[INTERVIEW] Teen Top - Part 1

Teen Top (from left to right): Chunji, L.Joe, C.A.P, Niel, Ricky and Changjo [Chae Ki-won/10Asia]

Teen Top has returned to the local music with their title track "Don't Spray Perfume" from their new album "Roman" after six month. 10Asia sat down with the six-member boy band for an interview.

10: You guys caused quite a stir after teaser photos of you wearing hot pants and high heels were released. Where did that idea come from?
Niel: We wanted to know what it felt like to be a woman.
Chunji: About one percent of our ideas were reflected and applied for that concept.
Niel: Honestly, we were embarrassed when we found out that we had to take those pictures. C.A.P was really against the shoot.
C.A.P: I was fine with it! I was! We just had to take off our clothes.
Ricky: After looking at the photos, it seemed that Niel had the most beautiful legs. C.A.P and I were definitely not.
L.Joe: Wearing high heels was more comfortable than I thought. But most of all, it was great because I was taller. Everyone besides me is growing right now so…(sigh) I’m going to believe that that men still grow while they are serving their military service.
Changjo: I can feel that I'm growing taller right now. (laugh)

10: What was it like listening to the lyrics “Don’t spray perfume or I will get caught by myself girlfriend and don’t wear glitter because it will get on my clothes” from your title track for the first time?
Niel: I felt that it was kind of childish but I liked how catchy it was. I also thought that the male lead in the song is a really lucky guy. He has a girlfriend and another woman. (laugh)
Changjo: It was fun thinking that somewhere there are people who are in the same situation as in the song. They will probably feel guilty.
Ricky: We had to work on making cheerful and bright expressions in front of the mirror since the choreography for the song is not as powerful as before.
Niel: I felt that making facial expressions was a lot easier for songs “Clap” and “Supa Luv” from our first album. We had to scowl because we were sad after losing our girlfriends but it’s not easy to adjust to smile all the time and be happy for our performance for “Don’t Spray Perfume.”
Changjo: I didn’t really put much thought to my expressions for “Supa Luv” because I wore sunglasses to cover my eyes. And it’s seriously uncomfortable taking them off. (laugh)
Chunji: Many people were asking who the new person was after Changjo took off his sunglasses. They asked if we had a new member! (laugh)
Ricky: I was jealous because many people said he (Changjo) became very handsome.
Changjo: I also wanted the cameras to shoot me more. That is what I try to stand closer to Niel because I’m in the background and look straight at the camera when they shoot him.

10: What was it like working with new producers like Bang Si-hyuk and Shinhwa member Lee Minwoo for the new album?
Teen Top: We were worried what it would be like if Bang turns out to be malicious in person after seeing how he is in “Star Audition.”
Chunji: We were very nervous when we went into the recording studio and Bang pointed out our mistakes firmly. But he was very kind to us, like an older brother, once we finished recording. He is different from how he is on the show.
Ricky: Our tone was off and we made a lot of other mistakes because we were really nervous during our first performance for “Don’t Spray Perfume.” It was rather he who comforted us.
Chunji: We received the track “Tell me why” from Minwoo and he directed us when we recorded the song. And oh man, he was scary. He checked every single sound and detail but he was still kind and considerate.
Niel: He even told us this story of how Andy said that he wanted to sing but Minwoo said that he should just continue to rap instead. (laugh)
Ricky: Even L.Joe and C.A.P, who are the rappers of our group, want to sing too.
L.Joe: We tried to have one of us sing for the song “First Kiss” but the director said no after hearing us. (laugh)
C.A.P: We tried to sing using musical machines but that didn’t work out either. (laugh)

10: It seems as though the overall vibe of the new album is cheerful and there seem to be several songs like “Touching the Back of our Hands” and “Beautiful Girl” that express the feeling of starting a new love. What was it like expressing those emotions?
Chunji: First of all, we don’t have much experience with relationships since we're all still young.
Niel: It’s a fresh song that expresses the start of a relationship and I think we were able to do a better job with it since we're teenagers. We've expressed the reality of how we want to but can't through this song. (laugh)
L.Joe: I would like to try hip hop for the next album so we can have fun being on stage just like Big Bang.
Ricky: It would be great since we'd enjoy ourselves on stage with our fans.

10: Chunji, what was it like showing your acting skills for the music video for “Don’t Spray Perfume?”
Chunji: I felt like I was able to do a good job for my first role because actress Park Si-yeon helped me out a lot.
Niel: My hands shriveled up from embarrassment while I was monitoring him. I felt my own face get red.
Ricky: The other members and I know Chunji real well since we are always together and I thought to myself ‘Ah, there is a different side to Chunji’ after seeing him act all cheesy. (laugh) (Chunji: I thought I was really cheesy as well.) We had appeared on GomTV’s “Making the Artist” and it was fun while shooting it but it’s embarrassing to watch! I have not seen the full show.
Niel: It is one of those videos that you just can’t see. You stop it after watching a bit and then continue doing so.

10: Niel, you made your debut as a child actor and you played the mean class president in the movie “Eleventh Mom.” What is like watching it again?
Niel: Ah…after watching it…I thought I did a good job. I felt like I worked really hard without thinking since I was young and at that age you aren’t embarrassed about anything. It was a great memory even though it makes my hands shrivel up when I watch it.

10: What do you think is the best part about pursuing your activities overseas, in countries like in Japan and Thailand?
Niel: I find it interesting that people abroad know who we are. It also feels great to meet our fans there as well...
Changjo: I really like the hotels. They clean up after you no matter how much of a mess you make.
Niel: The two youngest members share a room, L.Joe and Chunji share a room since they are the same age and C.A.P and I share a room since we don't have anyone else.
L.Joe: It's not our room. (laugh)
Chunji: It's a place where we get together and eat.
Changjo: There was this one time where C.A.P was pushed into a hotel swimming pool. (laugh)
C.A.P: And who was the one that pushed me in?
L.Joe: It's person who just spoke.
Niel: It's funny when we think about it now but he could have almost died.
Changjo: The water was two meters deep. He drowned in the pool after I pushed him in because he stayed still.
C.A.P: I seriously don't know how to swim though.
Chunji: Then why didn't you yell out for help? (laugh)
Niel: Changjo and I almost drowned as well trying to save you when we saw you floundering about. You're supposed to be stay still when someone is trying to save you. Why were you kicking your legs? That is how we all fell to the bottom and barely made it to the top. Ah, we are going to throw a tube for you when we see you drowning.

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10 아시아 Reporter : Choi Ji-Eun five@
10 아시아 Reporter : Hwang Hyo-Jin seventeen@
10 아시아 Photographer : Chae ki-won ten@
10 아시아 Editor : Lucia Hong luciahong@
10 아시아 Editor : Jang Kyung-Jin three@