P1Harmony Reveal How They're 'Killin' It' as Superheroes with a Force 'That Can't Be Ignored' on New Album (Exclusive)

The six-piece boy band reveals what empowers their superhero personas and share how they balance youth and maturity under the K-pop spotlight

There’s a concept that instantly comes to mind when the six members of P1Harmony reflect on the release of their first, full-length album.

In 때깔 (Killin‘ It), the boys reach the climax in their epic storyline as superheroes — saving the world through 10 of their best tracks yet — just like Superman, Batman or any of the figures that embody the superhero cultural phenomena.

Yet, before you write off the concept as just another overused trope, the members are here to remind you what makes a superhero most intriguing. Spoiler alert: It isn’t just about their world-saving powers, their iconic costumes or even their coincidentally attractive appearances.

A hero’s it-factor actually might have everything to do with what’s underneath — their secret identities and all the secretive layers that make up who they are. That bit of inner mystery is what keeps them most compelling, despite their larger-than-life actions.

It’s a mystery the members intend to uncover when they gather together on a late night with PEOPLE just days before their album unleashes its powers upon the world. When they sit together in two rows of three, the singers, songwriters and rappers — Keeho, 22, Theo, 22, Jiung, 22, Intak, 20, Soul, 19, and Jongseob, 18 — already seem to resemble a superhero squad of their own, the likes of The Avengers or Suicide Squad. Or, just simply picture a group of Spider-Mans sitting together, as their younger selves would prefer.

“I think it’s kind of a collective where everyone wants to be Spider-Man when they’re younger,” Keeho says with a laugh, while Soul demonstrates the web shooting hand motion that he used to do as a kid “all the time.”

Despite their similar affinity for the famous Marvel character, one thing’s for sure — they’re not here just to talk about their incredible rapping prowess or their energetic dancing that keeps their fans, the P1eces, utterly hooked. Keeho, the leader of the group, establishes from the get-go how they’re ready to accentuate their differences and prove how they make them stronger as a team.

“All the characters have their own style, but when they come together, it’s like a force of nature that can’t be ignored,” the bilingual Korean-Canadian explains to PEOPLE.

Indeed, the album’s first track of the same name begins with such a visual and audio intensity that one can’t help but be swept along. While the addicting 808 bass serves as the backdrop of the synth-driven song, the members’ explosive energy adds to the sizzling undercurrent. Their fashion sense becomes the garnish on top, featuring a dizzying array of multi-colored outfits, flashes of tooth grills and comfy fur hats.

But the striking title track is only a piece of a much larger puzzle worth solving — a storyline that culminates from the group’s previous six mini-albums, DISHARMONY and HARMONY, stretching back to their debut in late 2020.

Long-time fans will already know just how much each member is a unique superhero in their own right. Take Keeho, for example, who didn’t let a case of pinkeye prevent him from not just showing up for the interview, but even translating for the members as he effortlessly switches from English to Korean.

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Or, consider how the group uniquely takes full charge of their concept and production in a K-pop landscape that increasingly outsources those tasks to others. For instance, you might assume each member’s outfits are wildly different, until closer observation reveals how they’re all united by matching necklaces, brooches and pant chains. And if you don’t glance at the credits, you wouldn’t realize that the youngest of the group, Jongseob, wrote on the entire project, while Keeho, Jiung and Intak co-wrote several tracks as well.

It’s almost impossible to believe that at just 18 years of age, Jongseob wrote his own raps with such complexity. A deeper (and certainly slower) look at his fast verse in the title track will showcase just how he utilizes a rare quintuplet flow, expertly handles off-time beats and rhymes and alliterates his syllables with ease.

Writing on the entire album, however, is a feat of its own league. That level of creativity requires that he pays attention to every small detail around him, he says, with an emphasis on the movies or books he consumes. A scene, an image or a keyword is all that the young rapper needs to unleash a world of inspiration, ready to be transcribed onto his notes.

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Often, ideas and inspirations are the catalysts to which an artist begins to further explore their own uniqueness. Remember how all the band members wanted to be Spider-Man from a young age? As they grew up, they also began to discover new parts of themselves in new superheroes.

For Theo, it’s Doctor Strange that speaks to him, and Intak and Keeho playfully use their hands to draw an imaginary portal, reminiscent of the hero’s signature move. Intak finds himself drawn to Black Panther, and demonstrates his fondness by crossing his fists over his shoulders. As for Keeho? It’s the lovable Thor that he’s come to admire.

“Thor is such a cool guy, but he’s also funny at the same time,” he muses. “He’s able to have that balance.”

Balance is a keyword here — especially when thinking about how the young men juggle the difficult task of retaining their youthful humor in an industry that often forces one to quickly grow up. However, just take one quick look at their social media accounts and you’ll quickly realize just how funny — and even out-of-pocket — their Gen-Z humor still remains. Jiung further emphasizes how they’ve embraced the middle ground by growing up in some respects, but staying youthful in others.

"We got much older — a lot more than other people in this age, but when we’re making music, writing songs, writing lyrics or thinking about the new concept, I don’t think we have to be mature,” he says of his outlook. “If you want to create something, I think you’ve got to have some imagination from [your] younger age."

“You need to be youthful to be creative,” Keeho summarizes for Jiung, which next paves the way for a discussion on what it takes to keep creativity alive.

There’s a classic dilemma that all creatives face, and it’s a hurdle that the boys are learning to overcome: How does one maintain passion when a hobby transforms into work?

It’s an interesting question, as all the members say their performing aspirations began as mere hobbies. Little did they know, those ambitions would lead them to unexpected new heights, like becoming the first independently-signed male Korean group to chart in the U.S. Top 40, or completing their massive P1ustage H: P1ONEER world tour across multiple continents.

“Once you make that transition into having to take it as a job and it’s no longer something you do just for fun, I think that’s a completely different mindset and work ethic,” Keeho says thoughtfully. “When I was younger, everything just was fun. I was laid back, easygoing, but then once I really got into the work field and I saw other colleagues and other people around me working so hard, I think it really helped me adapt to that nature.”

As the leader of the group, there’s also a slightly heavier pressure that exists and further drives his need to be on “game mode.”

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There’s that word again — balance. It seems to be a recurring motif in any situation as one grows older, given the well-known adage that too much of anything can become a bad situation. In addition to balance, Theo mentions how adopting a growth mindset is just as important to thrive under building pressure. As the singer shares his hard-earned wisdom, Keeho translates his Korean into English while sitting front and center.

“When you enjoy it first as just a hobby, it’s a completely different feeling, but he also finds that happiness and also finds himself through learning,” Keeho voices on behalf of Theo. “Now, you’re in a different standpoint of where you have to constantly learn and absorb different things in different environments.”

If one weren’t looking at their youthful faces, the wisdom they say would make you think they’re twice their current ages. However, bravely traveling down the unknown road as young idols have forged the hard-earned maturity they have today.

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The boys go beyond words alone to prove that possessing maturity or youthfulness isn’t a zero-sum game. In fact, they are practically bursting with the latter, as their expressions prove when asked about recalling the last time they laughed so hard, their stomachs hurt.

As soon as the prompt is asked, the boys break into a series of smiles. Although their eyes begin to look up and around the room, it’s obvious that they’re focused on anything but their surroundings.

Luckily, they don’t need to go far back in their memory banks to remember what ab-forming laughter feels like. In fact, just the very night before the interview, Keeho becomes a de facto narrator and describes how Intak, Theo and Jongseob were busy watching soccer games in the AFC Asian Cup. As the anticipation builds, he finally mentions the clincher:

“They got so excited that Theo accidentally hit the TV and the TV broke,” he says, which immediately prompts a burst of laughter from Intak and playful, near-sheepish grins from each of the members.

Quite fittingly, it seems as if the P1Harmony members may indeed have Hulk-like powers after all, if they’re strong enough to break a TV in a fit of excitement. And as it turns out, the TV wasn’t alright afterward.

“The complete screen didn’t go out, but some parts just don’t work,” Keeho continues, referencing a picture that he saw of the aftermath. “They could still see, but yeah, they need to get rid of that."

When it comes to laughter, Soul also can’t forget his beloved two dogs back home in Japan. One of his furry companions, Mochi the white bulldog, was actually the cause of his last fit of laughter, he says — a moment which he also luckily caught on tape and shared online.

“He was fighting with his toy, and apparently the toy ‘won,’” Keeho voices on Soul’s behalf.

While Soul’s furry sidekick is also engaged in his own superhero battles, the boys have already reached a point in their character arcs where they’ve finally found their distinct sound — a catchy vibe that’ll always showcase their playful, yet swaggy attitude.

However, that doesn’t mean they won’t continue to preserve at “trial and error” —  a career-long process that gave them the freedom to experiment musically from the start. It’s what Intak says has empowered him to find the subject matter that suits him the best, and what Jongseob believes will continue to motivate the group to reach “even bigger and greater stages” for 2024.

With any great superhero storyline, it seems as if the boys have already foreshadowed their future since the beginning. Just look into their band name alone, where a combination of “plus,” “one” and “harmony” suggests that together in harmony, they can achieve endless new possibilities.

And just like how superheroes use their powers for the greater good, the P1Harmony members never fail to acknowledge how their fans are at the core of their motivations. The last track of the album, “I See U,” is just one example of how the members use their unique abilities to pay tribute to the P1eces. When asked about the tour, Keeho is also quick to recall how touching it was for the group to witness fans lining up at each venue despite poor weather, braving rain or snow.

“To me, we don’t show enough appreciation for that,” he says. “I feel like it takes so much dedication and love and effort to do that — so I think seeing that when we drive first thing in the morning, [we feel] really thankful.”

Killin’ It is now available to stream and purchase.

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