[INTERVIEW] Ballad group 2AM - Pt. 1

2AM [10Asia/Chae Ki-won]

Among the tens of thousands of male idol groups in Korea, it is not that difficult to notice 2AM’s existence. They are the partner group of 2PM and the only idol group in the country to sing only ballads. This differentiates them from other K-pop acts, but at the same time, a barrier that many had worried about, in terms of limiting them in showing various styles of their look and images. That barrier was even more worrisome last month, when the hottest boy bands in the country, like Big Bang, SHINee and CNBLUE, were making their comebacks. By recording fairly good marks in all musical activities with the latest album "F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Way of Love,” however, 2AM was able to survive in the wave of K-pop boy bands. Building their career strong from the basis with the debut title tune “This Song,” they were not easily challenged by other artists and became one of the strongest teams in the K-pop mainstream. In this interview with 10Asia, 2AM talked about what it is like to live as idols and what music means to them.

<#10LOGO#> You guys were pretty successful with the latest album, while big name male artists have made their comebacks as well. What was it like promoting "F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Way of Love”?
Changmin: We were really ready for this, to be honest. We thought if every member and staff says ‘yes’ to the release, the people would love them as well. There are slight differences for everybody, in terms of the taste of music, but if we put 100 percent of our effort in it, we were sure that people will notice it. Once, at one of our performances, we promised our fans that we will present them with ‘luxurious’ ballad music. I guess I kept my words for that one. We received songs from a number of different composers and did well in showing the fans our best. Even the album’s case was quite expensive (laugh).

“I realized that the vocal sound changes by aging”

Jo Kwon, "I’m good at enduring difficult moments and controlling my feelings. Those feelings are mostly what I tried to hide and they are expressed through music. It helps to get immersed in singing." [10Asia/Chae Ki-won]

<#10LOGO#> Did you guys come up with the title "F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Way of Love” because you guys were pursuing ‘luxurious ballads’? I was wondering what you guys meant by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Way of Love (laugh).
Seulong: It was actually producer Bang Si-hyuk’s idea. The lyrics in all tracks are about understanding and loving one’s soul instead of their outer beauty. I think he tried to relate that to Fitzgerald.
Jo Kwon: Overall, the lyrics are fictional. So I tried focusing more when recording the album. I used to think about sad and depressing experiences when singing, but this time I thought of different things. I tried drawing the scenes by carefully going over the lines.
Jinwoon: It was the same for me. “I Wonder If You Hurt Like Me” was easy to imagine the scenes in my head and I was totally immersed in singing.
Seulong: I focused in controlling my voice. I want to have a voice that is able to express a lot without giving dramatic changes in tones. We’re still young but as time passes, our voices are changing and it is possible that we’ll have a totally different voice when older. I think now is the time to notice that change. I’m enjoying every moment of that.

<#10LOGO#> Jinwoon and Seulong sing the intro part of your title track. Do you have at anything specific that you pay more attention to when singing the intro?
Jinwoon: Two years have passed since dropping the last album, but we think that we’re still young and question ourselves if we have sang right songs that suit our image. I try to make it sound more sad and desperate by controlling the emotions with my voice.
Seulong: In one song, there is a story about a breakup. I think I was inspired by my past experiences. I think I tried expressing a feeling like waking up in a dark and empty room in the morning.

<#10LOGO#> How did you guys distribute the parts you sing? Jinwoon looked so ambitious about singing the climax for the album (laugh).
Jinwoon: That was really a joke (laugh). It sounds like we’re taking turns to sing in our songs, but a person who has the voice that goes well with the track sings the climax.
Changmin: In all tracks, no other members are better at singing their own parts. If anyone tells me to sing the intro part of “I Wonder If You Hurt Like Me,” I probably won’t be able to do it better than Jinwoon and Seulong. Producer Bang also said that it’s Seulong’s part to sing, as soon as he started listening to the song. If I were good in all parts, I would’ve debuted as a solo artist (laugh).

<#10LOGO#> But the two roles sometimes become jokes. I remember in an episode of “Radio Star,” a segment of MBC “Golden Fishery,” the emcees made fun of you guys saying that your lines are mainly ‘Ooooooh,’ like a chorus.
Seulong: Well, it’s a variety show after all (laugh). Jinwoon is the only member in the group who could make a low voice in “I Wonder If You Hurt Like Me.” I’m better at singing in a harmony at higher vocal cord. So I was in charge of singing a cappella.
Changmin: At a glance, you’d wonder why we only sing like a chorus, but when trying to sing a cappella songs in variety shows on TV, it never turns out good. But when emcees on the shows beg us to sing, we end up making them burst into laughter. But I understand that it’s just the character of variety shows and it’s a chance to show the different side of 2AM.
Seulong: People’s response was great after “Radio Star” aired. I made a mistake by saying marionette as Marie Antoinette (laugh). But a funny thing is, nobody knew that I made a mistake except Kim Goo-ra.
Changmin: It’s easy to make mistakes like that. I once said that ‘civilization’ was the noun form of ‘Siboorida’ (a Korean word) (laugh).

<#10LOGO#> Jo Kwon, you’re so different when appearing in variety programs and singing on stage as an artist. Do you get pressured by people’s expectations toward you in both areas?
Jo Kwon: I used to get stressed about it after receiving a lot of criticisms in the past, but my character in variety shows are being taken for granted now (laugh). But it’s really who I am and that helped to approach to the audience closer. I guess I’ll change too as time pass, and I can’t be that perky guy for the rest of my life (laugh). People ask me who the next candidate for that perky image is. But actually, I don’t really care. I don’t care if someone else is better is entertaining people. All I want is to naturally show different sides of who I am.
Changmin: I think we were being consistent all the time. We’re funny in variety programs, while we’re serious on stage. And that changes people’s perception about 2AM. If we just focus on singing ballad songs and not appear on variety shows, that could be a bit strange for our fans too. But this is just who we are.

“We call it ‘the best song’ if it suits our voices”

Changmin, "In all tracks, no other members are better at singing their own parts." [10Asia/Chae Ki-won]

<#10LOGO#> You guys had a strong image as a ballad idol group, but now it’s more close to ballad artists.
Jo Kwon: We questioned ourselves if we are idols. People threw doubts about us, questioning if ballad artists can be idols. But when looking back, our lifestyle and music activities are pretty much like idol groups. But we know that our fans want us to be more mature as a musician and this album is our chance to show our potential to be one.
Changmin: When we talk about our future, we always agree on how we want to be better to the point where we become an iconic figure for top ballad idol groups. While singing ballads, we could appear in variety programs on TV and pursue our solo careers too. When we first made our debut, our role model was GOD (idol group debuted in the 1990s). They have a friendly image and at the same time, their music appeals to the general public. We hope that a certain genre of music could instantly remind the people of 2AM. We prefer to be ‘steady sellers’ than ‘best sellers.’

<#10LOGO#> It seems like your latest hiatus was the group’s turning point. You guys went without producer Bang Si-hyuk’s help in this album too.
Changmin: He did give us a lot of suggestions for the tracks. Before, we formed our unique image and color in music through producer Bang’s help, but for this album, we intended to create our own music with our ideas. So we used more composers from different backgrounds and I guess that have worked to show our distinctive colors.

<#10LOGO#> What was eye-catching was your R&B collaboration with Urban Zakapa’s member Kwon Soon-il. Jo Kwon, as a vocalist, you showed a new style of voice in “Erase all Memories” (translated title).
Jo Kwon: Well actually, it’s not a new style of voice. I practiced singing in different ways and I just had many chances to show my fans a few of them. It was thrilling to sing a song like “Erase all Memories.”

<#10LOGO#> While working with different composers, have your thoughts about music itself, or singing, change in the process? I guess it’s a trend to put comments about songs and music after auditioning programs on TV became a boom.
Seulong: I guess we all have different thoughts, but when singing in a group, it makes the best harmony with four people. When we were working with Park Sun-zoo and Yoon Jong-shin for the album, we often heard compliments like, “You four are here for a reason!” They told us that because we clearly have different voices, it makes it easier to teach us to sing. Having a good song is one thing, but what’s important is to find a song that suits our voice tones.
Jo Kwon: During our trainee period, I had never thought about what kind of a song is a good song. If I had to think to that extent, I’d probably have gone mad (laugh). Some songs get famous just by popular artists’ singing them, but some songs give people hopes and dreams. If more people could be happy by listening to a certain tune, then that should be called a good song. If I could move people’s hearts through my voice, that’s enough for me.

<#10LOGO#> How did your experiences influence you when singing songs? For example, Jo Kwon didn’t sing loud at all in “I Wonder If You Hurt Like Me,” but it was quite impressive to see him controlling his emotions at right moments.
Jo Kwon: My parts in “I Wonder If You Hurt Like Me” doesn’t go up to the climax and or stay calm like the intro, so I tried hard to suppress my feelings. Like my long training period before the debut, I’m good at enduring difficult moments and controlling my feelings. I try not to show how I feel like when I'm angry, annoyed or sad, but it seems like I do when singing. Those feelings are mostly what I tried to hide and they are expressed through music. It helps to get immersed in singing.

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10 아시아 Editor in Chief : Kang Myeong-Seok two@
10 아시아 Photographer : Chae ki-won ten@
10 아시아 Editor : Monica Suk monicasuk@
10 아시아 Editor : Jang Kyung-Jin three@