Remaking a beloved song can be more intimidating than releasing something completely new.
AtHeart are discovering exactly that.
The seven-member girl group Michi, Arin, Katelyn, Bome, Seohyeon, Aurora and Nahyun is releasing a new version of Roo’ra’s 1996 hit “3!4!” on August 19 at 6 p.m. KST as the second installment of its TIME TRAVEL PROJECT. The series is designed around bringing songs from 30 years ago into the present through AtHeart’s musical identity.
At a showcase in Seoul hours before the single’s release, the members admitted that taking on a song with such a long history came with pressure.
Michi said the group knew how famous “3!4!” was and wanted to preserve what listeners loved about the original without simply reproducing it.
Their goal was to make listeners recognize Roo’ra’s song immediately and still hear AtHeart inside it.
Chae Rina gave them a simple goal: No. 1
The remake also received an endorsement that likely mattered more than any ordinary promotional comment.
Roo’ra member Chae Rina personally congratulated AtHeart on releasing the new version.
According to Seohyeon, the veteran singer told the members that she hoped their “3!4!” would reach No. 1 on the music charts. Chae Rina also participated in the choreography process, giving the remake a direct connection to the generation that originally performed the song.
That involvement changes the dynamic considerably.
AtHeart are not simply taking a famous 1990s K-pop song and updating it without input from the people connected to its history. Chae Rina is actively supporting the project, while Lee Hyun-do, who created the original song, participated in rearranging the new version.
For a young group attempting to introduce a 30-year-old hit to listeners who may not even have been born when it was released, that gives the remake an unusual sense of continuity.
What AtHeart changed in ‘3!4!’
The new recording retains the original song’s bright new jack swing foundation, but several musical details have been redesigned.
One of the clearest changes comes at the beginning.
The recognizable ukulele sound associated with the original arrangement has been reinterpreted through warm electric piano and delicate guitar arpeggios, creating a softer entrance before the track moves into its upbeat rhythm.
Nahyun said the seven members’ different vocal colors also became an important part of the remake.
Rather than trying to reproduce Roo’ra’s voices, AtHeart approached the song through seven distinct tones, emphasizing a brighter and more affectionate quality.
That may ultimately determine whether the project succeeds.
A remake that sounds exactly like the original offers little reason to exist. Change too much, however, and listeners who loved the 1996 version may wonder why the famous title was used at all.
AtHeart are trying to occupy the space between those extremes.
AtHeart are taking the “time travel” concept literally
The project does not end with the song.
AtHeart are also expanding “3!4!” into a time-slip drama titled 3+4!, turning their musical remake concept into an actual story connecting 1996 and 2026.
The plot begins when Nahyun responds to a mysterious number sent to a pager and unexpectedly travels back to 1996.
The production features the AtHeart members alongside choreographer Lia Kim, actor Hyun Bong-sik—and Chae Rina herself. Director Nam Tae-jin, whose television credits include Lovers of the Red Sky and Switch: Change the World, is directing and writing the project.
Nam explained that the two periods were intentionally given different visual identities: AtHeart represent a more polished 2026 atmosphere, while the characters connected to 1996 are presented with a freer energy.
It is a surprisingly elaborate way to promote a remake.
Instead of merely telling younger listeners that “3!4!” is an old Korean hit, AtHeart are creating an entire piece of content around the idea of physically crossing generations.
Why remaking a 1996 K-pop song matters in 2026
There is also a larger story behind AtHeart’s choice. K-pop has become so internationally visible that many newer fans experience its history beginning with BTS, BLACKPINK, TWICE or other third-generation acts. But Korean dance music had already developed its own stars, production trends and fan culture decades earlier.
Roo’ra belongs to that earlier history. By choosing “3!4!” instead of simply covering a recent global K-pop hit, AtHeart are effectively introducing part of that history to a new audience. Bome said the members felt like a bridge connecting listeners separated by roughly 30 years, describing the remake as something that brought responsibility as well as excitement. That may be the most interesting element of the TIME TRAVEL PROJECT. It gives younger listeners a contemporary entry point while potentially sending them back to the original recording. And older listeners get to hear how a group from an entirely different K-pop generation interprets a song they already know.
Fans haven’t heard the full release yet
There is one important limitation when discussing audience reaction.
At the time of AtHeart’s August 19 showcase, “3!4!” had not yet officially been released. The global digital release is scheduled for 6 p.m. KST.
That means it would be premature to claim that fans “love” the remake or that it is already becoming a hit. The meaningful public reaction so far is centered on the teasers, the nostalgia surrounding Roo’ra’s original and curiosity about how AtHeart will reinterpret it. The biggest endorsement currently comes from someone who knows the song better than almost anyone else.
Chae Rina wants them to reach No. 1.
Now AtHeart have to find out whether a song that dominated another generation can make people move all over again 30 years later.