H//PE Princess Is Breaking the Rules of Girls-Group Music

When Mnet’s joint Korean-Japanese audition program Unpretty Rapstar: HIP POP Princess wrapped up, it birthed a seven-member global entity determined to break every convention in girls-group  music. Operating under the name H//PE Princess, COCO, YSY, YUJU, DOI, RINO, NIKO and SUJIN officially launched on May 27, 2026, with their debut mini-album 17.7 — a direct reference to the members’ average age when the group first assembled.

The group’s immediate impact was solidified through major breakout tracks — their lead single “Stolen,” produced by Dynamicduo‘s Gaeko, exploded past 1 million views within 24 hours of release, while “One day,” written and produced by ONE OK ROCK frontman Taka, racked up millions of views within one week. Together with audition fan-favorites like “DAISY” and “gOOd!,” these releases fueled a rapid ascent that carried H//PE Princess to major international stages like Rakuten GirlsAward and KCON.

Fresh off their whirlwind promotions, we spoke with H//PE Princess to discuss life after their debut, the symbolic meaning behind their name, and how they plan to forge their own path in global music.

It’s been about two months since H//PE Princess officially stepped into the spotlight. How has daily life changed for you all since debuting?

NIKO: It’s been so exciting to connect with fans through social media and really let people get to know who we are. We’re also getting to perform on so many different stages – festivals, TV shows, university events – and every time we step out there, it finally hits me: “Wow, we’re really H//PE Princess now.” Experiencing that love and support firsthand in our new daily lives is something we’re deeply grateful for, and it makes every day so much fun.

DOI: Life has been an absolute whirlwind. I’m constantly practicing, studying and pushing myself to grow every single day. If I had to pick the biggest shift since our debut, it’s definitely the fact that we’re continuously on stage now. Being able to show so many people who we are as artists is something I’m genuinely thankful for.

Let’s talk about your group name, H//PE Princess. What’s the meaning behind the double slashes, and how does the name reflect your visual and musical identity?

YUJU: The name represents our desire to fill the space between those double slashes with our own story. It’s about transcending boundaries – specifically between Korean and Japanese cultures, languages and ideas – and breaking through limits altogether. Both on and off stage, we’re working hard to refine our individual branding while carving out a crystal-clear identity as a team.

RINO: To me, the space between the slashes is a canvas where we can freely expand our possibilities without being boxed in. Instead of confining ourselves to a single genre – whether that’s K-pop, J-pop, or hip-hop – we want to blend our individual backgrounds to create something that feels distinctly H//PE Princess. Beyond music genres and geographical borders, it’s about breaking away from predefined expectations of who we’re “supposed” to be and building our own authentic identity.

The K-pop landscape moves at such a rapid pace. What do you feel is the core element that sets H//PE Princess’s sound and energy apart from other new groups?

YSY: What sets H//PE Princess apart is that all seven of us have very distinct, vivid personalities — each member brings a completely different flavor to the group. We also place huge importance on raw energy and live performance skills. Whenever the setup allows, we always insist on using handheld mics because we’re that confident in our live vocals and stage presence. We have confidence in our live performance, and I think that energy is our biggest charm.

COCO: Performing with handheld mics allows each member’s voice, expression and raw emotion to reach the audience directly. Instead of squeezing seven people into a rigid mold, we bring seven completely different colors together to build a sound from scratch. That chemistry – the explosive energy when our individual styles mesh on stage – is something only H//PE Princess can deliver.

If you had to describe the overall vibe and ethos of H//PE Princess in just three words, what would they be?

SUJIN: Composure, Confidence, and Duality.

YUJU: Unbound, Diverse, and One-of-a-kind.

Each of you brought a different background and musical taste into the trainee room. How did those individual styles blend when shaping the group’s collective identity?

COCO: Rather than trying to erase our differences or force ourselves into a uniform mold, we created our music while embracing everyone’s individual style. We all have different musical tastes and ways of expressing ourselves, so brainstorming during practice naturally sparked fresh ideas. Our identity isn’t defined by a single person’s aesthetic — it’s the harmony of seven distinct colors blending together.

YUJU: At first, because everyone’s personality is so distinct, I thought finding a cohesive direction might be tough. But I quickly realized that when we lean into our individual strengths and harmonize, we become an even more unique and unrivaled group. By respecting and building off one another’s styles, we’re creating a fresh aesthetic that belongs exclusively to H//PE Princess.

Now that you’ve checked off your official debut, what’s the next major goal on H//PE Princess’s bucket list for your first year?

SUJIN: Debuting officially is really just the beginning of a whole new challenge. Our biggest goal for this first year is to grind, practice relentlessly and carve out a signature sound so the public clearly recognizes what H//PE Princess brings to the table.

YSY: The seven of us achieved our dream of debuting, but now we’re standing at the starting line of an even bigger journey. Since H//PE Princess was formed through an audition show, it’s up to us to go out there and prove what kind of artists we really are. Through every stage and performance, we want to show our potential, grow step by step, and pave a lane that’s entirely our own.

Looking ahead to future releases, are there any specific genres, visual concepts, or sonic styles you’re itching to experiment with next?

NIKO: While we want to explore diverse genres, we’re focused on solidifying our identity as a hip-hop group even further. Beyond the music, we want to take ownership of our styling, visuals, and performances to build a self-produced aesthetic that only H//PE Princess can execute. Moving forward, we want to push the envelope with bolder, higher-impact concepts and bring our vision into sharper focus.

DOI: Hip-hop is our root, but we’re eager to branch out into electronic music and R&B. We love old-school hip-hop, but we never want to be boxed into just one sound. We want to keep experimenting across different genres to show all the different dimensions of H//PE Princess.

Image source (C) CJ ENM