K-pop group NOWZ teamed up with science creator Orbit for a brain-tingling chat about risk, reward, and that “dopamine hit.”
Members HYEONBIN, YEONWOO, and SIYUN appeared on the Jan. 9 episode of Orbit’s YouTube series “Unreal Science,” where they opened up about the group’s rebrand and big-league ambitions. HYEONBIN explained that NOWZ evolved from Nowadays last year “to level up like our label seniors,” adding that the name change coincided with real growth in their fanbase and confidence.
Introducing their third single, "Play Ball", released in November, HYEONBIN said the project channels the adrenaline of a baseball game that kicks off with the umpire’s call―signaling a fresh challenge for NOWZ. SIYUN set the season’s target plainly: “Our goal this year is to make title track "HomeRUN" a go-to stadium chant.” Orbit backed them up, noting the album’s hook lies in tying sports’ uncertainty to the brain’s dopamine surge.
SIYUN shared she was a science kid who once visited a national nanotechnology institute in Korea and even dreamed of becoming a white-hat hacker. HYEONBIN revealed he’s a rare idol-turned-cyclist, with a career-best sixth-place finish at the President’s Cup―and said his records are searchable with the Korea Cycling Federation under “Kim Hyeon-bin.”
Orbit compared the group’s journey―five members logging a combined 29 years as trainees―to grad school. “It’s like an extreme marshmallow test: can you endure until the results come? Debuting is similar to finishing a Ph.D. and stepping onto the starting line as a researcher. NOWZ is at that starting line; what you do from here becomes your legacy.”
The group closed on a rallying note: “In baseball, nothing tops a home run. It feels like our biggest one is taking flight right now. We’ll keep swinging at every opportunity so we’re ready to shine when it counts.”
Photo: “Unreal Science”
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)
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