SEVENTEEN members THE 8 and VERNON have launched their new unit, V8, with the release of their self-titled first mini-album, marking a new creative chapter shaped by experimentation, electronic music, and personal storytelling.
Youth and growth
Arriving amid SEVENTEEN’s military enlistment era, the eight-track project explores the complexities of youth, transforming experiences of uncertainty and “wasted youth” into the driving force behind growth and self-discovery.
The unit’s name combines THE 8’s signature “8” with the “V” from VERNON, drawing inspiration from the power and performance of a V8 engine. Their logo similarly reflects the project’s ethos, blending the Chinese character for eight (八) and the letter ‘V’ into a form resembling the character for ‘human’ (人), symbolizing the personal stories that fuel the album.
“We really wanted to tell an authentic story,” the 28-year-olds said in a statement on how they shaped the album’s theme and sound. “Looking back on the times we’ve spent and how they’ve led us to who we are today, it naturally brought us to this theme—how our experiences of youth drive us forward.”
Musically, ‘V8’ sees THE 8 and VERNON—members of SEVENTEEN’s performance team and hip-hop team, respectively—embracing a diverse palette of electronic sounds while pushing beyond familiar territory. The pair played an active role throughout the album’s production, experimenting with different genres, multilingual lyrics, and varied creative approaches.
“We tried many new approaches, often choosing new directions over familiar ones, such as exploring diverse electronic sounds and using different languages in the lyrics,” they shared. “It wasn’t easy fine-tuning the meticulous details ourselves and exchanging different opinions with everyone involved, but that made the process all the more fun and rewarding.”
Big-name collaborations
Leading the project is ‘singasong,’ a collaboration with German DJ and producer Mechatok that combines an infectious melody with dance-driven production, accompanied by a shuffle dance.
Released alongside the album, the music video amplifies the song’s themes through the backdrop of a demolition derby, portraying THE 8 and VERNON navigating destruction without a defined path. The visual juxtaposes chaotic imagery with bright, playful energy, underscoring the duo’s message of resilience, liberation, and moving forward despite uncertainty.
Beyond its lead single, ‘V8’ boasts an impressive roster of collaborators. Pharrell Williams produced ‘girlsnboys,’ while ‘BEAT’ features Alice Longyu Gao, and ‘rat race’ sees the duo team up with Dylan Brady of 100 gecs. Both members also spotlight their individual artistic identities through solo tracks, with THE 8’s ‘8DM’ featuring Alice Longyu Gao, DPR CREAM and DPR ARTIC, and VERNON’s ‘mia’ co-written and arranged alongside Korean musicians KIRARA and Han Jung In.
Ahead of the official release, V8 introduced the project through a pre-listening event designed as a DJ party, offering fans an immersive preview of the duo’s sonic world. The event featured performances from Mechatok, KIRARA, and Han Jung In, reflecting the unit’s commitment to blurring the boundaries between K-pop and contemporary electronic music.