“Super rookie” iKON says, “We love to stand on the stage and in front of the public”
[Interview] A year of big achievements… “Got popular too fast? We’re trying not to feel burdened”
[오마이뉴스=이언혁 기자] This team took No.1 on charts upon the release of their debut song, and then, held debut concert at the Olympic Gymnastics Stadium with more than 10,000 seats. Such shining achievement, which is unreachable for other rookie idol group even as the ‘goal of the year’, was made by this rookie team upon their very debut. This team who has survived after competition in two reality survival audition shows has been reborn as iKON (B.I, KIM JINHWAN, BOBBY, SONG YUNHYEONG, JU-NE, KIM DONGHYUK, and JUNG CHANWOO).
This team captivates fans so skillfully on the stage, to an extent people think that they are not a rookie idol group. However, the members looked nervous when interviewed. B.I said with a smile on his face, “Of course I wished for success of iKON’s debut, but as we’re just a rookie, I didn’t wish for high ranks on charts. I just wanted our music to be listened to by as many people as possible. But, we came to take No.1 on charts even from “MY TYPE”. I was so surprised by how many people liked our song.”
The members also said that even though every day since their debut is surprising, there is nothing specifically different from the days when they were YG trainees, except for when they’re performing on the stage. SONG YUNHYEONG said, “As we appeared in survival audition TV shows and performed for the opening of BIGBANG concert, our debut has not hit home for us that much. Only a year ago, we’re watching end-of-year music awards on TV, but, this year, we’re performing in those awards. When we sat with other singers at Melon Music Awards, I could actually realize that iKON has finally debuted.”
iKON was supposed to release a full album with 12 songs in November, but that was postponed to December. Instead, iKON released two singles on the 16 last month. The two singles were “APOLOGY”, the title track produced by YG’s main producers TEDDY and KUSH, and rapper B.I & BOBBY unit team’s “ANTHEM”. JU-NE explained about “APOLOGY”, saying, “It seemed that TEDDY put more focus on emotions than on singing skills or precise keys and beat. We did our best to express the desperate but manly and honest but sad feelings in the song”.
Talking about YG-YANG HYUN SUK-BIGBANG-suspicions over hoarding on music-streaming websites
Even though iKON got great support from YG, YANG HYUN SUK, YG Entertainment, and super stars of YG may come as a big burden for iKON. iKON was actually compared with BIGBANG from even before their debut and B.I said, “BIGBANG has made a lot of achievements in a variety of genres. I think we also need more time and experience. iKON will make more efforts to create our own achievements differently from BIGBANG.” BIGBANG gave iKON advice, saying, “You should not be seen like us and you should go a different way”.
YG Entertainment’s head producer YANG HYUN SUK is like the strictest teacher for iKON. B.I confessed, “Mr. YANG is like a very strict and tough teacher for us, who gives us harsh words of advice rather than compliments.” On the other hand, KIM DONGHYUK said, “Mr. YANG visits our workroom from time to time, to check our progress and give us advice. One day, B.I fell asleep while directing our songs late in the night. Mr. YANG came to him and stroke his head, saying ‘I know you’re tire’. I saw how much affection he has for us at that time”.
iKON believes that they have to grow into an artist comparable to YG seniors like BIGBANG and 2NE1. B.I said, “It is true that we got great support from the company”. He went on to express his confidence by saying, “As we’re doing our best to live up to the company’s expectations for us, I believe, someday, we’ll be able to stand on our own feet. I think our mission is to create a system where we can give help to others and work with others”.
Because iKON took No.1 on charts upon the release of their debut song, some people raised suspicions over hoarding of iKON’s music on music-streaming websites. Then, what would iKON have thought about that? B.I answered, “It would be a lie if I say I never cared about such suspicions. If such doubt was true, that would have hurt my feelings, but really, that is not true. Because there was nothing like hoarding of our songs on music-streaming websites, I just stopped thinking about that”. KIM DONGHYUK added, “Everyone had the same thought. Rather than caring about doubts that are not true, we’ll just keep creating good music and good performances”.
“Finding our own color is our lifetime goal”
iKON has grown so fast. Some say that they got popular too fast, but iKON answered, “I think that is true to some extent. We received great love too big for just a rookie. But, it is no good for us to feel burden so we’re trying to do our best with a positive mindset”. iKON is inexperienced and unskilled in some aspects as they are still a rookie, but they are resolved to enhance the quality of their music and performances with help from veteran producers.
“Finding our own color is our lifetime goal. Still, we’re naïve and unskilled, but that would be one of our appeals. Our team is mostly a hip-hop crew as all the members love hip-hop, but that does not mean that only hip-hop is good music for us. We’re trying to display different talents and appeals in us. Anyway, as of now, we’re ambitious, carefree, and mischievous boys and that may be our biggest appeal”.
It takes a long time and many efforts to reach the top, but it takes only a moment to fall down. To remain as “guys who create good music” for a long period of time, they are keen about how they are seen in the eyes of fans, the public, and the company. iKON members said, “We’re trying to be careful about every behavior, not to be misunderstood for anything. We made that promise to ourselves and resolved ourselves.” The seven members of iKON who had been desperately wishing for debut now has a new wish to produce good music for a long time.
Then, what would be the dream stage for iKON? iKON said, “We’re always thirsty for performances on the stage. Rather than having a specific dream stage, we like every stage where people are watching our performance”. To become an iKON that is “a group that presents performances good enough for global stage”, iKON members are growing day after day, doing their best at the practice room and recording room every day.
2015. 12. 2.
