What shone brighter than the stage lights were the beads of sweat falling nonstop. Though they were brought together on the foundation of an “AI system,” what truly heated up the stage was the rough breathing and earnest gazes of seven girls.
They are MEPC, the multinational girl group currently creating a “miracle-like” reverse run through music shows and short-form content. Recently, in a location in Seoul, we sat down with MEPC (Miho, Keke, Hara, Anika, Ann, Zaily, and Solmi), who are actively promoting their first mini album First Fragment.
MEPC is the first creation born from GBK Entertainment’s AI training system, “Girls Universe.” Debuting officially last December, their team name is both a pure Korean word meaning “beautiful form” and an abbreviation for “My Escape Point-C.”
They are a seven-member group selected through individual training based on the AI-combined training audition platform “Girls Universe,” followed by two years of team training. Just like their worldview, which says, “K-pop is not simply training but a liberation of joy, and we head toward the forbidden zone, Point-C,” what stood out throughout the interview was their true value that goes beyond system results: solid skills and freedom forged through four years of silent perseverance.
◇ “From Shy Confessions to Powerful Cries…The Thrill of a Daring Reversal”
This promotion is a visual drama that captures the “growing pains of girls.” The retro shyness shown in their pre-debut track “MY RED FACE” is nowhere to be found. In their title track “Truth Seeker,” they step on heavy bass beats and dominate the stage like warriors. The flexible groove melted into their powerful, boy-group-like choreography delivers an exhilarating sense of catharsis.
The album First Fragment is a palette that unfolds their wide spectrum of colors. From the clear and refreshing opening of “MEPC,” to “First Fragment,” which shows their sharply defined determination through EDM sounds, and “Emotional Wave,” flowing over gentle piano melodies. They managed to digest Korean lyrics that could feel unfamiliar into their own rhythm and expression.
Solmi and Anika shared, “There were parts that twisted our tongues like a ‘tongue twister,’ but we repeated them thousands of times until our muscles remembered before our heads could understand,” adding, “We tried hard so that emotions could be conveyed beyond the language barrier.”
◇ “Two Years of Solitude, Two Years of Togetherness…Finally Becoming ‘One Team’”
What makes MEPC’s stage feel especially tight-knit and precise is that the time they have walked has never been light. Before debut, they went through two years of intense individual training through the “Girls Universe” platform, and after forming the team, they spent another two years living together and aligning their breath.
They watched each other’s growth online, stimulating one another as both “fans” and “rivals.” Then, after spending two more years together offline, they became a team that could communicate just by exchanging glances. Those four years of endurance broke down differences in nationality and culture, binding them into a perfect “One Team” with an unbreakable knot.
Ann defined it by saying, “We are a ‘beautiful puzzle.’ Even though we each have different nationalities and cultures, we fit into each other and complete a beautiful picture.”
◇ “‘Who Are They?’ Turning into Roaring Cheers”
The heat they felt on stage was real. Solmi recalled, “When we first stepped onto the stage of SHOW! MUSIC CORE, the audience had expressions that said, ‘Who are they?’ But as soon as the performance began, their eyes quickly changed into surprise,” adding, “The moment when that small curiosity turned into massive cheers made my heart feel like it was going to burst.”
Zaily also shared her excitement, saying, “When the cheers suddenly exploded in the middle of the performance, it gave us incredible courage. It made us dream of performing around the world and meeting fans until we run out of breath.”
◇ “Toward Becoming Global Pioneers on the World Stage”
Their gaze is now directed beyond the stage where they have just taken their first steps, toward a much wider world. The music theory and composition methods personally taught by their CEO, along with their bone-crushing dance practices, show that they are evolving beyond simple “idols” into “pioneers” who carve out their own stages.
Hara and Miho said, “There is no period at the end of practice. Beyond dance and vocals, we are constantly learning to become artists who can write our own songs and direct our own stages,” adding, “We want to communicate deeply with fans in our home countries, and at the same time show something new to fans around the world every single day.”
On a path created by technology, MEPC writes miracles with the most human ingredient of all: four years of sweat. Their first album, First Fragment, is both their first declaration to the world and a signal flare announcing their brilliant takeoff.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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