In the opening verse of girl group Kep1er’s 2024 single ‘Shooting Star’, one imagined as a timeless goodbye, they subtly hinted at a fresh start. “Feelings pour down like meteors / Announcing another beginning,” they declared. “Oh, all the time, following the light / In that moment, I found you just like that day.” The members certainly held hope for the future, yet fans and industry watchers alike expected the track to be their swansong.
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Like many other K-pop groups formed through reality TV competitions, Kep1er’s career seemingly had a predetermined (and looming) end date. Two and a half years, that’s how long they were supposed to last following their 2021 Girls Planet 999 win. Yet, seven of Kep1er’s nine members – Yujin, Xiaoting, Chaehyun, Dayeon, Hikaru, Bahiyyih and Youngeun – broke all expectations, doubling down on their commitment to the group and beating what seemed like an inevitable disbandment.
Then again, unity is at the heart of what Kep1er have always been about. As Yunjin tells NME over a Zoom call in early December, seven of them “decided to renew the contract with the thought that we would be starting anew” in the face of adversity. “We felt the responsibility to show growth, [and] we believe in each other as Kep1er, so those were the factors that guided us toward renewing our contract,” she affirms.
Chaehyun echoes Yunjiun’s sentiments, explaining that “there’s so much that we still haven’t shown with these great members” in their trajectory so far. “I thought, ‘Okay, I want to keep going with these members, and I want to keep going with these great people and show even better music on bigger stages’. So I really wanted to continue being with them.”
Kep1er. Credit: KLAP Entertainment
Another “great driving force” in their resolve to stay together, as Dayeon describes, are Kep1er’s loyal fans, a key factor that “naturally strengthens our bond as a group” and keeps them focused. “It might be an obvious answer, but it’s something that will never change,” she says. “This thought makes me strive to show a better version of myself, and our goals as a team are growing bigger and more ambitious.”
All this, however, is little without the mutual respect and genuine care the group have for one another. And when things get rough, they rely on that trust to get ahead. “I often worry about making mistakes,” Youngeun admits. “However, my teammates always support me, and as a member of Kep1er, I always have confidence in myself. This bond has helped us achieve so much so far and will continue to help us in the future.”
Chaehyun, though, thinks of her fellow members as “teachers” and “motivators” who instill a positive approach to their daily routines. “When I was younger, my parents or teachers often provided me with direction, but as we grow older, it becomes rare to have someone guiding us like that,” she says. “My teammates have taken on that role of [a teacher or a motivator], providing me with direction and guidance.”
Some of the most valuable lessons, Chaehyun continues, come from the perspective of the group’s younger members, who have flourished through the whirlwind that is the K-pop industry. “Seeing how they navigate life and grow through their experiences makes me realise how much they’ve matured, and it inspires me to become a better person myself.”
Kep1er. Credit: KLAP Entertainment
After news broke that Kep1er would remain mostly intact, fans breathed a sigh of relief, finally enjoying some calm after months of uncertainty – but for the now-septet, the work had only just begun. Beyond the new music and performances to come, the girl group were raring to prove that they are here to stay, and what better way than to take on some of the biggest stages in K-pop: the KCON music festivals in the US and Germany.
It was during their Los Angeles appearance, featuring an electrifying (and viral) cover of ‘Back Door’ by Stray Kids, where something just clicked for Chaehyun: “That was a moment when we realised, ‘Oh, this is a new beginning.’” Their decision to stay together was only further solidified in Frankfurt, when they debuted the then-unreleased song, ‘sync-love’. “Very, very luckily, all of our fans really loved that performance,” Xiaoting recalls, “and not just [our fanbase] Kep1ians, but other fans also loved [it].”
‘Sync-love’ would make it onto Kep1er’s November 2024 mini-album, ‘TIPI-TAP’, a charmingly understated release that re-introduced them to the world. This body of work not only saw the girl group tap into their softer sides (such as exploring the ups and downs of love on tracks like ‘TIPI-TAP’ and ‘Bitter Taste’), but also as creatives taking more control of their own careers.
Xiaoting tells NME that, as their first release as a seven-member group, their top priority on ‘TIPI-TAP’ was to re-contextualise who they are. “We discussed the album concept, decided on the title track and thought about structuring the choreography,” she says of its creation, as if every aspect had been sketched with laser precision. “We put a lot of effort into all aspects of the album preparations.”
Kep1er. Credit: KLAP Entertainment
Among the songs on the mini-album, closing track ‘Heart Surf’ is perhaps the one Ke1per hold closest. Co-written by Youngeun, who wanted to “reflect on the circumstances” the group were going through, the tender tune can be interpreted as the sequel to ‘Shooting Star’, where a voyage appears to reach its end, but in actuality, it’s just shifting to find another sky. It’s fitting, since at this moment – as they celebrate their third anniversary – Kep1er’s mission is to “keep moving forward” as Dayeon says, towards a new dimension of possibilities.
If Kep1er’s ‘First Impact’ was about putting their potential on display, this second impact is being fueled by the versatility they’ve become known for, though there is still so much more to reveal in their artistic arsenal. “I want to experiment with different things we haven’t tried before,” Bahiyyih says confidently, “learn from the love we’ve received from our fans, and produce even better music and great performances with that support.”
As for her personal checklist, she shares that adding something more daring to the group’s repertoire – especially “for the title track” – could be their next direction. “We would love to try out showcasing a sexy, mature side next time,” Bahiyyih smiles, backed by cheerful “ooohs” and bubbly giggles from the rest of the group’s members.
To earn a new lease on life as a group once considered temporary is unprecedented – and Kep1er know it. That’s why they are determined to venture into the unknown and write a defining chapter for themselves, even though “it might not always be a smooth path”, Hikaru reasons. “But I hope that as the public watches [our] journey, they will smile and feel happy.”
Kep1er’s latest mini-album, ‘TIPI-TAP’, it out now on Spotify, Apple Music and more.
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