by martina rexrode
photo courtesy of skinz
Today’s K-pop landscape includes the industry’s most diverse range of talent and concepts to date. Among the standard idol groups resides an emerging class of virtual groups vying for fans’ attention and succeeding at an impressive rate. SKINZ is one such group — a seven-member boy group promoting entirely through virtual avatars that perform choreography, speak to fans, and hold their own in cinematic music videos.
After debuting nearly a year ago, Dovin, Dael, Theo, Finn, Jaon, Ilang Kwon, and Yull are back with their first mini-album, SKINZ IS SKINZ, a collection of tracks that forms a fearless image of the group’s bright future. We spoke to SKINZ about this release, their musical influences, and how they’ve evolved in such a short period of time.
Congratulations on the release of your first mini-album! What was the collective goal for creating SKINZ IS SKINZ going into this release? How do you hope to achieve this goal now that the mini-album is out?
Dovin: “We wanted to share the message we carry with our KINDY fans and listeners about the uncertainty of youth and the process of overcoming it. Moving forward, we’ll continue to work hard and present more of our music to those who support us.”
Theo: “With SKINZ IS SKINZ, our goal was to show what ‘SKINZ-like music’ truly is. We wanted to naturally express our honest emotions and each member’s unique musical color. Going forward, we hope to keep developing and expanding our identity.”
Finn: “The most important thing for us was to show who SKINZ is through the music itself. Rather than having someone explain to us, we wanted the audience to feel it first. Each track has a different color, but they’re all connected by one attitude. Now that the album is out, I hope people start to have those moments where they listen and think, ‘Oh… this is SKINZ.’ Even if it happens little by little, I think that’s how we can keep carrying that goal forward.”
This project includes a wide range of genres, vocal deliveries, and concepts — each of which are pulled off flawlessly with incredible production and undeniable talent. Of these five tracks, which is each of your favorite and why?
Dovin: “My favorite track is ‘25.14.’ I truly love all the songs since we worked on each of them, but this one feels especially meaningful to me. Our biggest motivation throughout this album was our fans, KINDY, and since this song is dedicated to them, I naturally feel more attached to it.”
Jaon: “My favorite track is ‘YOUNG & LOUD.’ I see it as the beginning of our story. It captures SKINZ’s energy and message the best, which makes it particularly meaningful to me.”
Theo: “Personally, my favorite is ‘Poison Ivy.’ I think it brings out the members’ musical strengths in a very natural and effortless way.”
Finn: “My favorite track is ‘Poison Ivy.’ It’s a song where each member’s strengths really stand out, and the R&B-based melody is especially captivating.”
Ilang Kwon: “I like all the tracks, but ‘25.14’ is my favorite. It’s a song dedicated to our fans, KINDY, and it also has a different style compared to the other tracks, which makes it stand out even more.”
Yul: “My favorite is ‘WHY U MAD.’ It’s very powerful both in terms of performance and vocals, and I think it really shines on stage. I hope listeners can feel a stronger sense of confidence and bold energy when they hear it.”
Dael: “My favorite track is ‘Poison Ivy.’ While tracks 1 through 4 are all strong and carry a similar intensity, ‘Poison Ivy’ stands out with its smoother melody and distinct R&B vibe, which makes it especially appealing to me.”
How would you describe “Poison Ivy” to those who haven’t listened to the track yet in order to lure them in?
Jaon: “For those who haven’t heard ‘Poison Ivy’ yet, we’d first like to draw them in by showing the song’s mood and message through our performances and content. By expressing its story and energy on stage, we hope people naturally become curious and think, ‘What song is that?’ And once they listen, I believe they’ll quickly get pulled into the track’s addictive atmosphere.”
Ilang Kwon: “‘Poison Ivy’ is a track that fully captures SKINZ’s unique color. It has a strong storyline and a well-structured progression, which really sets it apart. I hope listeners can fully immerse themselves in the world of ‘Poison Ivy’ and experience what makes it so distinctive.”
Apart from the obvious difference of you being a virtual idol group, how else would you say SKINZ sets itself apart from other K-pop groups within your music or more generally?
Theo: “I think we’re a group that doesn’t place strict limits on genre. Because of that, we’re able to explore new sounds and styles more freely each time. The fact that it’s hard to predict what kind of music we’ll release next is what makes us different.”
Finn: “We don’t really try to define our music by genre. Whether it’s rock-driven or hip-hop inspired, we see it all as part of how we express ourselves, rather than completely separate concepts. So even if our sound changes, the attitude at the core stays the same — honest, a little rebellious, and sometimes unexpected. I think that sense of freedom is what really defines SKINZ.”
Dael: “This is something we see as both a challenge and one of our biggest strengths. Although this is only our first mini-album, we want to continue exploring a wide range of styles moving forward. We hope people will keep watching and growing with us.”
Who are some of your biggest influences as idols and artists?
Dovin: “I have a lot of respect for artists in the alternative rock scene, but I was especially inspired by YUNGBLUD. I really admire the way they express themselves, and that’s something I hope to bring into my own music as well.”
Jaon: “One of the artists who has influenced me the most is Justin Timberlake. Not just his performance and stage presence, but also the way he interprets and delivers a song in his own style really impressed me. The way he seamlessly connects music and performance into one complete stage has been a huge inspiration for me.”
Theo: “Ed Sheeran, Mac Ayres. I love their music so much.”
Ilang Kwon: “The artist who has influenced me the most is G-Dragon. I’ve been a huge fan since I was young, and his music is what led me to pursue music myself.”
Yul: “The artists who have influenced me the most are BIGBANG. I was deeply impressed by their energy and confidence on stage, and how clearly they express their unique identity through both music and performance. What stood out even more was how they expanded the influence of K-pop globally, reaching fans all over the world. That had a big impact on me and inspired me to dream of becoming an idol and artist.”
Finn: “I’ve been influenced by artists across a variety of genres, especially music that blends R&B, pop, and rock. I listen to The Weeknd a lot — not just for the sound, but for the atmosphere and emotional flow within his songs. There are moments that feel almost like scenes from a film, and I hope to create that same kind of immersive experience in my own music.”
Dael: “BIGBANG. The way they blended different genres and still kept such a strong identity really shaped how I see music today.”
Were any of you involved in the creative process as far as songwriting, production, or ideation goes? If so, how did you approach this process in your own way?
All: “While the level of involvement varied by track, every member actively participated in the songwriting and composition process.”
How have each of you noticed yourselves or your peers evolve since your debut nearly a year ago?
Dovin: “First of all, I think our visuals have improved a lot [laughs]. But beyond that, we’ve also grown significantly in how we express ourselves and in our musical abilities.”
Jaon: “As it’s been almost a year since our debut, I feel that all of us have grown a lot in terms of our skills. With more stage experience, our performances and expressions have improved, and we’ve come to understand each other much better. Personally, I also feel that my love for our fans has grown even more. Experiencing their support firsthand makes me want to show an even better side of myself.”
Theo: “I’ve become much more comfortable and confident using different vocal techniques across a variety of genres.”
Finn: “At the beginning, everything felt new and moved very quickly — from performing on stage to the entire creative process. Over time, we’ve come to understand each other better — what kind of expressions we each prefer and what kind of energy fits our team best. Because of that, we’re now able to communicate more naturally when working on music. While preparing this album, I felt that more than ever. Compared to before, we’ve become much more comfortable expressing who we are as a group and the kind of atmosphere we want to create.”
Ilang Kwon: “As time passed, we’ve all grown a lot not just in terms of skill, but mentally as well. I also think we’ve become much closer as a team.”
Yul: “Over the past year since our debut, I feel like I’ve grown a lot by learning from the older members, especially in dancing and singing. During practices and performances, we constantly inspire each other, and those moments have really helped me improve. Most of all, I think I was able to grow even faster thanks to the love and support from our fans. I’ll continue to learn from the members and work hard to show even better sides of myself.”
Dael: “I’ve experienced so many new things in every aspect, but above all, it was my first time receiving this much love and attention from so many people. I’m truly grateful and happy, and it motivates me to work even harder to give that love back.”
What are your biggest goals as a group? Is there anything you hope to accomplish this year?
Dovin: “Our goal this year is to release as many albums as possible. We want to keep showing ourselves consistently to our fans. And one of the biggest dreams is to return to the Tokyo Dome, where we had our debut stage, but next time with our own solo concert.”
Jaon: “Rather than setting one big goal, I think I want to meet our fans more often than we did last year. I hope to create more opportunities to connect with them through performances and various activities and grow closer little by little throughout the year.”
Finn & Dael: “It’s not just a goal for this year, one of my biggest goals as SKINZ is to hold our own solo concert!”