[Edaily Starin KIM HYUNSIK Reporter] The girl group AtHeart (Michi, Arin, Kaitlin, Bom, Seohyun, Aurora, Nahyun) has returned with a full dose of 1996 nostalgia.
They are kicking off their comeback promotions with a remake of the hit song “3!4!,” originally released in 1996 by the mixed-gender group Lulla. They will also unveil “3+4!,” a short-form time-travel drama bridging 1996 and 2026.
“3!4!” is a song that blends a refreshing New Jack Swing sound with lyrics conveying a message to forget the hardships of the past and move toward a hopeful future. The original song gained immense popularity upon its release in 1996, reaching No. 1 on various broadcast music programs.
AtHeart, a group composed of members born between 2007 and 2009, said at a showcase and production press conference held at 2:00 p.m. on the 19th on the 5th floor of the Rise Autograph Collection in Mapo-gu, Seoul, “Since it’s such a famous song, we were familiar with the original, and because all the members love 1990s music and fashion, we even mimicked the dance moves while practicing the basics.” “We were happy to hear that it had been chosen as a remake.”
Na Hyun smiled and said, “My mom is a fan of senior artist Chae Ri-na, so she even gave me some advice on the stage performance.”
Lee Hyun-do, who wrote the lyrics and composed the original “3!4!,” personally participated in the arrangement, elevating the quality of the remake. A key feature of At Heart’s version of “3!4!” is that it preserves the charm of the original while emphasizing a sweet atmosphere through warm electric piano and delicate guitar arpeggios.
Michi emphasized, “We worked hard to create a new ‘3!4!’ by adding At Heart’s unique style.” Na-hyun added, “We added At Heart’s own lovely and bright charm.”
Choreographer Ria Kim expressed her hopes for the stage performance, stating, “We aimed to capture the feel of 1996 as much as possible, while also adding a touch of modern sensibility.”
Arin revealed, “Senior Chae Ri-na participated in the performance planning,” adding, “We’ll promote the new song by featuring sections of the original choreography as dance challenge segments.”
The short-form drama “3+4,” produced in conjunction with the new song, follows At Heart member Na-hyun as she receives a suspicious call on her pager during a music video shoot, travels back in time to 1996, and meets a group of girls preparing for an audition. The cast includes members of At Heart, actor Hyun Bong-sik, choreographer Ria Kim, and Chae Ri-na.
Na Hyun explained, “It’s a story about young people who live in different eras but share the same dream.”
Director Nam Tae-jin, a former SBS producer, emphasized, “I focused on creating a stark contrast in the colors of the scenes depicting the past and the present.” He added, “There’s even a scene where the ‘At Heart’ members wore the same outfits that appeared in the original ‘3!4!’ music video.”
Ria Kim laughed, saying, “I belong to the generation that used to dance along to Lulla’s ‘3!4!’ back in school, so I really related to it.” She added, “Since this is my first time acting, I was very worried. I trust they’ll edit it well.”
AtHeart is a group launched by Titan Content last August. “3!4” is also the second track released as part of AtHeart’s “Time Travel Project,” which reinterprets classic songs from 1996. Previously, At Heart kicked off the project last June with “Say It,” a remake of the Swedish band The Cardigans’ “Lovefool.”
Bom stated, “Through the ‘Time Travel Project,’ I want to serve as a bridge connecting past and present generations.”
The “3!4” track and music video will be released at 6 p.m. today via various online music platforms. The 50-episode short-form drama “3+4” is scheduled to premiere next month.
At Heart said, “We’re grateful to senior artist Chae Ri-na for her words of encouragement, saying, ‘I really hope you reach No. 1 on the music charts,’” adding, “We’ve set our goals for this promotion as surpassing 1 million views on the music video and entering the music charts, and we’ll strive to make more people aware of our group.”
