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No lip-synching: “We will always sing live”

K-POP High-profile group STAYC

2023.04.13 12:30

In the K-POP world, many popular female groups have debuted one after another over the past few years, leading to what has been called the “Warring States Period of Female Idols”. Among them, the 6-member group "STAYC" is making a big splash in Korea even though they are not affiliated with a major agency. They are the first female group created by two producers who have produced many hit songs, including TWICE's “TT”, to form a new company. We interviewed the members who just released their new song "Teddy Bear" in Japan on the 5th.

-- Recently, there has been talk of a “Warring States Period” for women's groups in South Korea, what do you think is the appeal of STAYC in this context?

Sieun: When people see us, they say “I feel energized”, so I think it's a positive healing energy. I also think our strength lies in the fact that we are six people of six different colors, with different personalities, but when we get together we are in harmony with each other.

Singing live is what STAYC deserves

-- You guys also have a reputation for your singing ability. I heard that at an outdoor event in South Korea on April 3rd, there was a sound problem and the music stopped. It was talked about how the six danced and sang live without music, which was brilliant.

Sumin: We are singers, so we think it is natural for us to sing live. Some people use lip-synching in order to create a perfect stage and bring out the best in their performance, but in our case, we believe that only by singing and performing well live can we create a stage that is unique to us, so we are very particular and determined. Above all, we enjoy singing live so much that we always insist on doing so.

-- In recent years, a system has been developed to make so-called "lip-syncing," look natural, and there is a belief that it is enough to cover the skill level with technology. When performing with other artists on the same stage or program, are you worried that a group that sings live will look worse at singing than a group that lip-syncs?

Sumin: I think the only way to overcome that is through practice. Each group has different policy and way of thinking, and we don't know what the correct answer is. However, in our case, our goal is to sing well and dance well live, and by doing so, we can further develop the group STAYC. We are not working hard just for one performance, but everything would be training for us. I think everything is our growing process.

-- How do you usually practice to sing live?

Sieun: I try to sing when I have time. Whenever I have a little bit of time to sing, whether while waiting or moving, I sing. Sometimes things like the sound problems we had the other day happen, but we take a positive attitude that dealing with such things on the spot helps us to adapt better to the live show. Everything is a challenge for us.

-- The concept of STAYC is said to be "Teen Fresh," and the person who created the refreshing song is Black Eyed Pilseung, the president of the agency they belong to and a famous producer who has provided hit songs for artists such as TWICE. It is a pair of men in their 30s. As producers, when they create a song, do they discuss it with you all?

Sieun: I always try to communicate with the producer. We talk about various things before and during the filming of music videos. We talk about the concept of the next album, how we want to convey the direction of the songs, and what our identity is. As you said, both producers are men, but they really know a lot about music and are very interested in what's going on in the world. They are always thinking together with us about what's hot in the world and what kind of message we should put forward.

-- When the new song "Teddy Bear" was released in February in Korea, it became a smash hit, reaching number one on music shows across the board, and the Japanese version was released on April 5th. How did you feel when you first heard the song?

Seeun: When I first heard it, it was a demo tape that the producer recorded with his own voice, so I thought, “Will this really suit us?” But while recording, I changed my mind. I started thinking, "It's really perfect for us. There may be no other song that gives us this much energy."

-- You post interesting videos on social media such as TikTok for promotion.

Isa: Lately, before releasing a new song, we post videos on TikTok to see how my fans react. I think it's a great tool to get closer to our fans and promote our music activities.

-- In April, you held showcases (new song presentations) of the Japanese version of "Teddy Bear" in Osaka and Tokyo. What was the reaction from the Japanese audience? Were there any differences from Korea?

I wish I could collaborate with RADWIMPS someday

Yoon: Korean fans often bring panels with them, but Japanese fans bring fans*, draw our names and faces on them, and write messages in their sketchbooks. Also, Japanese fans say “Cute!” From our point of view, the fans are even cuter. (lol)

*[JP: うちわ; Romanized: Uchiwa (traditional Japanese fan)]

Sieun: Japan and Korea have different fan cultures, so I try to be aware of those differences. At the showcase we held in Osaka, we adopted the Osaka dialect and learned about the local attractions and culture. I think Japanese fans will support artists who make sincere efforts to perform, so we will do our best as well.

-- You all speak Japanese from time to time. Your Japanese pronunciation is very beautiful, how do you study it?

Seeun: My teacher corrects my pronunciation every time I take Japanese classes. I practice the corrected pronunciation over and over again. Also, each member is studying on their own.

-- Do you have any favorite Japanese artists or people you would like to collaborate with?

J: RADWIMPS. I like the theme song for “Suzume”* and the song “Nandemonaiya”**. I would love to collaborate with them.

*[JP: すずめの戸締まり; Romanized: Suzume no Tojimari; Literal EN: ”Suzume's Locking Up”]

**[JP: なんでもないや]

Sieun: In my case, they are YOASOBI and FUJII Kaze. I learned about them through recommendations on various music sites and from our fans. When I heard something I liked, I added it to my playlist, but it was these two artists that I found good to listen to again later.

-- Do you have any role models that you admire?

Sumin: I've admired GIRLS' GENERATION since they debuted. I admire the strong bond between the members, and we want to be a group that can do such long-term activities. Another group I admire is SHINee. They have already entered the realm of veterans, but they put in tremendous effort to make their performances strong. I respect their hard work.

-- What kind of group do you want STAYC to be in the future?

Sumin: People cannot stay the same, and if we are going to change, we want to change for the better. We want to be a group that is constantly developing. People who have heard "Teddy Bear" have told me that it has a bright healing effect, so I want to grow as a hilringdol*. I also want to continue our activities with these members for a long, long time.

*[JP: ヒーリングドル; KR: 힐링돌 ; EN: healing + idol]

Isa: We want to continue making music that many people can relate to. We want to become a group that makes people feel happy just by hearing the name STAYC.

Interviewer: MORI Mayumi (JP: 守真弓)

End of translation

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