K-pop girl group AtHeart has been traveling through time – or at least their music has. The group recently released their second single, “3! 4!,” from their global remake series, TIME TRAVEL PROJECT.
Originally released by Korean group Roo’Ra in 1996, “3!4!” was one of the most popular songs in South Korea at the time, a summer classic. AtHeart decided to make it their own, adding electric pianos and soft melodies to the upbeat song. The girls – consisting of members Michi, Arin, Katelyn, Bome, Seohyeon, Aurora, and Nahyun – were born over a decade after the song was first released (the age ranges from 16-19), but listened to the songs through their parents’ generation.
“My parents listened to it, and really loved it,” Nahyun says over Zoom during their press day in Los Angeles last month. “I listened to it growing up. So I was really happy when I heard we were going to remake the song, and I felt so honored to continue on the legacy through the generations, and mix AtHeart’s own vibe into the song.”
To add to this legacy song, AtHeart’s team brought in Lee Hyun Do, one of the original songwriters, to participate in the new arrangement.
When Arin told her parents that she was remaking the song with the group, they didn’t believe her. It was a shock that the girls – especially in their generation – would know what the song was. She says bluntly, “Their reaction wasn’t that big, because they [didn’t believe me].”
But that was the girls and their team’s purpose for recreating the song and the overall project: to “introduce a classic to a new generation while offering longtime listeners a fresh take on a familiar favorite.” Their goal was simple: blend the past and the present, and make it pop!
The girls previously released “Say It,” a reimagined version of the Swedish rock band The Cardigans’ 1996 international smash hit, “Lovefool.” Though the girls were familiar with the original song, they knew it best as part of the soundtrack to Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet – starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.
“The first time I heard ‘Say It,’ it was a really catchy song that I kept playing nonstop,” Aurora admits. “The ‘Say It’ part in the chorus just stuck in my head for a while. I obviously knew ‘Lovefool’ by The Cardigans because it’s a very popular song. Personally, at school, I watched Romeo and Juliet, the 1996 version, which was the first time I heard it. It was a full circle moment, and it was fun working on it.”
Below, the girls talk about their first anniversary of their debut, the TIME TRAVEL PROJECT, and what to expect next.
Laura Sirikul: With this TIME TRAVEL PROJECT, what songs would you add to the time capsule that you’d like to remake? It doesn’t have to be from 1996 – any era, really.
AURORA: It would be really fun if we could do a remake or sample of a song from Japan. I think idols and artists from the ‘80s and ‘90s were really iconic – so it’ll be fun to do remake versions. I also want to do a remake version of any KARA songs because they were the first artists that made me fall in love with K-pop. I love all of their songs. I feel we match their kind of vibe as well. I think that would be fun.
BOME: Does it have to be from the ‘90s?
Sirikul: No. Any.
ARIN: I was talking to Bome earlier about this. I want to challenge ourselves. I want to try songs like “WDA” (“Whole Different Animal) or “DirtyWork” by aespa.
AURORA: If I were to choose one single song – this song went viral last year. It’s a Japanese song called “Aoi Sangoshou” by Seiko Matsuda (from 1980). I don’t know the exact English title, but it’s one of her very popular songs that went viral last year. We all match that vibe, and it’s similar to the vibe of “3! 4!” by Roo’Ra. That would be fun.
KATELYN: If I think about Filipino artists. I know there is a Filipino member in the Black Eyed Peas [APL.DE.AP], and I like their song. All of us can do it, but I don’t know. If there were a Filipino artist I wanted to remake a song for, I’d immediately think of the Black Eyed Peas.
NAHYUN: TWICE is the group I have listened to since elementary school. So after we grow more as artists, I want to cover TWICE or remake a TWICE song.
MICHI: It was really fun doing “Say It.” When I think about some bands that I like, I think of Fleetwood Mac and the Cranberries. So something that takes from that kind of vibe. I’d love to reimagine those in our colors.
SEOHYEON: Like Nahyun, I listened to a lot of TWICE and Red Velvet since elementary school. So, I hope to remake their songs one day.
BOME: My older sister and I really like 2NE1, so we want to remake their song “GO AWAY.” I also think it’s very cool when girl groups cover boy group songs – so BTS’ “Butter” will be another good candidate.
Sirikul: Are there different concepts, genres, languages, or collaborations that you guys want to try out too — maybe ones that would work with the TIME TRAVEL PROJECT?
BOME: I look forward to having features on our songs by different artists because we’ve never done such collaborations before. It can bring new charm to our music and help us grow.
NAHYUN: Nowadays, a lot of different songs have lyrics in different languages. So, as a global girl group who can speak Japanese, [Tagalog], English, and Korean, I hope to include all those languages in one song.
Sirikul: Because it’s almost your first anniversary this August since your debut. How would you say your life has changed since then, and what have you learned within this past year?
MICHI: Before we debuted and went into this career, I didn’t realize how big an effect the fans had on what we did or the music we made. Now I realize how big of a part they play because, performing live, which we all love to do, we feed off so much of the energy they give us – even just at Korean music shows. When we hear them cheering us on and doing our fan chant, it just means so much and makes us want to work even harder.
NAHYUN: As a trainee, I felt very nervous whenever there was an evaluation or when I had to go on stage. But for the past year, I got to perform on different stages in Korea and the U.S. – and that nervousness has turned into more of an expectation. So as we released the music throughout the last year, I felt happier because I’m getting less nervous about the stage.
AURORA: For me, “Say It” is my first-ever promotion. It’s my first-ever song I got to participate in after my hiatus, so it meant a lot to me. I learned from the other members because they have so much more experience than I do. So I really appreciate that.
Sirikul: Now reflecting on your year – from trainee to idol, was it everything you expected? You know, what was the most surprising aspect of being an idol? What has been the most exciting?
NAHYUN: As a trainee, when I aspired to become an idol, I only saw them shining on stage – no [knowledge of] behind the scenes. But after experiencing it myself, I was surprised at how much preparation goes into it. So I approach all those opportunities more sincerely.
KATELYN: Like what Nahyun said, I didn’t realize how much effort and how many people were needed behind the scenes. As a fan, we only see them on stage or on camera. I didn’t realize how much we had to prepare, like in different aspects and even marketing – like how many people are in the marketing team and the music side. I didn’t realize how much support we get from everybody.
Sirikul: Can you describe your next sound or music in one word or an expression?
BOME: Amazing. Best!
ARIN: New!
AURORA: For me – PLOT TWIST!
MICHI: I think the word – PURE.
KATELYN: Unique.
SEOHYEON: Cool.
AtHeart’s “3! 4!” is available on all streaming platforms now.