[Interview] iKON Says, “We are reborn with a young spirit and great teamwork.”
[스포츠조선=박영웅 기자] iKON has prepared for their comeback as if they are preparing for their debut. They wiped out the gentle image that they have shown when performing “MY TYPE”, “RHYTYM TA”, and “APOLOGY”. They refuse to be just another idol group, and now they are set to begin the second chapter of iKON.
iKON is to release a new album titled “NEW KIDS: BEGIN” on May 22, and their mindset is totally different. B.I even said, “It is as if we are debuting again.” Members have worked hard to improve their music, performance, looks, and style as if they are doing another survival program. They have participated in not only writing the lyrics and music of their songs but also planning their album to make up for their long break.
This is why iKON chose “NEW KIDS” as the concept of their album. The album is a new beginning and the start of a new style for the group. iKON also plans to release a series of album throughout the year under the same concept. Members said, “It’s been a long time since we performed before Korean fans, and it feels as if we’re debuting again. We feel that finally our team has become complete.”
iKON built strong teamwork, and the teamwork is reflected in the two title tracks of their new album. The lyrics of the album’s title track “BLING BLING” is full of swag, and the song well reflects the unique energy of iKON. The song is co-written by B.I, BOBBY, and YG’s new songwriter MILLENIUM, and its powerful rap and catchy melody leave a strong impression on the listeners.
B.I was in charge of producing the song, and he said, “It’s raw, and it gives off the feeling of racing like crazy.” JU-NE said, “We have to feel that we are cool. We’ve worked hard for this, and we’re very satisfied.”
The other title song of iKON’s new album “B-DAY” shows another side of iKON. “B-DAY” is a hip hop song with a fast beat, and it is perfect for showing off iKON’s witty and energetic performance on stage. It also has funny lyrics in which iKON members are described as a swarm of bees. The title has two meanings: short for birthday and a birthday for the bees. Members said, “We didn’t try to put a lot of meaning into the song. We just want the listeners to enjoy the music.”
The key concept of iKON’s new album is free and unrestrained. To give off a free and raw ambience, iKON will be using a lot of street culture items in their performances. Hip hop remains to play a key role in expressing iKON’s free spirit. B.I said, “Hip hop is like a staple for us. It’s perfect music for us now as we’re all young. We can never be free as we are now. We’re like half-cooked eggs.”
It will be the first time that iKON released a new song in Korea since the group released “#WYD” in May last year. The comeback of iKON has a special meaning not only to the members but also to YG. Along with WINNER, iKON is considered to be the next-generation of YG boy groups after BIGBANG. YG has put in a lot of work into iKON’s new album to show that the group has what it takes. iKON has also gained a lot of stage and song-producing experience during their break.
This is why expectations are running so high for their comeback. iKON has already went on arena tours in Japan, and recently they started their dome tour. They have gained a lot of experience on stage in a short amount of time, and now they are ready to put their knowhow into use. BIGBANG also grew a lot and gained much experience and global popularity by doing countless concerts, and iKON is fully ready to follow in their footsteps. Members commented, “We’ve received a lot of positive energy from the fans we met in our concerts abroad.”
It was YANG HYUN SUK who suggested that iKON should take a one-year break. He wanted iKON to have a lot of stage experience regardless of the size of the stage. Thanks to his vision, iKON is now equipped with great stage manners in such a short time. Members thanked him by saying, “Thanks to his advice, we were able to grow a lot and even we’re surprised. We feel as if we’ve become complete now.”
They also talked about the pressure of making a comeback after PSY and WINNER.
WINNER and iKON have a special releationship. The two boy groups competed against each other as Team A and Team B on YG Entertainment’s survival show “‘WIN : WHO IS NEXT” in 2013. Team A won in the end and got the name “WINNER”. There was only one winner, but both teams received spotlight. Debuting was the dream of both teams four years ago. Members said, “We’re always happy to see WINNER members. We are not competitors but like supporters for each other.”
B.I and BOBBY participated in making “BOMB”, a song in PSY’s 8th album. PSY mentioned that working with B.I and BOBBY made him feel as if he was in his twenties again. B.I and BOBBY also thought working with PSY was a special experience.
B.I said, “The whole process was very spur-of-the-moment. He told us to just come and do it. He was very professional. But he was also nice to us and treated us like one of his friends. It was great working with him.” BOBBY said, “I thought he would be very strict, but he wasn’t. We ate and talked, and we started working in a very friendly atmosphere.”
iKON plans to go back and forth between Korea and Japan. iKON kicked off their Japan dome tour by holding a concert at the Osaka Kyocera Dome on May 20. On June 17, iKON will hold another concert at the Saitama Metlife Dome to continue on their tour. Last year, iKON went on a tour and attracted more than 322,000 people, the biggest number of audience for a rookie that debuted less than a year ago. They also set a new record of holding a dome tour in Japan in the shortest time after debut as a foreign act.
B.I said, “We’re not aiming at winning awards this year. Our goal is to do active promotions in Korea. We’ll be able to achieve this goal either by releasing songs continuously or by going on a lot of music and variety shows. We want to show ourselves more to the public and meet more fans. Check us out and our new beginning.”
2017. 5. 22.
