{"id":2057359,"date":"2025-09-29T12:44:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T12:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2057359"},"modified":"2025-09-29T12:44:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T12:44:08","slug":"seventeens-s-coups-and-mingyu-talk-debut-mini-album","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/seventeens-s-coups-and-mingyu-talk-debut-mini-album\/","title":{"rendered":"Seventeen’s S.Coups and Mingyu Talk Debut Mini-Album"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\tThe 13 members of Seventeen<\/a> have been shuffling through new pairings and sub-units beyond their official units of vocal, hip-hop, and performance over the past year, starting with Jeonghan and Wonwoo\u2019s JxW and Hoshi and Woozi\u2019s HxW<\/a>. (And of course we can\u2019t forget the beloved BSS, with DK, Hoshi, and Seungkwan, who debuted a few years earlier.) Now, get ready to meet the latest Seventeen spin-off: Leader S.Coups and Mingyu\u2019s CxM, who have a new mini-album called HYPE VIBES<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe way the members of Seventeen are so close-knit and truly like brothers is something their fans, known as Carats, adore. With each unit that the group reveals, they\u2019re unveiling a deeper look at the chemistry and synergy between the members.<\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups and Mingyu are both part of Seventeen\u2019s hip-hop unit, so they\u2019ve always been close collaborators, but CxM takes them to the next level as a duo. At the time of their chat with Rolling Stone,<\/em> we\u2019re still over two weeks out from the mini-album\u2019s Sept. 29 release. The two members have been building up anticipation by teasing photos from a shoot in Hawaii, which they say they approached with the goal of making the photos feel truly raw.<\/p>\n

\n\tThere\u2019s been a handful of sub-units within Seventeen at this point. How would you describe CxM? What makes this unit feel like you?<\/strong>
S.Coups:<\/strong> [Laughs.]<\/em> I feel like if I say the wrong thing, it\u2019ll sound like I\u2019m saying something about the other units. But I think we put in a variety of genres into the album. And compared to the other units, rather than a put-together look, we aimed to be more effortless, thinking there could be a type of coolness that comes from being natural.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu:<\/strong> It might not be right to say we were \u201cnot flashy,\u201d but I think that encapsulates how we tried to be more comfortable and natural? This is a hard question.<\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups<\/strong>: It is hard. [Laughs.]<\/em> I don\u2019t want to put down the other units. <\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu: <\/strong>If we say \u201cOur songs are chill and cool!\u201d it may end up sounding like we\u2019re saying the other members\u2019 weren\u2019t. [Laughs.]<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

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\t\tEditor\u2019s picks<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n

\n\tYou can all be cool, though!<\/strong> You went to Hawaii to do your shoot for this mini-album\u2013 I heard that the collective goal for these photos was for it to feel like a trip with close friends. Can you share any fun stories from the shoots?\u00a0<\/strong>
Mingyu: <\/strong>First off, it was so tiring. <\/strong>Instead of having a set time for the shoot to start and end, like how you said, we were trying to shoot while we\u2019re comfortably hanging out. We shot from the second we opened our eyes in the morning to the moment we went to sleep. Once we were done I was so exhausted. I had so much fun all day, rested, and felt like I was relaxing, but physically it still took a toll on me. It was a hard shoot. We wore a lot of different outfits too.<\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups:<\/strong> [Laughs.]<\/em><\/em> I feel the same way. The shoot was certainly less tiring than if it was on a set, and we went into it thinking \u201cWe can just take photos of us hanging out.\u201d But compared to any shoot we\u2019ve done for Seventeen, suprisingly, it actually was more exhausting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tAny specific things that you remember from the trip?<\/strong>
S.Coups:<\/strong> For me, I haven\u2019t travelled internationally much, but Mingyu kept telling me how nice Hawaii is. The nature left a big impression on me. To go somewhere like that with someone I\u2019m so comfortable with \u2014\u00a0someone like Mingyu, who can guide me to try a variety of experiences\u2026. I really enjoyed surfing. Being able to experience those things and also do a shoot was really great.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat did you guys listen to while shooting to set the vibes?<\/strong>
Mingyu: <\/strong>When we were in Hawaii for the shoot, the early versions of our music were just starting to come in, guides were coming in, so we listened to the album a lot. Like the super early versions, versions we recorded in Hawaii. We really listened to the music as we were making it.<\/p>\n

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\t\tRelated Content<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n

\n\tYou\u2019ve been together for many years now, and even though you are already so close, I\u2019m sure you spent a lot of one-on-one time together to prepare for this project. Was there anything you learned about each other that surprised you?<\/strong>
S.Coups:<\/strong> About each other? [Laughs.]<\/em> <\/em>Rather than something new, I realized once again that Mingyu\u2019s stamina is even better than what I had thought. During our shoot, we would swim for two to three hours, and I\u2019d be over it, but he\u2019d be swimming at night, too. And he even shot that! Seeing that made me think, \u201cWow he\u2019s really amazing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tHe was also really worried about our final product, more than I thought he would be. We had so much fun and did a good job. We selected each and every piece and put the team together. I thought Mingyu would be the type to have the mindset of \u201cOnce this is complete, everything will be great,\u201d but he was actually so worried and had a different mindset from when working on Seventeen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu: <\/strong>I didn\u2019t feel anything new from S.Coups.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups:<\/strong> [Laughs.]<\/em><\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu:<\/strong> But I felt it for myself: \u201cI\u2019m really sensitive.\u201d\u00a0I\u2019m more sensitive that I had thought.\u00a0Ah, I do have one for S.Coups! He has low stamina.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups:<\/strong> [Laughs.]<\/em> Wait\u2014<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu: <\/strong>Whenever we do anything, in Hawaii or in L.A., he\u2019s suddenly sleeping on the sofa. He\u2019s up one moment and then asleep on the sofa again.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tWith jetlag, of course he could be tired!<\/strong>
S.Coups:<\/strong> Mingyu doesn\u2019t even get jetlag. [Laughs.]<\/em><\/p>\n

\n\tTaking a step back outside of CxM, if you had to pick other Seventeen members to cover songs from this mini-album, who would you pick?<\/strong>
Mingyu:<\/strong> It\u2019s gotta be us.<\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups: <\/strong>Right. Aside from us\u2026 I would say\u2026 Ah! [Snaps.] <\/em>\u201cYoung Again.\u201d I\u2019d love to hear our two main vocalists [DK and Seungkwan] singing that song. When we were recording, I thought a lot to myself, \u201cIf only I could sing a little bit better\u2026\u201d So I\u2019d love to feel the emotion that would come from those members who are truly good at singing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu: <\/strong>I think Hoshi and Woozi would match \u201cWorth It\u201d well. Because both of them have liked that type of hip-hop sound since they were younger. I think when they hear it, it\u2019ll feel familiar to them and they\u2019d like it.<\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups: <\/strong>For \u201cEarth,\u201d I say Myungho [The8\u2019s Korean name]<\/em>. When I played the six songs for him, he really liked it. It\u2019s in line with the type of music he\u2019s been seeking out recently. It would be cool to see him try that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat other reactions did the members have when you played them the music or showed them your content?<\/strong>
Mingyu: <\/strong>To be honest, as of today while we\u2019re doing this interview, a lot of them actually haven\u2019t heard the music.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups:<\/strong> Seungkwan hasn\u2019t heard it yet, right? I\u2019m hiding it from them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu:<\/strong> We want to play it for them at the right time in the right atmosphere \u2014 not just like, \u201cHey, do you want to listen?\u201d and play it for them lightly. And the music video is\u2026 not completed yet. [Pouts.]<\/em><\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups: <\/strong>[Laughs.]<\/em> We\u2019ve only seen parts, too.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu: <\/strong>But I am really curious about the members\u2019 reactions. Our fans reactions, reactions from those who are close to us, our peers \u2014 I\u2019m so curious, but I\u2019m most curious about our members. While working, since it\u2019s just the two of us working on this mini-album, we\u2019re able to show sides to us that we haven\u2019t before. Things that we haven\u2019t or just didn\u2019t show, how will the public and how will our members react? I\u2019m really so curious.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat do you think the fans will love most about this album?<\/strong>
Mingyu: <\/strong>There are some songs that will have a powerful, strong performance, and there\u2019s also easy listening, but I think one of the charms is that it will be comfortable to listen to from start to finish.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups:<\/strong> I think they will appreciate the chemistry between me and Mingyu, and I think it will be shown on stage as well. I think Carats will enjoy seeing that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tGetting into each track in order, tell us about the first song on the mini-album, \u201cFiesta\u201d?<\/strong> That\u2019s my favorite song on this project.<\/strong>
S.Coups: <\/strong>\u201cFiesta\u201d is a track that has the vibe of what those who know us and Carats would expect for CxM to come out with. In the beginning, we were working on it for it to be the lead track. And during the process, we really liked how our raps came out, and I really like the chorus.<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu: <\/strong>And from my memory, a lot from the recording process comes to mind, but we did the guide for \u201cFiesta\u201d in Hawaii after having some drinks. Usually if you do that, when you listen in the morning, it\u2019s not that good, but it was better than we were expecting when we listened in the morning, so we used lyrics from that night in the song. That was fun.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat about \u201c5, 4, 3 (Pretty Woman),\u201d where you interpolate Roy Orbison<\/a>?<\/strong>
S.Coups:<\/strong> We went into each track with the idea that it could be the lead song. We really wanted all six songs to be good. As soon as \u201c5, 4, 3\u201d was made, Mingyu, me, and Bumzu [producer and longtime collaborator of Seventeen], all three of us were like \u201cOh! This is it!\u201d We knew at once that this would be the lead track.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu: <\/strong>We wanted the lead song to be one that anyone could easily listen to, so we interpolated \u201cOh, Pretty Woman.\u201d The process was not easy, but the results came out to be a good mix of vintage music and our sound, so I think across ages and genders, people can listen and enjoy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tI remember when I first found out that \u201cOh, Pretty Woman\u201d would be interpolated, I couldn\u2019t wrap my head around how it would end up sounding, but it came out so well.<\/strong>
Mingyu: <\/strong>You think so? Nice. I was really worried, but I think it came out well. Lay Bankz, who\u2019s featured on the song \u2014 we didn\u2019t have the chance to meet her in person but we talked on the phone. It was a little rushed. After we came back from shooting in L.A., we got the OK and it came together quickly. Her feature added a modern twist and edge to our image of <\/em>the track and Beverly Hills.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tNow going into \u201cWorth It,\u201d which has more of a hip-hop, R&B sound to it. <\/strong>
S.Coups: <\/strong>This song was completed last. We were recording in the studio we normally record in, and I think Mingyu suggested that we finish the song in America, in L.A., because the vibes there would be so different. So when we went to L.A. to film the music video, we rented a studio for a day to complete the song. It\u2019s a song we cherish as the last song to be made. It\u2019s also a good one to dance to. We\u2019re thinking, like, \u201cShould we give it our all and dance to this song one day?\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu:<\/strong> While \u201c5, 4, 3\u201d is really chill and easy to listen to, this song is more sexy, and hot, and we could really<\/em> dance when we perform it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat are the main differences you notice when recording in L.A. compared to recording in Korea?<\/strong>
Mingyu:<\/strong> I\u2019m curious too. Why is it so different?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups:<\/strong> [Laughs.]<\/em>\u00a0I think it\u2019s different in that it feels like we\u2019re going for fun and recording. When we record here in the company building or a studio, before we get there, in Korea, the mindset is, \u201cOh, I have to go into the studio today. I\u2019m going to go record.\u201d Rather than it being a difference between America and Korea, I think we\u2019re there to have fun, and are vibing in a good mood, so it feels like we\u2019re recording while just hanging out.<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu:<\/strong> I\u2019m not sure what the difference is. <\/p>\n

\n\tWell I know here in L.A., I\u2019m in West Hollywood, and there\u2019s photos of you everywhere.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups: <\/strong>CK<\/a>? [Laughs.]<\/em><\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu: <\/strong>Yay! Really? Are there a lot? I want to see it too!\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tGoing into \u201cFor You,\u201d I heard you both contributed to the lyrics and composition even more so for this track and the next one.<\/strong>
S.Coups: <\/strong>You\u2019re right. We were going for easy listening, and it\u2019s the song we worked on first. The two of us are friends. And our Carats around the world are also our friends. And anyone you come across via fate, walking past on a street, can become friends too \u2014 that\u2019s the message we wanted to deliver. We wanted to make music that you can just listen to comfortably.<\/p>\n

\n\tAre there any lyrics from \u201cFor You\u201d that you particularly like? Or any specific moments you drew inspiration from for this one?\u00a0<\/strong>
S.Coups: <\/strong>Mingyu\u2019s part for me. The first verse! [Places his hand on Mingyu\u2019s shoulder.]<\/em> \u201cGoing to the gym\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu: <\/strong>\u201cFrom one to two\u2026\u201d What was the lyric? What\u2019s your part? How does it end?\u00a0\u201cOne, two\u2014\u201d Ah! [In Korean.]<\/em> \u201cBut 1 to 2, gotta go to the gym\u20263 to 4 we could meet up, 5 through 9 just tell me when\/But the real hot spot opens at 10.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups:<\/strong> It just feels like our real lives.<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu: <\/strong>While we were writing, it was like, \u201cWhat are you doing at 1?\u201d \u201cI think I\u2019m going to work out.\u201d \u201cWhat are you doing tomorrow at 2?\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t have anything at 2.\u201d \u201cWhat about for dinner?\u201d \u201cBut doesn\u2019t that place open at 10?\u201d It was a conversation like that that became the lyrics.<\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups: <\/strong>I think because it reflects our lives, I like it most.<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu: <\/strong>It feels very close to reality.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tWhen I first heard \u201cYoung Again,\u201d it felt very Seventeen to me, with a message of living life to the fullest<\/strong>. Can you walk us through that track?<\/strong>
Mingyu: <\/strong>This song is the type that I normally like most within Seventeen\u2019s discography, the acoustic sounds. I also personally like country music. It has a sound that I\u2019ve always wanted to try. When we did a session in Korea, I shared that I really wanted this type of music. A song that could be at the end of a festival set, or close out a concert, for us to all sing together. The topic is also, because it\u2019s a song I want to do as a performance is ending: \u201cTo keep this moment special and to say this moment won\u2019t come back, so stop being on your phone, being distracted, and let\u2019s live in the moment.\u201d That\u2019s the message we wanted to put in the song. It\u2019s a song I personally really like. I don\u2019t know if our fans will notice it right away when we\u2019re performing it, but there\u2019s a line that goes \u201cRight now, put your hands up.\u201d To say \u201cput your phone\u2019s flash on and put your hands up together, and enjoy this moment\u2026\u201d It was fun to actually\u00a0put that message in the song.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups: <\/strong>I think if the fans really do that in the moment during a concert, the message we\u2019re trying to get across will be realized. I\u2019m really looking forward to it.<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu: <\/strong>Also, the song is a little over two minutes, and the first line is \u201cI just need two minutes.\u201d [Laughs.] <\/em>Give us just two minutes, because we\u2019re about to sing.<\/p>\n

\n\tDid you purposely cap the song at that length?<\/strong>
S.Coups:<\/strong> [Nods and laughs.]<\/em> Yes, that\u2019s right.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu:<\/strong> It was originally \u201cI just need three minutes.\u201d But we gave it more thought and the song only came to two minutes. Three minutes was a stretch.<\/p>\n

\n\tThere\u2019s a lot of two minute songs these days, so<\/strong>\u2026
S.Coups: <\/strong>There are so many!\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu:<\/strong> But at a show, I want to sing this one for four to five minutes.<\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups:<\/strong> Like on repeat, singing it all together.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tLike \u201cAju Nice,\u201d never-ending.<\/strong>
S.Coups:<\/strong> [Laughs.]<\/em>. Right.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd now moving onto the last song, \u201cEarth.\u201d<\/strong>
S.Coups:<\/strong> \u201cEarth\u201d is a song we worked on in Hawaii. Mingyu, Bumzu, and I were on a yacht and were shooting a scene. I was passed out on the sofa from swimming at night. [Laughs.]<\/em> I was sleeping, but it\u2019s a song where Mingyu and Bumzu drew inspiration from the moon, nature, and just us being together. And we also wanted an EDM-based song in the album. We put the song together from inspiration from Hawaii after the part where the beat drops was made.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tMingyu: <\/strong>For this song too, when we first made it in the studio, I liked it so much. Although that is my personal opinion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tS.Coups: <\/strong>The day we worked on this song, I was at home and Mingyu did some extra work with Bumzu. And I came in the next day to continue working on it, and Mingyu was like, \u201cWe made something amazing\u201d and played it for me. And I was like \u201cWow, this is crazy.\u201d I think we can show a new side of ourselves, and if there ever comes a time where we can perform the six tracks, we put it together the way we\u2019d craft a setlist. I want it to be the double encore.<\/p>\n

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