Korean Media News

With vocals that are truly impressive and heart-rending ballads, from the melancholic songs they sing, their loveliness is almost palpable; 2AM, with an ever-increasing fanbase. Having released their 2nd single 'You Wouldn't Answer my Calls' on April 11, reaching the Oricon Top 10 Ranking, the extent of their ability and popularity has been publicly expressed.

This time, K-Style conducted an interview with 2AM as they visited Japan for the commemoration event for 'You Wouldn't Answer My Calls'. At first, perhaps due to nervousness, they gave very serious answers, but in the second half, maybe they grew accustomed to the atmosphere, they began to be more light-hearted and harmonious. The members who get along extremely well, coordinated to joke around together, laughing; feeling Iike friends sometimes, and at other times like brothers.

This is an interview where their true selves are uncovered with normally disallowed questions about their daily lives.


- Regarding your health regimes while recording, especially about paying attention to care for your throats and vocal cords, to produce harmonies usually, do you have anything you look out for?

Seulong: Above everything, sleep a lot. Sleeping well sufficiently is best for taking care of your throat. Harmonies are not made by only 1 person singing, 4 people doing it well is important in the first place.
Jo Kwon: While travelling in the car and such we do practice harmonizing.

- When singing heart-rending ballads, what do you do to intensify the emotions expressed?

Seulong: While thinking of sad times, I express those emotions even more strongly.
Changmin: I focus on the lyrics.

- What do you when you face Japanese lyrics?

Jo Kwon: Japanese lyrics are actually slightly different from Korean lyrics. The contents of the music videos are related but it seems like the lyrics are slightly different. It is a little difficult to understand the meaning and emotions in the Japanese lyrics but I try my best to convey these well.

- It seems that your Japanese has improved quite a bit this time while you're promoting your 2nd single as compared to when you came to promote your 1st single. How do you study Japanese?

Jo Kwon: We are always trying our best while studying. I have a Japanese language teacher in Korea, it's the same for Changmin, and so for me... For Seulong too, Jinwoon as well, if we have time we would go for lessons. Especially Changmin and I, we go for lessons quite often.
Changmin: I would think that beyond personal levels of pronunciation, us members as a group being able to enunciate well is more important. Above everything, there are many opportunities to deliver songs to audiences. We study Japanese in each of our own ways, through dramas and other methods. I feel that singing also does help too.
Jo Kwon: Well, being in Japan really does go towards improving our Japanese.

- What kind of dramas do you often watch?

Changmin: Jo Kwon, what were you watching before this?
Jo Kwon: The drama 2PM's Wooyoung recommended me, 'Pride'. Kimura Takuya-san and Takeuchi Yuko-san star in it. I was touched by the movie 'I am going to meet you now' as well. I watch anime recently.




- Do you have any places you must visit when you come to Japan?

Seulong: The ramen house!
Jo Kwon: Studio!
All: HAHAHA
Jinwoon: Hotel! (Laughs)
Seulong: We always go exercising.

- Yesterday you uploaded a picture of all of you exercising on Twitter. (see tweet here)

Changmin: Yes, it was a picture of the four of us running on the treadmill. It was a rare sight.
Jo Kwon: My leg…
Changmin: You couldn’t see his leg, it was like sonic…
All: HAHAHA

- Jo-kwon, the self-shots you upload to Twitter always turn into hot topics for your fans, what kind of things inspire you to take those shots?

Jo Kwon: Twitter is not a private platform in my opinion, as many people do look at my pictures. Everything is a service to my fans.

- Seulong, you garner much attention with that height of yours, at which point do you think you're the coolest?

SO: Thank you very much!
JW: I think you can see it from the kind of pictures Seulong likes. Like those taken when he plays soccer…
SO: Photos taken of me while playing soccer. Photos of me wearing the soccer uniform!
JK: There are really nice ones of Seulong while playing soccer. Cheongdam Middle School’s ‘Hot Blood’.
All: HAHAHA
SO: I will show you. The kinds of photos I am referring to…
All: HAHAHA
SO: (Taking out his mobile phone) This kind, I like photos of me playing soccer.
CM: Maybe these will come out when you search for ‘Seulong soccer’ on the Internet (laughs).

(Editor's Note: We could not find it.)

- Jinwoon-san, you acted in ‘Dream High 2’ and your acting has been highly regarded. For you who has just began on the pathway of acting, what kind of roles would you like to challenge yourself with?

JW: Thank you very much. I had been interested in acting to begin with. During ‘Dream High 2’, there were still parts that I insufficiently portrayed. I would like to improve more and then tackle my next work.



- Changmin-san is the oldest within the group. Are there words of wisdom you would like to share?

All: HAHAHA
CM: There is not much I would like to say, but I have this habit of rising early. Because I am an early riser, everyone goes “It’s because of your age that you wake early”. It is not an effort only older people make. But as compared to last year, exercising makes me more tired nowadays.
SO: He has many worries.
CM: Yes I do. I will try to prepare for this and that, but if I am unable to do so, I will worry.

- We have interesting questions related to your 2nd single coming from your fans. What would you do if a call you make is not picked up? Will you hang up or hold on?

SO: I would wait. Until it is picked up.
JK: I would try calling 2-3 times. Maybe (It might come back)…
CM: With differing circumstances, if I know that the person I am trying to reach is not busy, I would wait until my call is picked up.
JK: Scary…
JW: I would send a text message. Like “Quickly give me a call alright?”
CM: More threateningly like “You’d better give me a call”
JK: I never received a message from JW before…
All: HAHAHA
CM: Because we’re not his lover.
JK: Ahh, lover.

- You took on Hirai Ken-san’s ‘Hitomi wo Tojite (Close Your Eyes)’ for your 2nd single. Do you have any other Japanese artiste’s song you would like to challenge next?

SO: I would like to sing Mr. Children-san’s song. As ‘Shirushi’ is my favourite song, I would like to sing it.
JK: I would like to sing Nishino Kana-san’s ‘Dear…’ and Nakajima Mika-san’s ‘Sakura-iro Mau Koro (When the Sakura Dance)’
CM: Previously, 2AM did a cover of Fukuyama Masaharu-san’s song. Recently I started to really like ‘Sakura-ou’, I would like to sing that.
JW: There is a song entitled ‘Friend’ by Tamaki Kouji-san. With such whole feelings permeating through its sound, I think it would be suitable for 2AM to make a cover of it.

- Do you go to sing karaoke? When you do, what songs do you often sing?

SO: I don't like karaoke very much. I don't go often. If I do go, I sing upbeat songs more than ballads. I sing 2PM songs quite a lot…
JK: The only songs I do not sing are upbeat ones. I think about going to karaoke only around 1-2 times a year, and when I go I sing and horse around. I enjoy singing 2AM songs remixed into disco versions.
CM: I sing any other song except 2AM ones.
All: HAHAHA
CM: 2AM songs are sung at concerts and we normally sing them as well… I sing upbeat songs like 2PM’s often.
JW: Same for me. I start singing in chronological order from songs in the 90s.
SO: Jinwoon sings a lot of rock songs. His voice gets hoarse the next day.

- What do 2AM songs wish to communicate to its audience?

SO: We would like to convey happiness, anger, agony & humour. They are not merely sad songs. We would like to express the sensitivity of the four of us, and also the lyrics. We would like to communicate emotions and experiences rather than the technical aspects.

- Lastly, your fans’ expectations are rising with ‘One Day’ activities. If it were possible, which 2PM member would you like to form a unit group with?

SO: When we were trainees, I used to sing duets with Taecyeon in the studio. We often talked about doing it for real one day.
JK: I often practiced with Nichkhun on the piano when we were trainees. It would be very interesting if we get a chance to be able to perform together.
CM: I would like to form a unit with Nichkhun as well. If we are able to be paired together (laughs).
ALL: HAHAHA
CM: I don't think there has been a time that I’ve lost in terms of visuals.
SO: Nichkhun would be facing the camera and Changmin would be singing behind (laughs)
ALL: HAHAHA
CM: That would be the best ever.
JW: It would be Junho for me. I have been listening to the songs Junho composed. He has said that he composed songs with dance in mind but they are songs with a certain feeling of rock. Junho will present the music he has in mind and if I can support him in any area, it would be a really fascinating collaboration.

With them beginning promoting as part of ‘One Day’, please look forward to their activities! Thank you very much, 2AM!




Source: KSTYLE
Translaton by: kinkyloo@2ONEDAY.COM