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It is during an online interview with other foreign reporters that we meet the group NEWBEAT composed of members MINSEOK, MINSUNG, YEOYEOJEONG, SEOHYUN, TAEYANG, YUNHU, RIWOO who made it debut on March 24 with the album «RAW AND RAD».
First, the group begins by telling us about the preparation of this album, stating that their background as dancers for A.C.E, the many experiences of busking in the United States and this work of preparation allowed them to grow as artists. The symbolism of this debut is oriented around a concept, that of their mascot Neurocorn. YEOYEOJEONG describes it as the story with a unicorn without a horn that starts to think and explore why it doesn’t have a horn like other unicorns. Later, the unicorn comes to a realization that it’s not wrong to not have a horn and everyone is different. This message is expressed through their songs, connecting our sense of freedom, challenge, and ambition.
It is a joy for the group to make its debut, especially since the members get along well and have found an agency, BEAT INTERACTIVE, that suits them. The moments spent recording their songs are among the memorable moments, despite the hard work that it took. The help and advice they received allowed them to make great progress, especially those of JUN from A.C.E who recommended that YUNHU first take care of his mental health. He said that it’s important to remind yourself that you are going to do well, so trust yourself and enjoy the process.
Choosing a song to recommend to their fans, MINSUNG selects «We are young», a song that will be used as an OST in a show where they will travel 100 km in Korea. He added that it is a perfect track to sing as newbies. Specifically, one of the lyrics of the song, “running through this tough world” is a phrase that can speak to more than one person.
« The message embedded in the song represents freedom and rawness, symbolizing that we are young and capable of doing anything.» —MINSEOK
Looking back on their early experience, the opportunity that members had to perform in the US is a real chance for them, having been able to meet international fans. This pushes them to work hard in order to see them again one day. Their last busking remains a memory engraved in their memory, not only because of its symbolism but also the context. Indeed, the weather was perfect, many people surrounded them, and dancing to JUNGKOOK’s “Standing next to you” made them feel like they were among a megracrew.
As a rookie, everything is a challenge. It’s fun for them to discover new things, and they say that: they put their heart into the work by working hard! Before they debuted, NEWBEAT was very nervous, not knowing if it would be able to make an album, but as time went on, this stress turned into confidence and the group is eager to share it music. Thus, each song has a different story to tell, and the freedom and sincerity is what makes the group unique. The boys hope to make history in this way, and especially by their passion for music.
These different stories were also expressed through the titles «Jello» and «Hiccups» which were unveiled to the public before the release of their album on the 24th. While the first is described as kitsch and silly, the second offers a unique and energetic sound. It was an opportunity to show the lore of the group, and the charms that the members have. YEOYEOJEONG suggests that NEWBEAT has much more to reveal, hoping to increase anticipation of their future activities. The public’s reactions to both titles were warm, with the boys taking the opportunity to thank the people who had given them support and love. Watching the SNS comments motivates them when they are tired or concerned about certain things in their daily lives.
KSTATION TV could also asked two questions to NEWBEAT :
You’re currently making your debut with K-pop, which is enjoying worldwide fame, ranking at the top of all the charts, with numerous artists. What unique features will NEWBEAT bring to stand out in the face of this fierce competition?
« The message our group is trying to deliver is that being different is not wrong. I think anyone in their childhood, adolescence, or even adulthood may have experienced and resonate with this, so considering such factor, our theme seems to be unique. Our members and company also really prioritize making good music to convey this message. » – MINSEOK
You’ve already performed in front of foreign audiences through busking and performances. What did that bring to you, compared to others who have only trained in South Korea?
«I’m grateful and honored that we were able to go overseas to perform and have these valuable experiences. We gained more confidence in performing and learned ways to appreciate and interact with our fans, which was very meaningful.» – YUNHU
With this debut, NEWBEAT hopes to win the award for best rookie of the year, as it can only be won in the first year of activities. Members have many dreams and goals, but they strive to remain humble and prioritize communication with their fans. This communication is considered by MINSUNG as the key to the quality of a song and its performance. At the end of this album, they would like to be called a growing and improving group. After this first period of promotion ends, they’ll continue to work in order to prepare new music and opportunity to meet their fans.
Performer is one of their favorite things. TAEYANG confides that he is shy in nature, but that singing and dancing in front of an audience makes him happy, explaining his career choice. RIWOO hopes one day to be able to dive into the skin of MINSUNG, because he is curious to know how light it would be to walk in his body, and also his skills in b-boy. Achieving the marks he achieves as a lead singer would be a success as well. As for a song that would represent one of the members of the group, RIWOO selects «We are young», because he is the youngest in the group, and and the song is very bright and hopeful that it depicts the journey to chase their dream and future. As for SEOHYUN, his choice is «Hiccups», because he considers that the old-school hip-hop style suits him better, because he think this song best expresses who he is as a performer.
He gives us by the way the anecdote as which he is the one at the origin of the hiccup noise at the beginning of the song, and the directors having complimented him, he is very proud. The members practiced for a long time to perfect the sound of hiccups, which made them laugh a lot at the time. «Hiccups» is a music that uses unique sounds and percussion, which draws attention to NEWBEAT and highlights the charms of the boys. As for the album as a whole, MINSEOK describes it as:
« Pure, raw passion and the spirit of challenge. While we acknowledge the imperfections and flaws within our rawness, I believe it is also a result that fully captures our dreams, passion, and mindset.» – MINSEOK
This album is the symbiosis between hardness and softness. The different genres of hip-hop are mixed to create a unique style that is specific to the group and is very versatile. The strength of NEWBEAT is its singing, dancing, rap, and the visual of the members, because they have the necessary confidence for this field, but above all, sincerity. Remembering the difficult stages when they did not yet know if they were going to debut, they express the difficulty of this expectation, not knowing whether all their efforts would be worth it. But somehow, it brought them closer together. The old school hip-hop style is a style that they have practiced a lot, especially when making covers of groups from the first generation of Kpop.
To close this interview, the word that would best represent their opening song, “Flip the coin,” would be “flip”, because it’s not just about flipping a piece, but also expresses their desire to flip and change the K-pop industry and the whole world with their talents and performances.
The words of our reporter: “It is obvious that the group will take advantage of its experience from the past, congratulations for your debut”
Journalist: Pillet Anaïs
Translator: Pillet Anaïs
Photos : BEAT INTERACTIVE
Source : KSTATION TV
