K-pop boy band Kingdom on being the ultimate concept group – they’re named after seven kings from world history, whose stories they will tell in seven albums

Jahan, Chiwoo, Dann, Arthur, Ivan, Mujin and Louis don’t sound like the typical names of South Korean pop singers. But the stage names of the members of K-pop group Kingdom are references to the historical and legendary figures that inspire their conceptual songs, and set the tone for the band’s career.

“When we first heard the concept, the scale seemed so huge,” reflects Mujin (Ko Sung-ho). “One might think it’s a little cheeky [naming ourselves as kings] but we’ve been really enjoying this challenge. It’s been a lot of fun so far and we’re looking forward to continuing this project.”

Storytelling is an important part of many K-pop releases, with acts regularly incorporating multimedia narratives in their music videos and albums to engage audiences. Kingdom, however, up the ante and goes beyond what is typical: their first seven albums will each be focused on telling a story related to one of the kings the members are named after, and an eighth will bring them all together.

The group released their first album, History of Kingdom: Part 1 Arthur in February, and followed it up with their Chiwoo-themed album in July. Through their History of Kingdom album series, Kingdom hope to make a big impact on K-pop. “The project shows a unique concept for us, as it’s not necessarily a common thing that we’re doing and our theatrical performances aren’t what people are really used to,” says Dann (Jung Seung-bo).

Their two singles, Excalibur and Karma, were each released through cinematic music videos featuring performances inspired by the Arthurian myth and Chinese legend, respectively.