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Seven-member group to make international debut at Singapore’s Music Matters Festival

This is part of a series featuring new hallyu stars. ― Ed.


Korean idol groups, so far, may have relied on their pretty looks, dance performances that are akin to acrobatics, and trendy music widely accepted by different cultures around the world, to appeal to audiences. However, BTOB, a Korean boy group that debuted two months ago, said they will show new features as K-pop artists in a way that will set them apart in the country’s music industry overflowing with idol groups.

“We are all strong in vocals and each member has different talents. We started with dance music and then ballad, but there are many things left for us to show, such as turning into a band that plays acoustic music,” Seo Eun-kwang, the group’s leader, told The Korea Herald in a recent interview.

“I think our fans love our not-so-handsome but unforgettable looks. We are also trying to get closer to our fans through surprise fan meetings and by opening up ourselves more in online communities,” said Lee Chang-sub, BTOB vocalist.

BTOB (Cube Entertainment)

BTOB, which stands for “born to beat,” is the second boy group launched by Cube Entertainment, well-known for producing BEAST, 4Minute and G. Na. Consisting of seven members ― Seo Eun-kwang, Lee Min-hyuk, Lee Chang-seob, Lim Hyun-sik, Peniel Shin, Jung Il-hoon and Yook Sung-jae ― the group debuted with its first mini album “Born To Beat” in March.

The album includes “Insane,” “Imagine” and “Monday to Sunday,” a track co-produced by Swedish songwriters Jorgen Elofsson who previously worked with Britney Spears and Westlife, and Fredrik Thomander, who collaborated with NSYNC and Arashi. Jung Il-hoon, the group’s rapper also had a hand in making the album by writing lyrics.

Earlier this month, the group released its first digital single “Father,” which shows off their exceptional vocal talents. As Seo explained, the idol group also plans to transition into band with Seo on the piano, Lim on guitar, Lee Chang-sub on drums and Peniel on bass.

“We are working on the band project now. We’ll be able to show a new concept of an idol band that adds performance elements to the music,” Seo said.

The two-month-old group already has more than 10,000 fans registered on their official fan caf on Daum. BTOB will soon launch its fan club “Melody,” named by rapper Jung.

“We are surprised to have many foreign fans coming to the online caf. Peniel from the U.S. and Hyun-sik, who is fluent in Chinese, are in charge of communicating with fans from abroad,” 22-year-old Seo, the oldest member of the group, said.

In a chance to meet their growing foreign fanbase, BTOB will debut internationally this month.

The rookie group joins other K-pop and hip-hop acts such as M.I.B., Bizzy, Drunken Tiger and Yoon Mi-rae at the Music Matters Festival to be held in Singapore on May 22-26. BTOB will stage their first performance abroad at “Music Matters Live,” one of the festival’s programs, to be held in Clarke Quay in the city state on May 24, and will hold interviews with local media there.

“I still can’t believe that we are going to perform in Singapore. We feel so excited and will do our very best there,” said Lim Hyun-sik, who calls himself the center of the group.

Starting with Singapore, the group also plans to start overseas promotion centering in Japan within this year.

“I think we won’t have time to rest this year because we have to work on a new album for our Asia promotion,” said Yook Sung-jae, 17, the youngest in the group.

BTOB has been drawing widespread interest from overseas after the video of the group’s showcase in Seoul was released and viewed by 100,000 people around the world, the agency said.

“For the last two months, we slept just one or two hours a day. But it is not a big deal anymore because we adjusted well to the new environment,” Yook added.

“This kind of busy life is something we expected and prepared for. We’ll work hard not only on good music, but also on ourselves to be visually attractive in the future,” said Peniel, who came to Korea two years ago from Chicago to fulfill his dream of being a K-pop star.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldm.com)

Arrived first at the wrong venue and I have to cut through a very heavy traffic in Jakarta, huh, the effort is just too big. But anyway, thank God, I still can catch up some of his performances at Balai Sarbini for the taping of a tv program in SCTV, local tv station. My friend who gave me the ticket told me that I miss three songs already. When I arrived, I heard Jay's singing Nothing on You, B.O.B cover. After that, I was so surprised to see two local acts performed, Smash and Cherry Belle. These groups have different style of music and fashion. I still can't grasp why they were chosen to perform with Jay at the same show. Guess you can't find what you called - for the sake of rating, right?
Anyway, some of the songs were sang. Up and Down, Star, Girlfriend, Know Your Name, Girlfriend.

Back at home, seven members say increasing sex appeal is the next goal
유키스 "누나들~ 저희 '여친 금지령' 풀렸어요"May 02,2012
The seven members of boy band U-Kiss had to adapt to new foods and a new language during their six-month stay in Japan, but the hard work paid off, as it often does for Korean performers there. U-Kiss’ first album released in Japan, “A Shared Dream,” and the EP “Forbidden Love” landed in the No. 2 and No. 5 spots on Oricon’s weekly chart, respectively, and the band successfully completed their first tour of Japan in March.
But in the fast-paced world of K-pop where dozens of groups come and go in a flash, six months can seem like a lifetime, and fans can grow impatient with their favorite stars.
“We are quite nervous about that. I heard some of our fans actually moved to other fan clubs,” said AJ, one of the members of U-Kiss. “But we can take them back. We also grew up while we were in Japan.”
Ilgan Sports caught up with the boy band members after they returned to Korea on April 25 to talk about the pros and cons of their time abroad as well as their new EP “Dora Dora.”
Q. When did you first realize your music was well accepted in the Japanese market?
Ki Seop: [The realization] came when the first regular album landed in the No. 2 spot on Oricon’s weekly chart [in early March]. Our Japanese agency Avex told us that it didn’t take long for us to gain ground in Japan, and I could see more and more Japanese fans at every concert we had there.
How many Japanese fans would come to a solo concert for your group if you held it today?
Soo Hyun: I bet we could fill the whole Super Arena in Tokyo [which holds up to 37,000 people]. In the countryside, we might attract around 3,500 people per each concert. We’re preparing for 15 concerts to be held in nine Japanese cities in July. Our goal is to attract a total of 45,000 fans.
How did you change your approach for Japanese fans?
Dong Ho: Most Japanese put distance between celebrities and themselves. They kind of admire entertainers, but we try to act like their friends. We also shook hands while making eye contact after each concert. This is how we approached Japanese fans. For this reason, they say we are like their family and friends.
Many new boy bands have debuted while you were away from Korea. How does this make you feel?
AJ: Looking at boy bands these days, they are perfect in so many ways. They can sing and are also very handsome. It makes us a little nervous. I heard some of our fans actually moved to other fan clubs while we were away. But we can take them back; we also grew up while we were in Japan. If we can show our newly gained depth to Korean fans, we still have a chance to win the game, I think.
What was it like to work with famed composer Kim Hyung-seok for your new EP?
Soo Hyun: He’s famous for ballad songs, so we were quite curious to know what it would be like to work with him. After we did, we all quickly realized why he has become the best in his field. He gave us masculine songs that also have mass appeal. He flied to Japan while we were having a concert in March to point out the strong and weak points of each member. I appreciate his hard work.
Tell us about the title track of your new EP “Dora Dora.”
Soo Hyun: We tried to become sexier with this song. Our choreography, clothes and even our facial expressions were all calculated to exert our sexiness. For example, we wear red see-through clothing.
Back in Japan, we listened to more than 100 songs to choose a title track. All the members and our management company agreed that this album is quite important to us. We chose this song after many nights of discussions.
Most management companies stop boy band members from going on dates. But all of you are now free to go on dates. How do you feel about this?
Hoon: The head of our management company told us that we’re now allowed to be in relationships but that we have to date in secret. [Laughs.] The ban was technically lifted, but it’s hard for us to go out and find girlfriends. I think we’re less popular than members of other boy bands.
It’s already been five years since your debut. Where do you see yourselves on your 10th anniversary?
Dong Ho: We hope to release an album that will celebrate 10 years together. A world tour would also be on our to-do list. If we could start a tour in Seoul and then travel to other countries for a year, that would be fantastic. I want to become like Shinhwa. The group’s recent tour just thrills me.
Shinhwa is a six-member Korean boy band that debuted in the late 1990s. Unlike most pop groups which disband after five or six years, Shinwha is still together. The group recently released a new album and is on an international tour.
What are your plans for the near future?
Kevin: We’re going to go to Colombia next month. We will represent Asian performers and share the stage with Shakira, Ricky Martin and Pitbull. I heard that Colombian fans are looking forward to seeing us, and we’re excited about that. I also want to see Shakira’s “hip dance” in person. I’ll barge into her dressing room and take a photo with her!
What would you most like to do in the next year?
Eli: I want to become No. 1 on a local music show. Many people associate U-Kiss with a couple of our tracks such as “Man Man Ha Ni” [“Am I That Easy”] and “Bingeul Bingeul” [“Round and Round”], but I want to impress people with other songs that could appeal to audiences regardless of gender or age.
By Um Dong-jin [so@joongang.co.kr]