SEVENTEEN members never stop giving us new music to obsess over. And we love how each new unit release feels completely unique while also feeling like coming home to SEVENTEEN’s music. Along with a lineup of world-renowned producers, Vernon and The 8, or V8, went all in on their debut mini album, blending their different influences to create something new for fans to enjoy.
With “wasted youth” as the central theme of the album, Vernon and The8 combine strong, raw visuals, lyrics in three languages and powerful beats into eight tracks that take all the uncertainty of youth and instead of seeing it as “lost time,” channel that into energy to keep going. Naming their unit (and debut album) V8 certainly makes perfect sense, seeing as their sound got us feeling the same high we’d feel speeding down a highway in a sports car with a V8 engine.
The duo also blends together their individual influences – EDM from The8 and hyperpop from Vernon – to create something new and uniquely theirs. We’d say that their lead single ‘singasong’ perfectly encapsulates their sound. Fun, made to dance around the room and produced by Mechatok, the song also got one of the best MV’s we’ve seen all year, full of visual elements that shouldn’t work together but, because this was made by V8, do.
Beyond the lead single, songs like ‘BEAT,’ ‘rat race’ and ‘girlsnboys’ (which was produced by the one and only Pharell Williams) are our personal highlights from V8. Each with a different feel to them, it reflects how versatile these two artists can be in their music. And if this is any indication of what else we can expect from Vernon and The8, we cannot wait to see what else they can do.
We also cannot help but mention how much we love the album opener, ‘Friend,’ which was written as a look back on their eleven years of friendship and all the things they’ve been through together. We even noticed a few references in the lyrics to some of their greatest moments. Did you notice those too?
And while we’re on the topic of song order, the closer ‘rat race’ both wraps up the album perfectly and also leaving us wanting more. The imposter syndrome Vernon and Minghao sing about may be a reflection of their own experiences and struggles within the music industry, but it also resonates with everyone who listens and has the same doubts about themselves, which is probably why we enjoy the song so much.
Beyond the album release, the duo also decided to take the songs to the stage in Goyang, South Korea on July 11 and 12 and are also headed to Hong Kong for a three-night show from July 17 to 19.
What’s your favorite song off of V8? Will you be attending any of their concerts? Tell us on @TheHoneyPOP on Twitter or find us on Instagram or Facebook!
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TO LEARN MORE ABOUT V8:
THE 8’S INSTAGRAM | VERNON’S INSTAGRAM
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SEVENTEEN:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE
