You’ll always remember the moment you begin to feel the magic of a certain artist’s music, and now it’s time to experience this sensation with ARrC!
ARrC is a seven-member K-Pop boy group from MYSTIC STORY entertainment. The name ARrC is an acronym for the phrase “Always Remember the real Connection,” which signifies the importance of creating a sincere connection that is indestructible regardless of time, location, or circumstances. Members Andy, Choi Han, Doha, Hyunmin, Jibeen, Kien, and Rioto all hail from different countries, including South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Brazil, and the United States. ARrC is a true global group with a goal of inspiring fans around the world with their unique charms and energy.
In August 2024, ARrC made their debut with their first mini album AR^C. Since then, the group has released two additional mini albums – nu kidz: out the box and HOPE, which was released in July 2025. HOPE aims to convey the complex emotions that young people face in an honest and creative way. While there’s a lot of uncertainty and fear in the world today, there’s always hope that the narrative can be changed and peace can prevail.
At a roundtable interview with the group, Rioto said, “We chose this album concept because we felt that we could best express the emotions and situations we’re experiencing at our current age through music. Most of our members are still minors, so we really tried to capture what we can express uniquely at this point in our lives.”
Doha said, “We always try to include a message in our music, and we’re constantly thinking about how to deliver a positive message in a way that can truly reach people around the world. Since this album’s concept is closely tied to our own youth and personal stories, we really hope that the message connects well with other young people out there who might be going through similar experiences.”
Songs such as “dawns” will especially speak to Gen Z and Gen Alpha fans, as it describes the feeling of excitement that overpowers anxiety while one stares and scrolls through their phone all night long. There’s something sacred about the fresh start that a new day can provide, and a morning sunrise can bring many a true sense of optimism. Hyunmin and Choi Han participated in the songwriting process of “dawns,” which was a first time experience for both members.
“While working on ‘dawns,’ we really tried to capture the dreamy, fluttery feeling that the early morning hours give,” Hyunmin mentioned. “We focused on expressing the colors and atmosphere of dawn not just visually, but also emotionally. I wanted to be as honest and deep as possible about the emotions we feel at that time of day.”
Another standout track on the mini album is “vitamin I,” which encourages listeners to value themselves more than the expectations society has placed on them. External validation can be a fleeting feeling, and the belief in one’s self can certainly outlast the opinions of others.
Overall, ARrC hopes their fans, known as ARrCers, can tune in and listen to HOPE for motivation and comfort during their daily activities.
Andy shared, “I hope that through our music and hope in our album, we can give ARrCers more energy to get through the day or even some comforting, since all the songs in the album have different vibes. Depending on how you’re feeling or what kind of feelings you want to feel, we hope that you can find our album and listen to it, and make you feel better.”
Q&A
Your new mini album HOPE features a variety of genres, such as R&B, drum & bass, funk, and a retro hip-hop sound. How did you choose which genres were reflected in the songs?
HYUNMIN: This album was actually a challenge for us. The first thing we had to figure out was what story we wanted to tell. A message and feeling in each song had to be matched with the sound to see how perfectly they fit. We had to try different genres for the songs. For example, some songs can be very warm, giving a vibe similar to giving a warm hug, so we would choose a soft R&B song to match it. For other songs, we would choose a drum & bass genre to convey the energy of our team. I think a way to show our real moods is to choose the perfect genre to go with the song’s sound and lyrics, which is the best way to send our message to our listeners.
Are there any artists in particular that have had a large influence on your sound?
DOHA: If we had to pick one artist who had the biggest influence on our team’s sound, it would be LUCY. Even though our base genres are different, their music has been a great reference for how to express emotions through sound. The way they build musical structures and unfold narratives in their songs stood out to us. It’s influenced how we approach our own song structures, sound, and even our attitude and identity when it comes to making music.
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Article featured image courtesy of MYSTIC STORY