIS.’ What was your favorite part of the concept for this comeback? ’What if’ you could plan your own comeback concept – are there any concepts you can’t wait to try moving forward?
MAYA: This time, we promoted with a cat concept. Even in the music video, there were lots of cute scenes of us playing with yarn like cats, which I loved. If we could plan our own concept, we’d love to show a slightly more mature side of NiziU! Now that all of the members are over 20 years old, we hope to show a more grown-up version of NiziU as well!
AYAKA: The idea of a destined partner is something everyone dreams about at least once, right? The concept with the red thread was so cute and left a big impression on me. For our next concept, I’d love to try something a bit more mysterious, like ITZY’s ‘Imaginary Friend’ or Red Velvet’s ‘Peek-A-Boo.’
From your music to your visuals, it’s always so exciting for fans to hear you’re preparing a new release! What are your favorite parts of getting ready for a comeback? Are there any parts you don’t enjoy as much?
RIO: While preparing, I was filled with so much excitement! I often imagined things like, “Fans are going to love this part, right?” or “They’re going to think this move is so cute!” I spent every day full of anticipation, waiting for the day we could finally perform in front of our fans. If there was a tough moment, it was during the music video shoot. The group choreography scenes took a long time to film, so it was a little physically tiring — but thinking about our fans, WithU gave me the strength to keep going.
MAYUKA: Starting something new is always exciting, so I was filled with thoughts like, “What will the choreography for this song feel like?” and “I can’t wait to start dance lessons!” Every moment felt joyful. Also, working together with the members to perfect our performances made me feel so energized. If there was a hard part, it would be how much I missed WithU while we were preparing. That feeling was definitely the strongest.
At The Honey POP, we love all things sweet! Could you say something sweet about your fellow members?
MAKO: To me, you’re treasures for life. Thanks for always being there. Let’s stay happy together.♥
RIO: Thank you always. I love you.♥
MAYA: Thank you so, so much for always being by my side. Let’s stay happy as NiziU and keep
walking on flower paths!
RIKU: Out of all the fun moments, playing around with you has been my favorite.❤︎
AYAKA: I want to say, “Thank you for coming into my life.” I’m truly grateful to have met such
wonderful members and friends!
MAYUKA: Members! No matter what happens, I will always be on your side!♡
RIMA: Thank you so much for always being by my side. Just thinking about the nine of us continuing to achieve our dreams together makes me so happy!
MIIHI: I want to say thank you for always standing by me!
NINA: Thanks for showering me with so much love! I love you just as much!
Your fandom, WithU, has loved seeing your growth and development since your debut. Do you have any messages for them?
MAKO: In such a big world, thank you for loving NiziU and becoming WithU.♥ I love WithU so much — no, I love you even more than words can say!♥ Let’s keep walking the flower path together.♥
RIO: WithU, thank you so much for always giving us so much love and support.♡ Thanks to you, I stay strong. Let’s keep going together!
MAYA: WithU, who always send us so much love! Thanks to you, I’ve been able to see so many different sights, and each time, I realize just how big WithU’s presence truly is. Just seeing your faces gives me strength, makes me smile, and makes me happy. Let’s keep walking down a path full of flowers and sharing happiness together. I love you, WithU!
RIKU: Thanks to WithU, we’re able to keep promoting joyfully and healthily even now. Let’s
continue making happy memories and spending joyful times together.❤︎ I will always love you. ♥
AYAKA: Thank you always for your support. Because of you, I can stay strong and keep going. I’ll do my best to return all the love and happiness. I love you.♡
MAYUKA: WithU, thank you so much for always cheering us on and sending so much love.
Thanks to WithU, I can happily promote with the members I love. Let’s keep walking down a path full of flowers together. I love you.♡♡♡
RIMA: Every time I stand in front of WithU, I gain strength and feel truly happy. Their warm words keep me going, and I want to keep showing them my best!
MIIHI: To our beloved WithU who always stay by our side, thank you. This promotion wouldn’t have been as joyful without you. Thank you for making every moment so happy and fun!
NINA: Thank you so much for always supporting and loving us. I’ll keep working hard to show you many different great sides so that you can continue to feel proud to be WithU. I love you so much. Please continue to stay by our side.♥
We promise we’ll always stay by your side, girls! Thank you so much to NiziU for answering all our questions!
Now we have some questions for you, honeybees! What do you think of NiziU’s Korean comeback with ‘LOVE LINE’ and ‘What if?’ Can you pick a fave between the two? Let us know in the comments below or hit us up on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! You can also buzz on over to our Reddit community to chat with us.
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