TEMPEST Embarks on a Journey of Self-Discovery with New Album 'As I am'

"A journey to find the real me."

This is the concept behind TEMPEST's new album. The group encourages listeners not to be confined by societal norms or overly concerned with the outcome of their journey. Instead, they focus on the process of discovering one's true self.

TEMPEST (comprising Hanbin, Hyungseop, Hyeok, Eunchan, LEW, and Taerae) held a media showcase for their seventh mini-album 'As I am' on the 27th at Ilji Art Hall in Gangnam, Seoul. 'As I am' marks their first release in approximately seven months since their sixth mini-album 'RE: Full of Youth' in March.

During the showcase, leader LEW shared, "It's already our fourth year since debut. This album captures our growth and journey through various emotions like worries, inner fears, and anxieties that we've felt since debut."

The title track 'In The Dark' is a song for those who continue to move forward despite endless inner turmoil and fear. The lyrics reflect the members' autobiographical stories. Debuting during the pandemic, LEW recalled, "Even after practicing until dawn with masks on, I never felt tired or exhausted. I only had a transportation card, but I felt like I owned the world."

LEW continued, "As time passed, invisible lines of fear and anxiety began to form, creating walls that confined us. Although there were times we hesitated to cross those lines, this process gave us the courage to move forward without losing ourselves in the dark. 'In The Dark' tells our story."

The new album features five tracks, including the title song. Members LEW and Hyeok participated in writing the lyrics for the track 'CHILL.' LEW explained, "'CHILL' is a comforting song. All members are in their 20s, so we wrote the lyrics to candidly express the worries and anxieties we feel at this age. I referenced memorable words of comfort I've heard." Hyeok added, "I recalled the emotions I felt as a trainee practicing late into the night. I listened to many songs, especially those by BTS, while working on the lyrics."

In line with the concept, the visuals have also changed. Taerae noted, "Previously, our style was sporty and bright, exuding youthful energy. This time, we aimed for a sophisticated and emotional mood with restrained charisma."

TEMPEST is also accelerating their global activities. They are set to perform at the Waterbomb Ho Chi Minh stage next month. Vietnamese member Hanbin expressed his excitement, "As someone from Vietnam, I've always wanted to perform there. It's an honor and exciting to meet overseas fans and showcase various stages of TEMPEST."

To connect with more fans, LEW obtained the JLPT Level 3 Japanese language certification. He shared, "We've performed on many global stages. I realized the importance of freely communicating with our fans in different places, which led me to study their languages. All members are now diligently learning foreign languages."

Some fans expressed concern after seeing the teaser content that delves into deep personal stories. LEW reassured them, "We anticipated fans might worry after watching the teaser videos, so we tried to provide reassurance through live broadcasts and communication. We want to say there's no need to worry. While we were honest about our feelings, we've never broken down and continue to support each other. We hope fans see this as part of TEMPEST's growth."

Finally, Eunchan expressed, "We hope people view our transformation positively," while Taerae added, "There's a saying about feeling melancholic in the fall. We hope 'In The Dark' becomes part of an emotional playlist that comforts the public. We'd love to be called 'emotional idols.'"

TEMPEST's seventh mini-album 'As I am' is available for listening from 6 PM today.

Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia Reporter one@tenasia.co.kr