What’s more fun than being at the beach? :) A sobering gust of salt-laden air, the chimes of squawking seabirds, the silvery sun strewn waters, and the euphoric oscillation of bubble-filled waves dancing up to meet you! And it’s everyone at the beach, feeling that same connection. :) And every beach that water touches, they may be connected by that same feeling as well. This intrinsic bond is precisely what the minds behind Big Ocean sought to evoke with their mysterious yet familiar name. 

In such a short time, K-pop has had such a steady and global reach, bringing people together through the power of its music. Smoothly leaping over language barriers and resonating with many cultures worldwide. The debut of the band Big Ocean, looks to take it even further and open more doors, by becoming the first K-pop group whose members are part of the hard of hearing community. Which has been the aim of their groundbreaking company, Parastar Entertainment, to create a platform to showcase and empower artists and athletes of all abilities, from wheelchair basketball players to blind cellists, in their multifaceted pursuits. They are narrowing the gap of perception by sharing their talents and recognizing the unlimited potential we all have!

Real talk, Two things come to mind right away: one, that you don’t know that they are deaf, and two, that they’re just recently formed. The high degree of production and polish to their performances exudes a mastery beyond their years. Since the start, they've been charting their own course unique to them.

This triage is comprised of quite the colorful background. Before pursuing music, member Jiseok could be found on the slopes as part of the Seoul Para Ski racing team. Hyunjin was in the midst of studying computer engineering while growing his own Youtube channel where he shared personal experiences to answer questions people had about life with assisted hearing. And Chanyeon was working as an audiologist. All impressive feats on their own! As if that wasn’t enough, they found themselves training to become k-pop stars when they heard about the Big Ocean project!

The group uses a mix of hearing aids and cochlear implants to expand their hearing on the daily. Though they also use other innovative methods in their training, such as a visual metronome, a screen displaying numbers and keeping the tempo in their dance studio, as well as beat-activated wristbands specially developed by a company in Barcelona, that help them to both see, hear and feel the music in a three-dimensional way. And while these augments are a helpful starting point, it’s only due to the immense passion, dedication, 100% commitment, and moxie of each of the members to make it all a reality!

The response to Big Ocean has been absolutely explosive! :) Nothing short of an outpouring flurry of excitement at the concept behind the band and what it symbolizes. There’s so much sheer gratitude for the elegance and prominence that these three heroes are trailblazing.
If this is your first time seeing them, prepare to be entranced by their dance! :) Like a tutting dream, they weave together American, Korean and International styles of sign-language into what they’ve coined, S-Pop, sign language pop. 

The use of sign language in K-pop before has always been a standout moment, whether it be Weki Meki’s elegant and entrancing performances of their song ’Butterfly’ , to the BTS led global phenomena of ’Permission to Dance’. There has seen an increase in the frequency of its use, so to have a band that incorporates this into their repertoire is truly revolutionary!
 

Sign language itself has a very musical quality to its foundations, feeling at times almost like a dance (shoutout to concert & Superbowl interpreters for further raising the profile of this practice!:)  With these expressive movements accessorizing the band’s choreo, they dovetail into the larger idea of synthesizing artistry with accessibility. 

Making their debut earlier this year, Big Ocean splashed onto the scene with their first song ‘Glow’, a rousing re-arranged version of k-pop royalty H.O.T.’s uplifting song ‘Hope’. They bring their own flavor to this progressive track, with a bouncy tropical twist! They’ve since followed this up with another song ‘Blow’, a soaring dance groove, this time sung in English, with a super catchy rap beat that begs to be put on repeat! :)

If the torture of waiting for their next musical drop is too much, then open TikTok (or more than likely, you already have it open somewhere :), and you may have a chance to catch them going live, where they frequently host weekly livestreams (towards the evening for those in an US time zone), talking with fans who’ve they’ve affectionately named Pado, which = ‘wave’ in Korean:). They've even brought viewers along behind the scenes with them to their sign language classes. As a bonus to picking up some signs yourself, their personable and joyful nature shines through brightly!
We had a chance to catch up with Hyunjin, Jiseok and Chanyeon earlier this month, who graciously took the time to answer our questions, and we’re honored to present those here! 

1. If you could collaborate with any artist or band, who would it be?
Given the chance, we would love to work with BTS or Tomorrow X Together.

2. Any new projects in the pipeline that you can share with us? :)
In the upcoming months, we are genuinely excited to share that we'll be starting some projects aimed at showcasing our talents on a global platform. We humbly invite you to join us as Big Ocean takes its first steps onto the international stage.

3. What's your favorite dinner? :)
Our favorite meal is definitely chicken.

4. It’s so cool how you incorporate sign language into your choreography :) do you get to collaborate on the creation of the dances?
When we come together to create our dance draft, each of us takes a thoughtful moment to reflect on incorporating sign language. We collaborate to brainstorm creative ideas that can beautifully capture the essence of the lyrics through sign language expressions, seeking guidance from experts along the way.

5. You all seem so polished already... How long have you been training and what was that like?
Chanyeon: Our training lasted about a year and a half. Hyunjin, however, has been with our company since 2020, so he has more experience. Throughout our training, we took part in various classes including three types of dance lessons, rapping, singing, acting, English language, and three different sign language courses.

6. You’ve opened doors for many other performers … any advice for up-and-coming individuals pursuing this industry?
Hyunjin: Taking the first step to challenge yourself is already a significant achievement. When I was a YouTuber before joining Big Ocean, I was afraid of public criticism. However, breaking out of my comfort zone led to overwhelming positive feedback and support. It’s important to prioritize your own journey over others' opinions and embrace both failures and successes along the way.
Jiseok: If you have a dream, pursue it wholeheartedly. Be true to yourself and fight for what you believe in. I hope everyone finds their path to their dreams.

 

7. What is a cartoon that makes you laugh?
Hyunjin: When I was a child, there were animations that I often watched with my father. We frequently watched "Naruto," "Bleach," and "One Piece." I don't remember the exact years, but they were popular cartoons, and whenever we had time, we would watch them together.
Chanyeon: Cute characters drawn by our fans, as well as sci-fi and fantasy cartoons, makes me smile.

Jiseok: I don't have a specific cartoon, but the characters from the Korean program "Infinite Challenge" make me laugh the most.
To end things on a bit of a sign note, the next time you catch a Big Ocean performance, take your cues from Fosse, as the sign for applause is a bit like jazz hands! 

The formation of Big Ocean presents a doubly exciting and meaningful addition to the K-pop cosmos. We hope they ride this wave for a long time! :)

Twitter: https://x.com/Big_O_cean
Instagram: instagram.com/big_ocean.official
TikTok: tiktok.com/@big_ocean.official
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHeBk_JZumXnogpogVZH0UA