Catch The Young: Pioneering New Sounds in the Korean Band Scene with ‘Fragments of Odyssey’
While K-Pop groups outnumber them, the number of Korean bands has been growing in recent years.
With big names like DAY6, The Rose, and N.Flying, bands in the latest generation of K-pop are coming with their own styles and goals in the industry.
The latest band that debuted in November 2023 is Catch The Young.
The five member group composed of members Sani, Jungmo, Namhyun, Kihoon, and Junyong entered the scene with the debut album "Catch The Young: Fragments of Youth".
The seven track debut album featured a style that wasn’t common for most Korean bands, at least not in this decade.
"Our song ‘YOUTH!!!’ embodies an 80s-style synth-pop and synth-rock. We included ‘YOUTH!!!’ in our album because we wanted to introduce younger listeners like Junyong to a genre they might not be familiar with, and hope they enjoy listening to something new," explains Kihoon.
As a band, the members actively participate in creating their music, therefore being able to create their own style in the very beginning, something that not all groups have the ability to do at debut.
Not all members had plans of joining a band, however.
While some members played instruments and were studying music, they didn’t picture themselves joining a band, while member Junyong had other dreams of being a K-pop idol.
"Initially, being a part of a band wasn't something that I dreamt of. I wanted to become an idol. I was involved with several idol agencies and spent some time as a trainee to become an idol. But practicing dance for 10-12 hours a day made me realize that I didn't want dance to be the focus of my career. So I decided to change my career path and pursued applied music instead. Realizing my passion for becoming part of a band, I joined this company and became a member of Catch The Young," he says.
Now, just five months after debut. They have returned with their second album, "Catch The Young: Fragments of Odyssey".
"While in our first album, we aimed to convey a refreshing sense of youth to our audience, we wanted to show our audience little pieces of the Odyssey through this new album. We also aimed to depict deep-rooted emotions in our music," says Namhyun.
The title track of the album is "Voyager", a song that builds as it goes on and shows a different side of the group.
Leader Sani explains, "‘Voyager’ is about asking endless questions. In the lyrics, the questions are directed to you, but it actually is about asking the questions to oneself. It delves into continuous self-questioning, self-doubt, and the realization that one's thoughts and actions are not wrong."
The music video for "Voyager" has received over a million views since its release, proving that Catch The Young is on the way to success.
In a message to fans, Sani says, "To our new fans, I want to highlight that we are constantly creating something fresh. I can confidently say that our upcoming works will be innovative and appealing to everyone."
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