South Korean pop group A.C.E. [Park Junhee, Lee Donghun, WOW, Kim Byeongkwan, and Kang Yuchan], under Beat Interactive, is one of the most popular K-pop groups. Debuted in 2017 with the song ‘Cactus’, the group was on a hiatus for over two years following the members’ mandatory military enlistments. With the return of Kang Yuchan in early 2024, the hiatus finally came to an end. To celebrate the group’s return, this quintet released a wonderful seven-track EP titled My Girl: My Choice on February 22, 2024. The pre-release singles ‘Effortless’ and ‘Angel’, the title track ‘My Girl’, ‘Facetime’ and English versions of the ‘Effortless’, ‘Angel’, and ‘My Girl’ complete the EP.
Member WOW participated in composing and writing the song ‘Facetime’. Member Lee Donghun participated in writing ‘My Girl’. Kang Yuchan was unable to participate in the EP as he was still completing his duties while the EP was in production. With My Girl: My Choice, A.C.E explores the “reasons for existence” with a love story while incorporating “Conatus,” the essence and core power of all beings.
The title track ‘My Girl’ is quite the existential number with fun dance-pop tunes. In the music video, the members are seen working a 9-5 job as they croon, “Take you to a placе we've never seen / Take my hand, and let's go far away / I'll give you everything / You're my girl.” The song also signals a romantic confession replete with cosmic imagery.
‘Effortless’ is an effortlessly addicting track. The instruments take a backseat as the members pump energy into the song with their powerful singing. ‘My Angel’ is a soft R&B ballad with a cinematic touch to it. The song weaves its way between buttery soft vocals and harmonies that underscore the emotive lyrics. ‘Facetime’ introduces the listeners to member WOW artistry. The song packs a rather brisk pace with its jazzy background score and abrupt musical segues into new verses.
A few days ago, Bollywood Hungama spoke to the members about this latest EP at their global roundtable interview. It was quite late in the day for A.C.E. but they were ready as ever to meet and greet media representatives across the globe. They chatted for an hour about their album, reminisced over their past discography and also dropped hints about what’s next in store. If the words of member Kim Byeongkwan are to be believed, fans can expect something new and soon from A.C.E!
When asked which tracks from their latest EP My Girl: My Choice is their favourite, the members gave honest replies. WOW said, “From the start, ‘Effortless’ caught my attention. Although I can't pinpoint a specific reason, the more I listen to it, the more I appreciate its charm. It's so memorable that whenever someone asks about my favourite track, I always mention ‘Effortless’.”
Kim Byeongkwan followed after, saying ‘My Girl’ is the title track of the album, and I'm fonder of it than other B-side tracks, so I choose ‘My Girl’.”
The group’s leader Park Junhee added, “My usual answer would be ‘Angel’, but today, I choose ‘Facetime’ because we have the producer of the song, Wow, here with us and he has gifted us with the opportunity to sing the song. I'm really thankful for that, and I wanted to compliment his songwriting skills.”
Lee Donghun continued, “I usually choose ‘Facetime’ but the producer of the song, Wow, did not give me a lot of lines to sing. So my favourite now would be ‘My Girl’. From the moment I heard it, I believed it had the potential to make it to the Billboard charts, which got me really excited. It's quite unfortunate that this didn't come to pass.”
Adding further about the Billboard charting, members Park Junhee and Kim Byeongkwan had a request to make. Park Junhee said, “We're counting on all of your support to get ‘My Girl’ listed on the Billboard.” whereas Kim Byeongkwan added, “I'm sure that ‘My Girl’ will rise again when we go on our next tour. Help us with it!”
Member Kang Yuchan was unable to participate in this EP but was present at the roundtable along with the rest of the members. Answering the question, he said, “My usual answer would be ‘Facetime’, but I'll go with ‘Angel’ today. This is because the performance of "Angel" was what really resonated with me when I saw other members perform on stage.”
A.C.E. was on a hiatus for 2.5 years following the members’ mandatory military enlistment schedules. ‘My Choice’ is their first EP after resuming activities. Kang Yuchan did not participate in the EP, but he was present for events after his return. As 2024 rolls into a new quarter and members prepare for a new journey, we asked them what changes they saw in themselves, as artists or individuals, during this hiatus. The members had quite insightful answers.
Kim Byeongkwan answered, “Initially, going into the recording booth right after our debut was nerve-wracking for me. I worried about showcasing everything I'd prepared in the limited time, considering we were several members with time constraints. Coming back from military service, I've noticed a more relaxed approach to recording, which reflects positively in the outcome. It's a noticeable change I've experienced.”
Further, Lee Donghun added, “To add, this album involved more member participation in the production process, giving us a deeper understanding of its creation. With increased experience, each member gained confidence in their singing and developed unique opinions. This boosted our ability to comprehend and convey emotions in our songs more efficiently, resulting in a higher-quality outcome.”
Watch A.C.E.’s ‘My Girl’ music video here:
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