K-pop group MEOVV, composed of Sooin, Gawon, Anna, Narin and Ella, have been scooping up fans since they released their debut single “MEOW” in 2024 and their mix of heavy trap-influenced bass and exciting visuals have kept them top of mind ever since. Plus, just three months after their launch, they took home the coveted Favorite New Artist trophy at the MAMA Awards, which highlights the best of K-pop and Asian music.
The group shared their EP, MY EYES OPEN VVIDE, earlier this month with six tracks that gave listeners a glimpse into their world. They confidently assert across the EP that their individuality is their strongest asset and they won’t be retiring it as they break onto the scene, one that is ever-growing and hyper-competitive. “HANDS UP,” one of the singles released prior to the EP is Brazilian funk-inspired, with bouncing beats influencing the chill choreography the group went on to film and post on social media to promote its drop. “LIT RIGHT NOW” closes the EP with a more reserved, R&B cut that’s poppy and hook-heavy.
PAPER caught up with MEOVV to talk about their EP, their fans (that they refer to as PAWMPAWMs) the role fashion plays in their artistry and the pressures of being deemed a group to watch.
Your debut EP, MY EYES OPEN VVIDE, came out this month. How are you feeling about the release?
Gawon: We’ve known and loved all the songs in our EP since before our debut as trainees, so finally being able to put them out into the world means a lot to us. It’s the accumulation of the songs we’ve released so far and therefore feels like a real beginning and introduction. We hold this EP very close to our hearts and hope everyone loves it as much as we do.
Narin: Yeah. Since it’s our first album, it honestly feels like we’re debuting all over again. We’re so excited to finally perform more of our songs on stage and show different sides of ourselves. It makes us really happy that all six songs on the album are ones we truly love, and we’re especially excited to finally release “DROP TOP” and “LIT RIGHT NOW,” which our fans have been waiting for! More than anything, we’re just looking forward to meeting more of our fans all over the world and connecting through our music.
What are the tracks you were most excited for the world to hear?
Sooin: There are a lot of songs on this EP, each with its own vibe and character, so I think our fans will really enjoy listening to it. ‘DROP TOP’ in particular feels very new and refreshing for us, so I’m curious to see if the public will feel the same way too!
Anna: This EP album has six songs in total, and each one has a completely different vibe. So I hope you’ll listen to them based on your mood each day! ‘LIT RIGHT NOW’ is one of the B-side tracks, and it’s a special song that we’ve cherished since our trainee days. These days, it’s also my favorite!
MY EYES OPEN VVIDE is also a visual album. What led you to that decision? How do visuals play a role in MEOVV’s identity as a group?
Narin: From the beginning, we always knew visuals would be a big part of MY EYES OPEN VVIDE, because visuals are such an important part of how we express ourselves as a group. The album itself is about seeing the world with new eyes and breaking out of limitations, so creating a visual album that brings our vision to life felt like a natural extension of that message. We wanted to tell the story, show our emotions, and highlight the energy behind each song through the visuals. We wanted people to see and feel our music.
Ella: In the title of our album, there is literally a mention of eyes. We see our identity very clearly through our visuals!
Do you guys have plans to take MY EYES OPEN VVIDE on tour?
Gawon: Going on tour has been one of our top goals even before we became MEOVV, and it’s something we’re always planning and mapping out. With this EP, we really want to put as much of ourselves out there as possible, so we’ve already prepared several opportunities to meet our international PAWMPAWMs. As we continue to release more music — and yes, we’ll be coming back not long after this EP promotion — we’ll definitely be solidifying both our name as MEOVV and our plans for a tour.
Ella: We definitely have talked about a tour and it’s all of our dreams! Right now we are focusing on promoting more through YouTube content and fan signing events!
Anna: We’re planning to promote our EP not only in Korea but also in countries overseas! The thought that we’ll soon get to meet our PAWMPAWMs from all around the world — something we’ve always dreamed of — makes me so excited!
I saw that Ella recently became an ambassador for Miu Miu. Gawon is working with Prada. How does fashion play a role for MEOVV? What are some other favorite designers for you guys right now?
Gawon: Fashion is a core element of what makes MEOVV who we are. Ever since I was a child, I loved dressing up and putting on mini fashion shows by myself, and that passion has stayed with me. Now, as a member of MEOVV, I get to channel that love into our group’s identity. Our style isn’t just about looking good — it’s essential to tying everything together and expressing who we are on and off stage.
Sooin: We often spend a lot of time thinking about what we should wear or what we’d like to wear. We also search online for ideas and talk a lot with our styling director, who works closely with us. In the end, it always feels like we manage to find the best option.
Anna: Fashion is such an important element for our group. It’s the easiest way to express yourself, and it’s really fun to see how a person’s image and appeal change drastically with a change of an outfit. I love how we get to see our different sides every time we have a fitting session.
You took home the Favorite Rising Artist award from last year’s MAMA Awards. How do accolades like that impact the music you’re about to put out?
Narin: Winning Favorite Rising Artist at last year’s MAMA Awards meant so much to us. It was a huge honor, and it reminded us that people are really connecting with what we’re doing. It also motivated us to keep growing and pushing ourselves creatively during the preparation for the first EP and it really helped us bring even more honesty, energy, and originality into the music we put out. We always want to live up to the love and support we’ve received, and show how much we’ve grown.
Ella: When we received that award it was a big motivation for me! I was excited and passionate to try and get another big award like that.
Sooin: To receive such an award in such an early stage of our career really motivated us to work even harder so that we could receive an even bigger award. To be able to do so, we’re always trying to think of different ways to show more diverse and refreshing sides of our group.
Photography: THEBLACKLABEL