TIOT Look Back, Move Forward, and Make It “Our Time”
From “my time” to “our time,” TIOT reflects on their journey, their music, and the connection that continues to shape them in an exclusive interview.
Since making their debut in April 2024 with [Kick-Start], TIOT have continued to carve out their own place in K-pop through music that reflects both their growth as artists and the energy they bring to the stage. Comprised of KIMMINSEOUNG, KUMJUNHYEON, HONGKEONHEE, and SHINYECHAN, all of whom appeared as contestants on Boys Planet, the group has built on that shared beginning through releases including [Flex Line] and [MY PRIDE]. With every comeback, TIOT have continued to explore new sides of themselves while strengthening the connection at the heart of the group: four artists growing together and moving forward as one.
Now, TIOT are entering a new chapter with their fifth mini album, [Time for Us]. Featuring four tracks, including “말해줘,” “다섯 시간의 조각들,” “지내볼게,” and “Fool,” the album reflects on the passage from “my time” to “our time,” exploring uncertainty, self-acceptance, connection, and the comfort found in sharing life with others. It is a release that feels especially fitting for a group that has spent the past few years growing not only individually, but together.
In an exclusive interview, TIOT takes us inside [Time for Us], discussing the emotions and musical direction behind the album, their evolving identity as artists, the unique blend of their four vocal colors, and the experience of bringing the new release to life on screen. They also look back on how far they have come since [Kick-Start], share the genres they hope to explore next, and open up about what this new chapter means for TIOT and LOTI.
Hi TIOT! Congratulations on your fifth mini album, Time for Us! Looking back on everything you’ve experienced since your debut with Kick-Start, what does “our time” mean to you now compared to when you first started?
TIOT: When we were preparing for our debut album, [Kick-Start], “our time” felt like a period filled with the confidence that we could take on anything, along with the worries and excitement that naturally come with a new beginning.
From that time until now, LOTI has always been there to fill our time with us, and every moment we have shared has helped TIOT and LOTI grow into an even stronger bond.
All of those moments have come together in our fifth mini album, [Time for Us], where we feel we can share our story in a more honest and sincere way. For TIOT now, “Our Time” represents determination, the moment we take another step forward with that determination, and a promise we share with LOTI.
The album explores the journey from “my time” to “our time,” touching on uncertainty, self-acceptance, and the relationships we build along the way. As TIOT has grown together, what is something you’ve come to understand about the meaning of “us” that you didn’t fully understand when you first debuted?
TIOT: In the beginning, everything was new and unfamiliar. There were times when we felt uncertain, and moments when we weren’t completely in sync with one another. But we think those experiences actually helped build a stronger bond between us and eventually became trust.
Even now, we’re not sure if we can say that we have fully become “us.” But as we continue to understand and recognize each other’s feelings, the meaning of the word “us” becomes clearer and stronger. Now, we feel that “us” itself has become one of the biggest sources of energy that keeps TIOT moving forward.
Each of the four tracks represents a different emotional moment, from expressing feelings that have been left unsaid to finding comfort and connection. When you listen to Time for Us from beginning to end, what kind of story or journey do you feel the album tells?
TIOT: During the long break while preparing for this album, there were feelings and thoughts we hadn’t been able to express, and we also spent a lot of time together sharing what was on our minds.
As we shared the questions and concerns each of us had been carrying, we gradually found ourselves moving in the same direction. We think that process eventually came together as a single “period” in this album.
A period usually represents an ending or conclusion, but for us, this period feels more like the courage to begin a new journey. We hope listeners can experience [Time for Us] as a story about bringing one chapter to a close, finding the courage to begin a new journey, and growing once again as we move forward.
“Five Hours in Pieces” has a particularly emotional and reflective atmosphere. What was the most important emotion you wanted to convey through the song, and did you approach the vocals differently to capture that feeling?
TIOT: “Five Hours in Pieces” has a very different atmosphere and story from the music we’ve shown before, so even during rehearsals, we spent a lot of time focusing on our individual emotions.
We tried to sing and perform while thinking about the emotions we had experienced throughout the time that has passed, as well as the mindset we want to carry with us moving forward.
Rather than simply trying to express a predetermined emotion, each member tried to bring his own genuine feelings into both the vocals and performance. We hope those emotions naturally reach LOTI and everyone else who listens to and watches the song.
Each member has a different vocal color and tone. When you hear all four voices together on Time for Us, what do you think makes your combination unique as TIOT?
KUMJUNHYEON: I think each of our members has a very distinct vocal color. My voice is a little sharper and has a tone that tends to stand out, while YECHAN has a refreshing quality with the warmth and energy of a band vocalist. MINSEOUNG and KEONHEE also have very distinctive styles, especially when it comes to rap and melodic rap.
Even when you listen to us individually, it’s quite easy to tell whose voice is whose. But when all four voices come together in one song, I think our individual colors actually become even more noticeable, and that’s one of TIOT’s strengths.
This album in particular has a lot of songs where the emotional progression is very important, so I think the differences in our vocal tones and the way each of us expresses emotions add even more depth to the overall atmosphere of the songs.
Was there a particularly challenging or memorable moment while filming the music video for Time for Us? Was there anything about the choreography, location, acting, or filming process that you think fans might find interesting?
TIOT: For this music video, we wanted to show a more natural and relaxed side of ourselves compared to what we’ve shown before. There were a lot of moments during filming when we were genuinely joking around or talking with each other, and we think those moments ended up being captured very naturally on camera.
Especially in scenes where we all had to move together or match the same emotional mood, it was actually harder than we expected to stay serious because we know each other so well. As filming went on, there were moments when just making eye contact with each other would make us laugh, so trying not to laugh became a challenge.
That whole process of simply being ourselves together is one of the things we remember most about filming this music video.
If the members had to choose one song from Time for Us to represent each member, which song would each person get and why?
KIMMINSEOUNG: I think “fool” suits JUNHYEON really well. His natural sense of groove matches the atmosphere of the song. For KEONHEE, I would choose “I’ll Be Okay.” It has the kind of emotional mood I think he would personally enjoy, and it also fits his overall vibe really well. For YECHAN, I would choose “Tell Me.” YECHAN has a very emotional and sensitive side to him, and I think that matches the lyrics of the song very well.
KUMJUNHYEON: Personally, I think “I’ll Be Okay” represents me best. Rather than showing someone who has everything figured out perfectly, the song is about acknowledging your imperfections and still telling yourself, “Let’s just try to be okay.” I think that mindset really resonates with me.
The four songs on this album each tell a different story, but ultimately, they’re connected through the journey from “my time” to “our time.” I think one of the interesting things about the album is that you can discover different sides of each member through the different songs.
HONGKEONHEE: For MINSEOUNG, I would definitely choose the title track, “Five Hours in Pieces.” I think his vocal ability and emotional expression really stand out, especially in the chorus. For JUNHYEON, I would choose “fool.” The atmosphere of the song fits JUNHYEON’s own vibe perfectly. For our youngest member, YECHAN, I think he expressed “I’ll Be Okay” incredibly well. He did such an amazing job on the final bridge and ending sections. I actually got goosebumps when I heard the final version of the song.
SHINYECHAN: For MINSEOUNG, I would choose “Five Hours in Pieces.” I think he showed a lot of his vocal charm on this album, and his voice matches the emotions of the title track really well. For JUNHYEON, I would choose “I’ll Be Okay.” I’ve always really liked JUNHYEON’s falsetto. From the first time I heard the demo, I thought the song would suit his voice perfectly, and when I finally heard his recorded vocals, I thought his falsetto sounded really beautiful. For KEONHEE, I would choose “Tell Me.” KEONHEE had recorded the demo for the song, and it was amazing because the way he interpreted it felt almost like the perfect answer for how the song should sound. I also remember everyone being surprised because when it came time to officially record the song, he finished his recording almost in one take.
If you had to describe the current chapter of TIOT in one sentence, what would you say?
TIOT: “After going through our own individual journeys, we’re now entering a chapter where we create ‘our time’ together.” Until now, we’ve kept moving forward with the mindset of wanting to show what we can do and prove ourselves. But now, we feel like we’re at a point where we can show who we are as individuals and what kind of team TIOT is in a more natural way. That’s also why we think the title [Time for Us] fits who TIOT is at this moment so well.
For someone discovering TIOT for the first time through [Time for Us], which song from your entire discography would you want them to listen to next, and why?
TIOT: We would recommend “Moonrise.”
It’s a meaningful song because it reflects the relationship and connection within TIOT, and it was also the first song through which we shared our voices with the world together.
More than anything, we think it’s a song where you can really hear each member’s individual vocal charm, so it’s a track we would definitely recommend to someone discovering TIOT for the first time.
Looking back at [Kick-Start], [Flex Line], [MY PRIDE], and now [Time for Us], how do you feel TIOT's musical identity has evolved with each release?
TIOT: With each album, we think our individual voices and overall styles have gradually evolved. Each member is continuing to discover the style and way of expressing himself that suits him best.
All four of us have very different personalities and individual qualities, but we think one of TIOT’s greatest strengths is how naturally those different colors come together when we’re together as a group.
So rather than TIOT’s musical identity becoming defined by one single color, we feel that each member’s individuality is becoming clearer and stronger, and those different colors coming together are what continue to shape TIOT’s musical identity.
Are there any genres or musical styles that TIOT hasn't explored yet but would really like to try in a future release? Is there a particular sound you think would suit the group surprisingly well?
TIOT: We don’t think we’ve really explored EDM as a genre yet. Since one of TIOT’s strengths is our energy on stage and our live performances, we think an EDM track could be a great way to show that side of us even more. We’d love to perform a song where both we and our fans can jump around, have fun, and enjoy the energy of the performance together.
If you could go back and let the TIOT members who were preparing for their debut with [Kick-Start] listen to [Time for Us], what do you think they would be most surprised to hear or see?
TIOT: We think our past selves would probably be most surprised by how much our vocals and rap skills have improved. Every time we prepare a new album, we can feel that all of the members have grown little by little. Sometimes when we go back and listen to songs we performed in the past, that growth becomes even more noticeable.
So if we could play [Time for Us] for the TIOT members who were preparing for our debut album [Kick-Start], we think they would be surprised by how much we’ve grown—and probably feel very proud as well.
With all of your experiences together over the past few years, what is something you’ve learned from one another as members that has influenced you personally or artistically?
KIMMINSEOUNG: Being with the members has made me realize how differently people can approach life and think about things. Through them, I think I’ve learned how to look at different perspectives and reflect on opinions that may be different from my own.
KUMJUNHYEON: One of the biggest things I’ve learned from living and working with the members is how important it is to accept that everyone has their own way of doing things.
Even in the same situation, each member might think differently or express himself in a different way. Being around them has taught me not to insist only on my own way, but to recognize and learn from other people’s strengths.
Whenever I feel that I’m lacking in something, seeing the strengths of the other members motivates me to improve. At the same time, in areas where I know I can contribute, I try to fill in whatever the team might need.
I’ve come to realize that being a team isn’t about one person doing everything well. It’s about different people coming together and creating something better because of those differences. I want to continue learning from the members while also developing my own individual color even further.
HONGKEONHEE: From MINSEOUNG, I’ve learned how to look at situations more rationally. From JUNHYEON, I’ve learned the ability to turn thoughts into action, and from YECHAN, I’ve learned his clever sense of wordplay! More than anything, being together has taught me how precious it is to have a team and made me realize just how much strength I receive from the members.
TIOT is the one and only team I have in this world, and the fact that my team is made up of MINSEOUNG, JUNHYEON, and YECHAN gives me so much energy and has had a huge influence on me.
SHINYECHAN: I tend to monitor our performances a lot. When we first debuted, the older members had already experienced debuting before me, so I naturally watched their performances and tried to learn from their stage presence and the way they carried themselves on stage.
Finally, please leave a message for LOTI reading this.
TIOT: We hope you’ll continue to watch over TIOT warmly as we keep creating our own picture, one step at a time, both as artists and as idols.
To our LOTI, who always stay by our side and give us so much love, we truly want to say thank you. Just as we’ve created so many moments together until now, we hope all the moments ahead of us will be shared by TIOT and LOTI as well. TIOT and LOTI, let’s stay together forever!
Listen to TIOT's discography on Spotify or Apple Music.
* Special thanks to the members of TIOT and REDSTART ENM for this exclusive interview.
Image and Video Credits: REDSTART ENM
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