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UP10TION Interview

By Jess Tyler

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(Credits: Special Thanks to Hee Min You @ TOP Media!)

BY JESS TYLER

K-pop: It’s the movement of the moment that you may or may not have witnessed yet. The murmurs you heard 5 years ago have now reverberated into a booming, orchestral pitch. For the uninitiated, K-pop is a style of music originating in South Korea. Dripping in detail, originality and finesse, it’s a performance heavy genre with as much love given to its slick, free-flowing choreography, as to its joyous bloodbath of fashion.

One of the bands making waves in this music meridian is the phenomenally gifted UP10TION. The supergroup consists of 10 members: Jinhoo, Kuhn, Kogyeol, Wei, Bitto, Wooshin, Sunyoul, Gyujin, Hwanhee, and Xiao. Debuting in 2015 with their single "So Dangerous", they consistently released a series of mini albums that showed off their different artistic sides. They’re now ready to welcome you to what looks to be their most ambitious project yet: Their first full album, Invitation.

When ten diverse, beautiful crystals come together, they reflect and enhance each other’s luster and brilliance, while simultaneously radiating their own, and that image is at the heart of this band, which is as much about music as it is about camaraderie. UP10TION illustrates a new language, showing a sense of compassion, warmth, and strength that can come from your friends and/or being a friend.

They generously offered us the opportunity to talk to them in the midst of their album release. Whether you’re new to the scene or a lifelong diehard, this is definitely a band that will grab your heart and get you dancing!

 

1. What’s one thing you want new fans to know about you?

JINHOO: Daily me. Me in real life is different to me on the stage, and I believe people will be attracted to me once they get to know the real me.
KUHN: Different to how I seem, I’m a soft guy.
KOGYEOL: Me on the stage. In fact, I am a warm person.
WEI: First be my fan, and you’ll know more about me!
BITTO: I have tons of charms! I bet you’ll get in to me.
WOOSHIN: I am back!
SUNYOUL: My song! I will cover lots of songs so that many people can see me singing.
GYUJIN: I am always out of line, so keep an eye on me!
HWANHEE: There are tons of things I would like to show. So let’s get to know each other. I love you, future HONEY10!
XIAO: I’m always cheerful, and I would like people see the bright side of me! I would like people love just who I am.

2. Who was your childhood hero?

JINHOO: My father
KUHN: My father
KOGYEOL: My father. I’ll never forget the back that protected me.
WEI: Myself! I was the hero!
BITTO: My parents
WOOSHIN: My mom. There’s no reason. She’s the beginning and end of my life.
SUNYOUL: Mommy
GYUJIN: My father! He has been and will always be my hero.
HWANHEE: Definitely my father
XIAO: My daddy
 
3. What song was stuck in your head today?

JINHOO: Our new title song ‘CANDYLAND’!
KUHN: UP10TION – CANDYLAND
KOGYEOL: DNA, the whistle sound is stuck on my mind
WEI: CANDYLAND ~
BITTO: UP10TION – So Dangerous
WOOSHIN: Justin Bieber – As long as you love me
SUNYOUL: Mommy
GYUJIN: The simple things of Michael Carreon
HWANHEE: One Republic – counting stars
XIAO: K.A.R.D. – Oh Na Na

4. What quality do you look for in a leader?

JINHOO: Consideration. If there is no consideration in a team, people get to fight a lot.
KUHN: Tolerance, courage, sense
KOGYEOL: Leadership. Someone who has leadership leads a group.
WEI: Member care, the ability to differentiate business
BITTO: Friendliness and matureness
WOOSHIN: The ability to take care of everyone
SUNYOUL: Honesty, rightness, moderation power and broad-mindness
GYUJIN: Leadership is very important in a leader
HWANHEE: Open ears
XIAO: Trustworthiness, consideration. A leader should be someone who can lead through any hardness!

5. If you could have cookies and milk with any living icon, who would it be?

JINHOO: Ki Hong Lee. He’s a representative Korean-American actor in Hollywood and he always shows magnificent performances, which makes me admire him.
KUHN: Kanye West. He’s an icon of rappers, and as a rapper myself, would like to have cookie time with him.
KOGYEOL: Gordon Ramsay, I would like to tell him that I want to try a steak made by him one day.
WEI: I, myself, would like to become a living icon and have cookies & milk with other people.
WOOSHIN: Warren Buffett, there’s many things I would like to learn from him
SUNYOUL: Ariana Grande! She’s a pop singer who I listen to the most these days.
GYUJIN: BoA! She’s been a singer since young. I would like to meet her and learn lots of things from her!
HWANHEE: HONEY 10 (our fandom). They are living icons to me.

6. Popsicles come in a bazillion flavors, what’s your favorite?

JINHOO: Sweet flavor (But I don’t like too sweet flavor)
KUHN: Cherry and lemon
KOGYEOL: Strawberry
WEI: Grape, strawberry
BITTO: The flavor doesn’t really matter. Popsicles given by my members are always the best.
WOOSHIN: Cola, grape, plum
SUNYOUL: Propolis flavored candy!
GYUJIN: Apple
HWANHEE: Apple? Some kind of fresh flavor!
XIAO: I like all kinds of popsicles!

K-pop has fans all around the world. Its global presence is growing daily. This has led to more bands holding concerts internationally so that one can experience this fun, fresh synesthesia in person. If you want a chance to meet UP10TION face to face, you’re in luck. To put the cherry on top of their new album release, UP10TION has announced dates for their first-ever tour coming to America! Beginning on June 15th, and going to 10 different cities, it’ll surely be a welcome whirlwind for fans and them alike! 

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Departments

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   Spotlight

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   New Ideas

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   The Traveler

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   On the Map

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   Current Events

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   A Fireside Chat

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Summer 2018

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