Jae-Ha Kim
Substack
August 7, 2026
AtHeart is comprised of seven teenagers hailing from four different countries (South Korea, the United States, Japan, and the Philippines). Like many little girls, they thought about becoming pop stars, never actually thinking that it would become a reality for them.
“If I’m being honest, l didn’t know exactly what to expect when starting to pursue life as an idol,” says Michi, who hails from Hawaii. “I knew what an idol was, but it was difficult to imagine what a realistic daily lifestyle would be like. One thing that was different from what I had pictured was how many people work behind the scenes to assist the team to become who they are. There is so much effort and planning that goes into every song and stage.”
She continues, “On top of that, we dedicate hours of practice to deliver a perfect performance. No matter how challenging it gets, I’m always driven by the fact that I get to do what I love every day with the people I love. I also never realized just how much fans would come to mean to me. The support from heartbeat1 [핫빛] is something I’m incredibly grateful for!”
Ahead of celebrating their one-year anniversary, the entire septet participated in an interview with K-Culture with Jae-Ha Kim from their Seoul headquarters. The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: “Say It” samples and reinterprets The Cardigans’ “Lovefool.” Were you familiar with the group prior to working on your song?
AURORA: Yes! I was familiar with both the song and band prior to “Say It” coming out. The first time I heard that we would be releasing a remake of “Lovefool,” I was really excited and interested in how the song would sound like. At the same time, I was also worried if we would be able to execute the song in AtHeart’s color. However, as soon as I heard the song, I instantly knew that it would be a great hit! I think The Cardigans’ original melody and retro atmosphere blend perfectly with AtHeart’s funky bassline and unique vocal colors. I hope everyone likes the song!
MICHI: It is a huge honor to sample the iconic and recognizable chorus from The Cardigans’ “Lovefool.” Prior to working on “Say It” I was already familiar with the song. It’s one of those catchy classics I grew up hearing. It means so much that it could play a part in AtHeart’s music. During our trainee days, some of us even worked on a vocal cover of “Lovefool,” which makes this experience feel especially meaningful. As a group, we’ve always wanted to explore a variety of musical genres and “Say It” gave us the perfect opportunity to branch out and try a retro band inspired sound. We hope to honor the original while offering our own style to listeners! The moment you hear “Say It,” it will be on repeat non stop. I have no doubt that it will be a success!
Q: What would you like to say to the protagonist in “Say It”?
NAHYUN: What are we? Do you like me? Say It.
Q: You filmed the music video for “Shut Up” in Los Angeles. What was it like working overseas?
Arin: This was my third time visiting L.A., but it felt like a whole new experience because I was there to film AtHeart’s music video. Most of all, I loved that we were able to capture L.A.’s unique charm and atmosphere. I think that made the experience even more special for me.
Seohyeon: We actually filmed “Butterfly Doors” in L.A. as well.
Q: AtHeart means a lot of different things to your fans. For you, what is always in your heart?
KATELYN: Aside from heartbeat, my loved ones are always in my heart, including my family, my friends, my dogs and, of course, my members as well!
Q: Billboard dubbed you as their K-Pop Rookie of the Month a year ago. While that’s certainly an honor, do you feel extra pressure to live up to that title?
ARIN: I’d be lying if I said I don’t feel any pressure, but it also motivates me. Knowing that people have high expectations and believe in me makes me want to work even harder. I’m doing my best to show you an even better version of myself, and I’ll continue working hard to meet those expectations!
MICHI: We are so honored and excited to be named K-pop Rookie of the Month! Rather than feeling pressure, it motivates us to want to achieve even after receiving such a title. We certainly hope to continue to spread AtHeart’s music to as many people as we can. It hasn’t been a year since we debuted2 and we are still working hard to have our name known.
Q: You are a multi-national group, with members from Korea, the Philippines, Japan, and the U.S. who are Korean, Filipina, Japanese, and Japanese American. How has that multi-cultural element affected who AtHeart is?
BOME: I think it’s definitely a big strength that AtHeart has members from different nationalities. It has a positive impact both linguistically and culturally, and I believe that diversity is one of our greatest strengths as a group.
AURORA: Our group consists of members from four different countries and cultural backgrounds. MICHI is half Japanese and half American and was born and raised in Hawaii. KATELYN is from the Philippines, while SEOHYEON, NAHYUN, ARIN, and BOME are from Korea. As for me, I’m from Japan. Since all of the four Korean members are also from different areas in Korea, each member has their own interesting background. I personally think the biggest charm of AtHeart, which makes us different and unique, is our distinctiveness. Each of the members have their own color and personality and I think that comes from our traditional backgrounds and cultures. So the multi-cultural element of AtHeart plays a big role in shaping our unique atmosphere and charm that cannot be replaced by any other group.
Q: Do you want your songs to sound different live than on record? And if so, what difference do you want to showcase?
ARIN: I think hearing AtHeart’s voices live on stage will feel completely different from listening to our recorded tracks. That difference itself is really exciting. Both the recorded version and the live performance have their own unique charm and I’d love to show both sides of that appeal to our fans.
SEOHYEON: The emotions we want to express when recording a song and when performing it live after release can be slightly different. Because we’re performing in front of an audience, we always try our best to deliver our sincerity and true emotions even more deeply on stage.
Q: What was a trip you took as a child that stands out? Did you love it…or not so much?
AURORA: Growing up in an international environment, I had the chance to visit different countries around the world, but my trip to New York when I was about five years old stands out the most. Unfortunately, though, not in a good way. I was feeling very sick because of jet lag, and I remember throwing up everywhere I went. I even had a bowl beside me while I slept. I’ve been to New York many times since my aunt’s family lives there. Whenever I travel there, I go back to Japan with unforgettable memories, both good and bad. I would love to visit different countries with [the members] someday.
KATELYN: Since I have family living in the U.S., I’ve been there a couple of times. On the second trip with my family, I don’t really remember exactly where we went, but I do remember visiting an amusement park called Six Flags. I love amusement parks, so I went on as many rides as I could. The food was amazing too. We’ve also traveled to Europe. The first time I went, I was really young so I don’t remember much, but I have some memories of visiting places like Rome, Barcelona, and Paris. I know I had a lot of fun. The second time I went, I tried skiing for the first time and absolutely loved it. The other places we visited afterward made me fall in love with Europe even more. That’s why whenever we get the chance to travel, I always suggest Europe.
Q: If you could only pick one place to eat, would you prefer a food truck or fine dining?
SEOHYEON: I really like both, but I think food trucks might suit my taste a bit more. Still, as long as there’s good food, I’d be happy anywhere!
Q: With members whose native languages are diverse, do you find yourself learning foreign languages from them?
BOME: I’m the type who tends to push through with confidence and energy rather than language skills, but thankfully, members like AURORA, MICHI, and KATELYN — who speak different languages — are very supportive and often encourage me by saying I’m doing well. Being in an environment where I can naturally learn different languages also helps me improve a lot faster.
NAHYUN: Honestly, I’m not perfect at languages, but I feel like we’re gradually learning from each other by picking up different expressions, nuances, and ways of showing politeness. In that sense, we’re slowly becoming more alike.
Q: If I peeked inside your luggage, what are some things I’d find?
KATELYN: There are actually a lot of must-have items for me. In my carry-on luggage, I always pack my skincare and makeup, extra clothes, a small essentials pouch, a portable charger, and some medicine.
BOME: I usually bring most of my hair care products with me. Since my hair is bleached, I need to take extra care of it, so it’s kind of necessary for me.
Q: Who are your musical influences?
BOME: STAYC were the first K-pop idols I truly became a fan of. They inspired me to dream of becoming an idol myself, and they’ve had a huge influence on me ever since. I think that’s why I admire and look up to them so much.
AURORA: Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish have been my biggest musical influence for as long as I can remember. I love their music and the way they execute their emotion into their music. Not only do I love them as artists, but I also love them for who they are as people!
If you’re inadvertently reading this on a content-scraping plagiarism site (e.g. europesays(dot)com etc.), please know that they stole my copyrighted work. These clickbait sites are illegally using my writing to generate traffic to their ads. —Jae-Ha Kim
Q: You are still all teenagers. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now when you’re in your 20s?
NAHYUN: In 10 years, I’ll be 26. I hope I can keep growing step-by-step while accomplishing all the bucket-list goals I’ve written in my notes. I also hope I can live a life where I become a role model for someone someday.
SEOHYEON: My dream for my late 20s is to achieve more success than I have now and to become someone who has found and built my own unique skills, experience, and style.
Q: What K-dramas, films, or international shows are you watching?
MICHI: Most recently, I watched Michael, the movie about Michael Jackson. It made me fall in love with his music and dancing even more. I left the theater feeling really inspired. As a group, we also went to see the Korean zombie movie Colony and we were on the edge of our seats the whole time.
Q: Besides your own music, what other songs/albums are you enjoying?
AURORA: Currently, I’m listening to the new album by Olivia Rodrigo, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, which was released in June. My favorite songs from the album are “Less,” “Stupid Song,” and “The Cure.”
KATELYN: I actually just watched the Michael Jackson movie, so I’ve been listening to him nonstop, and my FYP3 is now full of his content!
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