AKMU, “YG’s Yang Hyun Suk Never Interferes in Our Music” (Interview)
[뉴스엔 황혜진 기자] AKMU, a duo of a brother and a sister (LEE CHAN HYUK & LEE SOO HYUN) disclosed a behind-the-scene story with YG’s head producer YANG HYUN SUK.
AKMU won SBS “I Love Sunday – K-Pop Star 2” aired last year, being recognized for their unique music and talented vocal. After the end of the audition show, AKMU had signed a contract with YG Entertainment and released their debut album “PLAY” on April 7 this year. Since then, AKMU has been achieving a great success, with “PLAY’ taking the No.1 in “Artist Top 20, Album Top 20” of Melon, Korea’s biggest music-streaming website, for five weeks in a row, as well as with title track “200%” being placed in the first place for three consecutive weeks in Mnet’s “M-Countdown” and SBS “INKIGAYO”.
In an interview with NewsN on May 13, AKMU answered a question about why they chose YG, “We experienced the training of three major music labels in Korea, YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment, while appearing in ‘K-Pop Star 2’”.
LEE CHAN HYUK expressed his affection for YG Entertainment, saying, “While the three judges were keenly evaluating us as a candidate trainee for their company, we were actually evaluating them, too, as our future label. We found out that YG Entertainment is the company which offers the best to artists who write and sing their own songs. That is why we signed the exclusive contract with YG Entertainment”.
LEE SOO HYUN recollected the days of “K-Pop Star 2”, saying, “When we were appearing in ‘K-Pop Star 2’, not only YG but also the other companies were very nice to us. They passionately taught us about music and notably, SM Entertainment taught us how to sing a high note”.
All the songs in AKMU’s debut album are written, composed, and produced by LEE CHAN HYUK. Upon the release of the album, it has received a rave review as a well-made album, to enjoy a long-term popularity.
LEE CHAN HYUK said, “After we signed the contract with YG Entertainment, we began the works for music in earnest. All staff members of YG, including YANG HYUN SUK, created a good atmosphere for us to do our music in our own way. They never interfered in whatever we do. So, you can think that our debut album was made in whatever way we like”.
LEE SOO HYUN went on to say, “When we asked ‘how should we do it?’, he answered ‘do what you like’. We loved that so much. We made our music just on our own, without any vocal training. The company suggested training from a vocal director, but in the end, the only staff we did actually work with was a recording engineer who worked with recording machine. All the other works were 100% done by just two of us”.
Then, what does head producer YANG HYUN SUK mean to AKMU? LEE CHAN HYUK says, “In fact, we were worried, too, before we joined YG. We thought YANG HYUN SUK as a judge of “K-Pop Star 2” and YANG HYUN SUK as the head producer of YG Entertainment would be different. We were nervous because we heard that he was strict to artists, but I think he is even nicer to us than he was during ‘K-Pop Star 2’”.
Then, LEE CHAN HYUK added, “When we go to a meeting with our boss, we brace ourselves. We decided to express our thoughts any way, if had different ideas. However, whenever we said ‘we want to do this’, he said, ‘do it as you like’. At our first meeting, he said, ‘I don’t know what I can do for you. I’ll leave it 100% to you, so just do it as you like”.
Meanwhile, AKMU begins TV performance of “Give Love” in Mnet’s “M-Countdown” on the 15.
2014. 5. 14.
