K-Pop rising stars 8TURN marveled fans last month with their first world tour, 8TURNRISE, telling amNewYork it’s been a long-awaited journey and now it’s their turn to take the global stage by storm.
The resounding echo of hundreds of fans, affectionately known as TURNING, was deafening as MYUNG HO, JAE YUN, MIN HO, YOON SUNG, HAE MIN, KYUNG MIN, YUN GYU, and SEUNG HEON graced Town Hall’s stage in April. It was the first time many of these supporters had seen the band live since their debut in 2023, and the excitement was palpable both on and off the stage.
8TURN told amNewYork they were eager for their first stateside tour, but also nervous because they put a large amount of pressure on themselves to impress TURNING, who’ve waited two years to see the group perform live.
“Since it’s our first tour, our main goal is to give our best performance without getting injured. We have many goals and dreams, but we’re just really grateful to be able to perform our songs on the other side of the world like this. For this tour, we’ve worked hard to express our journey from debut until now through our performance. We’ve also prepared a variety of covers and special stage performances, so I think you’ll be able to see both the journey and the potential of 8TURN through just one show,” JAE YUN said.
“Since it’s our first tour, we had a lot of worries, but the moment we saw TURNINGs, all those worries disappeared and we just focused on our performance. That’s why I’m determined to give TURNINGs a great show in return. Please keep looking forward to it,” MIN HO added.
The first encounter 8TURN had with their United States TURNING was in 2023 at KCON LA, and since then, the band has been hoping to once again meet their fans. They tell amNewYork that the sheer energy from stateside supporters is on a whole other level, and this outpouring of love further fuels their passion on stage.
“What I looked forward to the most about this US tour was the energy that only US TURNINGs can give! Especially because we felt that energy when we were here for KCON LA, I’m excited to feel it again during this tour,” HAE MIN said.
“My most memorable moment is KCON LA 2023, because LA TURNINGs sang “TIC TAC” so loudly – it made the performance really unforgettable for me,” KYUNG MIN said.
For those just tuning into 8TURN, their music is a blend of hip hop and pop with their very own K-Pop flair. Their first single album “LEGGO” was released on Mar 4, 2025, and the title track has been heralded as the song of the summer by TURNING. However, the song that gained them worldwide recognition was their viral hit, “TIC TAC” in their debut album 8TURNRISE.
“8TURN is a K-pop boy group with 8 members. Our name comes from the number 8 and the word “TURN,” meaning “it’s our turn.” If you tilt the number 8, it becomes the infinity symbol, so it also represents our limitless potential. Just like our name, all 8 of us are doing our best to grow and share good music and performances. Our music is mostly hip-hop based, and our latest single album “LEGGO” reflects 8TURN’s unique color the most, since we participated in the songwriting and gave a lot of input. Our music is bright and energetic, and I think our biggest strength is how we spread positive energy. Please look forward to 8TURN and give us lots of love,” MYUNG HO said.
YOON SUNG candidly describes 8TURN as a group of handsome artists, and he adds, while they each have their own personalities and tastes, they manage to create a beautiful amalgamation of sounds.
“8TURN is a group of 8 members who are good-looking, cute, and cool! We always show different genres, but if there’s a common thread, it’s that each of our songs has a special energy that’s unique to 8TURN. All of our members have distinct voices, and when we come together, there’s a synergy – that’s the energy we always try to capture in our music,” YOON SUNG underscored.
The road to stardom is never easy. There are insurmountable obstacles to overcome and rigorous tests of skill and stamina. The members of 8TURN fought hard to get where they are today, with many of them even participating in music survival shows. While this experience may be daunting for some, the group shares that it became a core memory for them and taught them perseverance and teamwork.
“For me, Road to Kingdom is the most memorable. It was a different experience from the happy memories we usually have with TURNINGs, because it was a competition where winning and losing mattered. That made it even more impactful, and we also grew a lot in that short amount of time,” YUN GYU said.
While 8TURN have culminated their US tour, the memories of New York City will be everlasting, and they hope to return to enjoy the many iconic staples that make the fabric of the Big Apple so vibrant.
“The last time we came to New York for a performance, we unfortunately didn’t have much time to explore, but next time I really want to go to Times Square, walk by the Empire State Building, and sit in Central Park with a coffee – I really want to try all of that. New York TURNINGs!! Thank you for the amazing memories and see you again,” YOON SUNG said.
“In New York, I really want to visit MoMA, Central Park, and see the Statue of Liberty! New York TURNINGs! I’m so happy we got to kick off our tour here – it was so much fun! Thanks so much, and I’m already looking forward to our next tour! See you again soon,” HAE MIN added.
“I really want to go to Times Square! Ever since I saw it in the Spider-Man movie, I’ve always thought, “I have to go there!” Thanks to TURNINGs, our first tour started in such a cool way, so I feel really happy!! Thank you, New York TURNINGs,” SEUNG HEON shared earnestly.
TURNING has been applauding 8TURN’s dynamic performances for years, from KCON LA to social media posts singing along to their songs and memorizing their choreography. When 8TURN looks back at these interactions and the outpouring of love, it motivates them to give these fans the best experience possible.
“I always feel our fans’ love, but at the same time, it makes me feel like that love is the reason we do what we do. When we perform songs and albums that we’ve worked hard on, and we see the audience enjoying it, singing along, and loving it – it makes me feel proud and happier than anything else,” MYUNG HO said.
“We can really feel TURNINGs’ energy from the stage. It makes me so happy and excited that I can’t stop smiling. Haha,” MIN HO said laughing.
To show their appreciation for TURNING’s steadfast support, 8TURN song “You Are My Reason” comes off as a beautiful love letter to your fans.
“‘You Are My Reason’ is a song that marks the end of our long journey on Road to Kingdom. We released it to repay the love and support we received from fans during the show. All the things TURNINGs have said to us, and the words we want to say to them, are included in the lyrics. So this song was completely inspired by TURNING. Besides that, we draw inspiration from many things – movies, books, or even something we come across in daily life. I think that we’re naturally influenced by a lot,” JAE YUN said.
“‘You Are My Reason’ is a song we made especially for TURNINGs, and we really focused on what we wanted to say to them. Instead of worrying about what lyrics to write, we thought more about how to best express our feelings. We also get inspiration from all kinds of places. Sometimes when we talk to TURNINGs on Mnet PlusChat, they share such beautiful words with us that we want to turn them into lyrics,” YUN GYU said.
8TURN continues to conquer the stage around the globe, and promises to make more music, a full-length album, and one day appear on music festival stages like Coachella.
“Our next goal is to go to countries we’ve never been to before, to let people know that 8TURN exists, enjoy music with TURNINGs there, and make great memories together. It’d be amazing if more people around the world came to know us for our music and performances, and thought, ‘This group is cool’,” MYUNG HO said brightly.
“After this tour, I hope people will want to see us perform again! More than anything, we want to continue sharing good music and performances for a long time. But if I had to name a big dream… well, we’re in the US during Coachella, right? Lisa, Jennie, and ENHYPEN are performing this year. I hope we can stand on that stage one day too,” JAE YUN said.
“I want to come back to TURNINGs with a full-length album filled with 8TURN’s color! I also want to hold a concert in Korea packed with great songs and show how much we’ve grown through this tour,” YUN GYU added.
