‘A continuation of LOONA’: ARTMS dives into their journey of resilience and rebirth [interview]

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NASA’s Artemis program is an ambitious space exploration initiative aimed at landing the first woman and first person of color on the moon. Named after the Greek goddess of the moon, Artemis represents the next major phase of lunar exploration. It aims to inspire a new generation of explorers, advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate the potential for long-term human presence on the lunar surface.

But for five members of the former K-pop girl group Loona, Artemis became a symbol of drive and unity – one that accurately represents them after a series of lawsuits, label changes and re-debuts. It is a symbol of strength, resilience and renewed commitment. Debuting in late May, ARTMS consists of HeeJin, HaSeul, Kim Lip, JinSoul and Choerry, who are shooting for the moon as they begin a new chapter of creating music and inspiring their fans, now affectionately known as “Ourii” — a combination of the fifth letter of each member’s name and a call back to Loona’s fandom name “Orbit.”

“We believe that Loona is not necessarily over,” HeeJin tells NextShark. “We want to show that Artms is more of a continuation of Loona.”

Loona, the then-12-member unit formed in 2016 by Blockberry Creative, gained worldwide attention due to the company’s pre-debut strategy that was unprecedented in the K-pop scene. Instead of launching members all at once, the group introduced members individually over 18 months, with each idol releasing solo music. Their music videos, lyrics and overall concept, which were creatively directed by Jaden Jeong, were deeply interconnected, forming a complex narrative known as the "Loonaverse." This universe was filled with symbolism, references to mythology and themes of identity, connection and alternate realities, having fans diving into the lore to analyze and piece together the overarching story. Along with visually stunning music videos and creative concepts, Loona’s songs carried empowering messages of self-confidence, diversity and breaking free from societal expectations.

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However, in 2019, Jeong left Blockberry due to irreconcilable creative differences, leaving Loona’s once beloved uniqueness to shift into a style and sound that is more typically associated with K-pop. The group eventually collapsed under Blockberry’s mismanagement in 2022, leaving some members venturing into solo careers and others forming new groups. Jeong, who founded a new record label and entertainment agency called Modhaus, eventually reconnected with HeeJin, HaSeul, Kim Lip, JinSoul and Choerry to form ARTMS, bringing back the spirit of Loona while evolving their stylistic and conceptual diversity.

“I believe we definitely got stronger together, and we’re definitely more experienced as time goes on,” HaSeul says. “We came back with a lot of effort and heart, so I believe there’s a lot of authenticity to this team and album.”

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On May 31, ARTMS released their debut album “Dall (Devine All Love & Live)” that explores a myriad of genres across 11 tracks while incorporating samples or references of their past songs from Loona, solos or sub-units. For instance, the album name is a reference to sub-unit Loona 1/3's debut album, “Love & Live.” Overall, “Dall” explores the dualities of love and life, with a deliberate play on the word "Divine" to include the French word "Devine," adding a nuanced meaning. The song “Air” borrows lyrics from Loona’s “Butterfly” and samples melody from Odd Eye Circle’s “Air Force One.” “Flower Rhythm” is also a fusion of HeeJin’s singles “Kehwa” and “Algorithm,” while “Candy Crush” is a song referencing HaSeul’s city pop single “Plastic Candy.”

“For this album, this is also a chance for us to kind of share our story,” Kim Lip explains. “This album is very important to us.”

By including references from their past work, they wish to show fans that ARTMS is a continuation rather than an end. The group notes they have significant creative input under Modhaus, which allowed them to share their personal stories through their new music. The group is given options by their CEO and collectively decides on the tracks, such as “Virtual Angel,” which questions the reality of idols that fans consume through screens.

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“When it comes to the music videos, it’s not really like the typical girl group music video you see everywhere,” HaSeul shares. “We committed to making this a work of art. So we collaborated with Digipedi to make this music video, and even watching it now, it’s so unique to the point I feel as though this isn’t a music video but a work of art. By making music videos that break standards, we want to show that we are artists instead of just idols.”

Looking forward, ARTMS is eager to explore experimental ideas and genres in future projects, such as seasonal albums and fresh concepts that are unique to K-pop groups. Currently, the quintet is on their “Moonshot” World Tour, with 12 stops across major U.S. cities including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. They kicked off the U.S. leg of their tour in New York on Aug. 16, bringing renewed energy to the stage as ARTMS. Fans were also delighted with performances of their past songs and surprise covers of American hits like Taylor Swift’s “Cruel Summer” and Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend.”

“We really put a lot of effort into each and every detail in making this album, so we really hope all of you love it,” HaSeul says. “For our tour, we hope many of you come and receive our good energy.”

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Watch NextShark’s interview with ARTMS below:

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