AtHeart revisits Roo'Ra's 30-year-old summer hit '3!4!'

Rookie girl group AtHeart has reached back three decades for its latest release, remaking Roo’Ra’s 1996 summer hit “3!4!” as part of its ongoing “Time Travel Project.”

For the members, whose average age is around 18, taking on a song released long before any of them were born presented a unique challenge.

“I knew ‘3!4!’ even before we decided to remake it, and it was a song we frequently played during practice,” Bome said at a showcase in Seoul on Wednesday. “I believe the ‘Time Travel Project’ acts as a bridge connecting the past and the present. That is why it is so meaningful, and we approached the remake with a sense of mission and responsibility.”

Originally released by coed group Roo’Ra in 1996, “3!4!” became one of the mixed gender group’s signature songs and remains closely associated with the upbeat summer pop of the era. Lee Hyun-do, who wrote the original, participated in arranging AtHeart’s remake.

Nahyun said her mother, a longtime fan of Roo’Ra member Chae Rina, encouraged her to study the singer’s performances.

“My mother was a huge fan of Chae Rina, so she told me, ‘Make sure you watch Chae Rina’s videos. You really need to watch and study them,'” Nahyun said.

Rather than simply recreating the original, AtHeart sought to put its own stamp on the song.

“Because ‘3!4!’ is such a famous song, I felt the pressure, but we tried very hard to incorporate our own refreshing vibe,” Michi said.

Nahyun said the differences in the groups’ size and makeup also allowed AtHeart to approach the vocals differently.

“There is a difference in our group size and composition compared to the original Roo’Ra, which brings a big change in vocals. We maximized our lovely charm in our version of ‘3!4!’ through diverse vocal combinations,” she said.

The remake also received encouragement from Roo’Ra member Chae Rina.

“We met Chae Rina and told her we were remaking ‘3!4!,'” Seohyeon said. “She congratulated us and warmly cheered us on, saying, ‘You must hit No. 1 on the music charts.'”

The single is accompanied by “3+4!,” a time-slip drama that sends the members between 2026 and 1996.

The production also introduced the young members to relics of the era they were recreating.

“I had used cellphones since I was born, so it was my first time ever seeing a pager,” Nahyun said.