Last December, K-pop boy band LUN8 went to the Philippines for the 2023 Asia Artist Awards, where they were among the artists recognized with the Focus Award. Coming six months since its debut, such an achievement signified promise for label Fantagio’s newly minted group.
But the eight-member team knows it has more to show its audience. So for its first comeback, LUN8 draws from gaming concepts to convey the members’ ambitions to level up as artists.
“For our album ‘BUFF,’ we aimed to capture our determination and desire for growth, inspired by the concept of buffs,” member Do Hyun told ABS-CBN News, referring to a gaming term that describes a boost in a character’s stats or abilities.
“Beyond our focus on growth and improvement, ‘BUFF’ also tells the stories of eight young boys as they navigate love and dreams,” he added.
“While ‘SUPER POWER’ shares the energetic vibe of [one of our debut songs] ‘Wild Heart,’ it has a slightly different feeling. Where ‘Wild Heart’ creates a lively atmosphere with whistles and drum beats, ‘SUPER POWER’ uplifts listeners with its catchy melody,” Ji Eun Ho said.
“Just like our debut track, I hope you’ll enjoy this new song as it’s perfect for easy listening and a good mood boost,” he added.
Formed by Fantagio (also home to boy band Astro and Cha Eun-woo), LUN8 — also consisting of Chael, Jin Su, Takuma, Jun Woo, Ian and Eun Seop — debuted in June 2023 with the extended play “CONTINUE?”, which spawned the double title tracks “Wild Heart” and “Voyager.”
More from our interview with LUN8:
Since the title track is called ‘SUPER POWER’, if each member could have a superpower, what type of power would they want to have and why?
Jin Su: I would like to be able to not feel tired, even if I don’t sleep. I believe super power could prevent me from experiencing the sense of achievement that comes with hard work, so I’d rather live my life earnestly with the abilities I have and cherish the successes I earn through effort.
Chael: I would like to have the ability to go back in time because I want to continually experience the happiness and joy of spending enjoyable moments with our fans.
Do Hyun: I would like to have a superpower that will allow me to never get tired, so I can continuously show our fans only the best side of me.
Super Power: @LUN8_official
K-Pop icons on winning their AAA Award, overcoming challenges, and relishing their opportunities – https://t.co/IUpTc9EzEC#LUN8 pic.twitter.com/4io1bwGOpH
— CLASH (@ClashMagazine) April 4, 2024
Who Is Lun8?
LUN8 (루네이트) is an eight-member boy group under Fantagio. They made their debut on June 15, 2023 with the mini album Continue?.
The group name holds the meaning of “eight boys who embrace the moonlight”.
Pre-debut
On March 21, 2023, OSEN reported that the group will be making their debut in May. Fantagio announced that the exact date is yet to be confirmed although they are expected to debut in the first half of the year.
On April 1, Fantagio released an logo motion, revealing the group name to be LUN8. The group’s SNS accounts were also launched that day. Through a teaser posted the following day, the members were revealed to be part of Fantagio’s i-Teen project.
On April 3, Ian was introduced as the group’s first member, followed by Jun Woo on April 4, Takuma on April 5, Jin Su on April 6, Eun Seop on April 7, Chael on April 10, Ji Eun Ho on April 11, and Do Hyun on April 12.
2023: Debut with Continue?, first sub-unit LUN8wave
On May 22, it was announced that LUN8 would debut with their first mini album Continue? on June 15.
On November 15, it was announced that the group will debut their first sub-unit LUN8wave on November 22 with the digital single “Playground”.
2024: Buff
On February 13, it was announced that LUN8 will release their second mini album Buff on March 13. “Pastel” was pre-released on February 19.
Members
| Name | Position(s) | Year(s) active |
|---|---|---|
| Chael (카엘) | Rapper | 2023–present |
| Jin Su (진수) | Leader, Main Vocalist | 2023–present |
| Takuma (타쿠마) | Dancer, Vocalist | 2023–present |
| Jun Woo (준우) | Main Dancer, Vocalist | 2023–present |
| Do Hyun (도현) | Rapper | 2023–present |
| Ian (이안) | Dancer, Vocalist | 2023–present |
| Ji Eun Ho (지은호) | Rapper | 2023–present |
| Eun Seop (은섭) | Vocalist, Maknae | 2023–present |