10 years in, SF9 is still hungry for more

Ten years into its career, SF9 is not ready to look back and be satisfied.

The veteran boy group still wants another music show trophy. The band still wants to perform for bigger crowds, at bigger venues and release more music.

That lingering hunger, the bandmates say, may be part of what has kept SF9 going for a decade.

"I personally don't think we've reached the level of achievement that I want yet," said Dawon at a press showcase in western Seoul on Wednesday, marking the release of the group's second LP, "Tenacity."

"When it comes to things like the scale of our concerts or our results, I think all of our members have healthy ambitions and goals we haven't fulfilled yet," he added. "I think that hunger is part of why we've been able to keep going until now."

Released in the year of the group's 10th anniversary, "Tenacity" looks back on a full decade of SF9, yet it positions the milestone as another starting point rather than the finish line. Its title carries a double meaning, referring both to the perseverance that has sustained the group and the 10 years since its 2016 debut.

The album also fulfills a long-held ambition of its own, with "Tenacity" being SF9's first full-length release in six years, following its first LP, "First Collection."

The 10-track album is led by "Without Wings," an Afrobeat-based pop track driven by rhythmic percussion and a recurring hook. Hwiyoung participated in writing the lyrics, which center on pushing beyond one's perceived limitations and finding a way to soar without wings. Youngbin and Chani also contributed lyrics across multiple tracks in the album.

The message of the song also reflects the persistence SF9 sees as central to its longevity. Youngbin summed up the group's driving forces as "perseverance, tenacity and flexibility."

Inseong similarly pointed to a shared goal that has survived despite the members coming from different backgrounds.

"We talk a lot about being singers and about music, and ultimately, the goal we have is the same," he said. "That feeling of wanting to see through what we love doing until the very end is something we share, and I think that's why we've been able to continue for so long."

SF9 will continue commemorating its anniversary with a 10th-anniversary concert in October at KBS Arena, which Chani said "will showcase everything the group has built over the past decade."