TREASURE On Rising As 2020's Monster Rookie Of K-Pop
If you're in the world of K-pop as an artist (be it solo or as a group), the road to debut is a tough one, and sometimes involves a talent search reality programme.
For TREASURE (@yg_treasure_official), a 12-member boy group, that was their path — auditioning and working hard as trainees under YG Entertainment, participating in a reality TV show called YG Treasure Box, and undergoing rigorous training and preparation before their major debut on August 7 this year with THE FIRST STEP: CHAPTER ONE, a single album featuring four tracks.
While on YG Treasure Box, the boys' talents were clearly apparent, and their fandom (named "TREASURE MAKERS") grew bigger with each episode. By the time their debut rolled around, TREASURE broke multiple records, such as the largest number of albums sold by a rookie group in 2020 and the highest pre-order sales for a rookie's debut, surprising the likes of seniors BLACKPINK, WINNER, iKON and BIG BANG, and proving that they're the monster rookie to watch.
In celebration of their latest comeback THE FIRST STEP: CHAPTER TWO, which was released last month, we had an exclusive chat with the boys to talk about their journey in K-pop and what the new single album means to them.
Your single album THE FIRST STEP: CHAPTER ONE launched in August. How do you think the album captures your essence and aesthetic?
We're still in the process of defining the true essence of TREASURE! In our first album, we tried to mix the original vibe of YG with a twist of our own distinct style. We tried our best to make our music approachable to various listeners such that they would see our charm and potential.
Since there are so many of us, we hope that our listeners can experience the many different facets to TREASURE and the dynamics in our choreography! We think ‘BOY’ is a song that really emphasises our diversity.
Was the preparation for your debut single album very intense?
Since it was our debut album, we put in a lot of hard work and effort into finishing it. We spent most of our time in the studio recording and practising until everything was perfect. We knew that a lot of our fans were waiting eagerly for our debut, so we uploaded several cover song and dance videos to show them what we had in store.
We would like to thank all our fans who patiently waited for the album and have given us support throughout the process!
Meet the boys of TREASURE:
Your group holds the record for the highest debut album sales within the YG family. How does that achievement make you feel?
We are so honoured and grateful! We still can’t forget the day we did our first-ever performance on a music show. We have so many fans and TREASURE MAKERS who've supported us since day one, and we are just so grateful to have had their support throughout our journey.
They are the reason we all want to work and train harder so that we can give our best performance, and we would do anything to bring them joy, especially through our music. We can’t wait to see all our fans!
What are the dynamics like within the group? Who do you see as the father or big brother figure, and who is the baby of the group?
TREASURE has two leaders. Since our trainee days, CHOI HYUN SUK and JIHOON have led the group. They are father figures to us! They are very charismatic and always take good care of us.
The youngest in the group is definitely our "Super King Cow Baby" SO JUNG HWAN. He's like a baby, but there are times when he seems more mature than the rest of us.
As a group, what do you hope to achieve in the coming years?
As of now, we are preparing to release several albums by the end of the year, so we're just hoping that all goes well. In the long term, we hope TREASURE as a group can grow to become one of the world’s greatest artists!
Each and every one of us possesses our own individual merits, and we hope to make good use of those talents to bring happiness to our fans.
Your next single album, THE FIRST STEP: CHAPTER TWO has just debuted. Can you tell us more about this comeback? Is it a continuation from the narrative of the previous album?
Through ‘BOY’, the title song of THE FIRST STEP: CHAPTER ONE, we tried to express the innocence of a reckless boy in love.
In THE FIRST STEP: CHAPTER TWO, those emotions grow and become stronger. It's somewhat of a sequential love journey. We have channeled all of our passion into the music and choreography of this second single album.
