ARTMS members talk international crowds, the album creation process, and their love for their fans

Celestial K-pop group ARTMS has nearly wrapped up the U.S. leg of their ‘Moonshot’ World Tour. Debuting on May 31 of this year with their album Dall, the members (HeeJin, HaSeul, Kim Lip, JinSoul, and Choerry) originally began their careers as part of the iconic girl group LOONA. While the members have gone in different directions since winning the legal battle against their former company, they clearly hold their time as members of the group close to their hearts. ARTMS may be its own entity (including a subunit called Odd Eye Circle), but the girls make it known that LOONA is at the core of everything. Rebranding and staying silent about the past is a common way to handle that sort of tragedy, but the members have instead proceeded forward into a new era while continuing to acknowledge their love and respect for their original group. It’s a beautiful display of strength and hope after all of the hardship they’ve endured together.

The group has had quite a busy year, and ‘Moonshot’ has been one of the most anticipated U.S. K-pop tours of the summer. Odd Eye Circle (Kim Lip, JinSoul, and Choerry) completed a successful U.S. run back in January, but this is their first time performing for international audiences as ARTMS. Their fans (OURII) have been waiting patiently to welcome them back to the stage, and the members seem equally excited to greet them. We’ve been eagerly counting down the days until their Chicago show, and recently we had the chance to get to know more about the group. The members of ARTMS answered our questions about the tour, their recent debut album, and their new beginnings as artists.

UPB: What kind of thoughts were you having when planning out the performances for the ‘Moonshot’ Tour?

HeeJin: I wanted to present new performances that could only be seen at our concert. For example, for the song “Flower Rhythm,” we completely revised the choreography to perform it with handheld microphones, creating a special concert version. Additionally, for “Sparkle,” we incorporated a fun segment where we dance improv and then have other members follow along. Many of the songs have been significantly modified for the concert to create these unique performances.

UPB: Out of all the songs on the setlist, which ones were you most excited for your fans to see?

Kim Lip: The song I would choose is “Birth.” Since it’s a track that our fans, OURII, selected through voting, I was confident that they would love it. Additionally, it holds special significance as it marked the beginning of ARTMS.

UPB: What do you look forward to the most when touring internationally?

Kim Lip: What excites me the most is visiting different cities and enjoying the unique atmosphere each one offers. It’s also interesting to see how the energy from fans varies from city to city. These differences make the experience fun, and traveling around like a tourist adds a fresh and enriching element to our journey.

UPB: Every country seems to have its own culture when it comes to concerts and the way audiences interact with artists. What are your favorite things about crowds here in the U.S.?

HeeJin: The reaction in the U.S. is incredibly enthusiastic! Even if there’s a language barrier, fans still have shown immense love and support for ARTMS. We’ve been eagerly looking forward to our U.S. tour for this reason. American fans really know how to enjoy music with their whole being—singing along loudly, dancing, and fully immersing themselves in the experience. Performing in the U.S. makes us feel like we’re gaining energy from the audience, which is such an uplifting experience.

UPB: How do you want your fans to feel after they leave your show?

JinSoul: I hope that after our fans leave our concert, they feel incredibly exhilarated. I want every number to be memorable for them, leaving them with such happy memories that they can’t help but revisit our songs and relive the experience for a long time.

UPB: Your album Dall explores several different genres, are there any other styles you would like to try out on future releases?

JinSoul: I’d love to create music while working with a live band session! Conceptually, I’d also like to explore our unique lyrical emotions or take on a refreshing and bright concept.

UPB: This era is a bit of a rebirth for all of you. What legacy do you want to create for ARTMS?

HaSeul: First of all, I want to make it onto the Billboard charts. For every album we release in the future, my goal is for us to be recognized not just as idols, but as true artists.

UPB: You have a lot more artistic control over your music than you did previously, what was your favorite part of the hands-on creative experience?

Choerry: We put a lot of effort into this album. Participating in the process, including writing lyrics and directing each other was not only fun, but also deeply meaningful.

UPB: What has been your favorite part of your newfound freedom as artists?

HaSeul: I think one of the most significant aspects of this album is the high level of participation from the members. We were heavily involved in lyric writing, concept development, and even directing each other’s vocals. This deep involvement from all of us led to a more polished and complete album.

UPB: If someone had never heard of ARTMS, and you could only recommend one song to introduce them to the group, which one would you choose?

Choerry: I would like to introduce “Virtual Angel”! It’s the title track of ARTMS’ debut album and is a song that fully captures our charm. It’s also a track that you can listen to over and over again without getting tired of it.​

UPB: Is there anything you’d like to say to OURII?

HaSeul: The journey to releasing an album as ARTMS has been a long one, and we’re incredibly grateful to OURII for waiting patiently. Please continue to show love for our future albums as well. We promise to repay all the love and support you’ve given us.

Don’t miss ARTMS on tour! Check out their debut album ‘Dall’ on Spotify and Apple Music.