[FULL TRANS] 150429 TRENDS Magazine Interview : UNIQ

UNIQ : ATTACK OF UNICORNS

They’re the “little fresh meat” (simply means "rookie") group who were born after the 1990’s and are representatives of today’s music industry, and also one of 2014's most anticipated groups. With an average age of 19, but yet distinctive on the paths that they chose, cherishing and suffering together towards their journey of stardom. They’re UNIQ, a ”Unicorn” group that are currently storming out into the local entertainment field.

PART 1: UNIQ’s outstanding image and artistic talents in front of the camera

In front of cameras, they confidently stood with a cool posture, without the need of much intervention of photographers they showed mutual interactions with one another with their body language and without the need of guidance of eye contact, which looks like they have that kind of understanding since they were trained to live together.

Behind the cameras, they excitedly or brought out a small run, or accompanied by a dance towards the photographer’s computer, watching their image scenes together. During these times, the studio will be filled with their voices which are often heard.

They are UNIQ, a mixed Chinese-Korean boy group which have only an average age of 19, a “little fresh meat” group that are loved by fans and a reputation as a “whole rounded group”, one as handsome, another as cute, a strong sense of talented global Chinese boy group.

They were asked if they were not an artist in the first place, what kind of job will they be doing, they answered without much hesitation, in fact with a hint of straightforwardness. They clearly remembered the beginning before walking down this path of being an artist.

With years of training and hardship, without giving up their dreams of being an idol, in fact it made them even more determined to go all the way with hopes under the training guidance of the company. “Wants to show everyone a more perfect performance, from every single expression to every movement and every details to be regarded more seriously.” – Zhou Yixuan

To be debuted just a few months ago, UNIQ who carried the expectations of Yuehua Ent’s CEO Du Hua, famous artists such as Han Geng, Bibi Zhou, etc with a multitude of celebrities in the entertainment field and thousands of local fans, who have landed on several local and Taiwan variety shows such as “Happy Camp”, “Kang Xi Is Coming”, “Hot Door Night”, “Guoguang Talk Show”, “University” etc and also held their first fan meeting in Bangkok, Thailand on March 2015 as a starting point by expanding to the whole of Asia as the center of their promotional tour. This is the “Unicorn” group that was formed by these 5 big boys who are currently storming out into the local entertainment field.

In today’s world of “seeing faces”, in terms of how to stand out or having outstanding image and artistic talents (high value in image, having strong artistic talents) it is a ruthless recruit, but “Unicorn” UNIQ does not just stop there, each group member also desires with their pure and innocent side to venture in more deeply into people’s field of vision and hearts.

PART 2: Feelings · Personal Enjoyment

They love music, all of them uphold a dream of music. But other than music and apart of practice, each 5 of them retain their own hobbies. Perhaps it’s based on pure emotions on the things they love, to pressure and hardship in journeying on the road to stardom, it made them face life like some kind of unlimited passion, making their world a unique (UNIQ) image.

Q: What kind of hobbies do you have in life?

WH: Every day I would follow up with the NBA results, like finding some NBA related videos or news to watch. (Q: Do you know how to play basketball?) Of course I know, I really like basketball, I’d play frequently too.

YB: I preferably like shoes, I would often follow up on new sport shoes and also follow up on some trending brand shoes, even with shoes that has a collaboration of 2 brands together I would follow up.

SJ: Shoes are not his hobby, they are his life. (laughs)

YB: Mm, shoes and caps are my life, shoes can’t be dirty, that kind where there must not have even a speck of dirt. For caps it can’t be wrinkled, I’d always try to maintain its original look. (YX: That kind where it can’t be sit on, can’t be pressed or crumpled on.)

[Sure he’s not obsessed with Virgo’s cleanliness or "OCD" or something……]

SJ: I love martial arts films and martial arts theme kind of books. I’ve read a lot of Korean martial art novels.

Q: In a martial arts story there would be many kinds of martial art movements, which of it would you hopefully like if you know one?

SJ: If I can learn one of those martial art movements, I hope I could know the “18 Dragon Subduing Palms” technique and the “Dog Beating Staff” technique.

YX: Because he knows the cudgel play. Before this he learned cudgel play before while studying in China.

SJ: Previously in school I’ve seen Sun Wu Kong* before and saw Hong Qi Gong’s “Dog Beating Staff” technique and felt that it was kind of cool, really feel like learning their Kung Fu.

Q: Would you be expressing these Ku Fung feelings in your dance?

SJ: No……. (laughs wildly)

SY: My hobby is football, before this I was playing football when I was in Brazil, that time my favourite football player was Park Ji-Sung.

YX: My hobby is ready, and I’m willing to cover whatever genre there is. Like motivational genres or literature genres, I’d touch upon it.

Q: Have you ever thought of writing some literature?

YX: Usually I’d write some literature, like for example rap. I was the one who wrote the Chinese rap part of the song.

Q: In what aspect of expertise do you usually feel in life?

WH: Sport expertise, usually I’d pay more attention to the news regarding about sports, especially like NBA’s real-time information news.

YB: Probably a fashion expertise.

SJ: Kung Fu expertise, I’ve seen super lots of Korean martial art novels; I’ve probably read about 80% of the Korean novels regarding to martial arts.

SY: Styling expertise.

YX: Probably literature expertise.

Q: Most favourite expertise?

YX: I like actor Jiang Wen the most, because he’s my male god. I like him especially and feel that he’s really manly and I thought that his works are really really awesome, no matter whether as a director or as an actor, both are really great since he’s able to convey a great message to his audience.

Q: Have you imagine before what kind of role you would like to act in his movie?

YX: I hope I could act…… (everyone laughs) I think it’s quite good to act as a villain.

SY: Kendrick Lamar and Kayne West, both of their rapping styles are really cool, especially Kanye West’s lyrics and songwriting are really good.

SJ: American singer Bruno Mars, I really liked his style of singing, I’ve started liking him ever since he released his 1st album. I really like his voice too, he is my goal.

Q: What’s your most favourite song of his?

SJ: I liked “When I was your man” and “It Will Rain” the most, I probably liked all of his songs, haha!

YB: I also liked 2 artists from Europe and America each. First one is Chris Brown, because his music is really good to listen to, especially the dance it’s really handsome. The second one is ASAP Rocky, I really liked his style of rapping and his outfits.

WH: In sports aspects I really like Allen Iverson, reason why I like him because although he’s not that tall, but he’s able to single-handedly score lots of points against his opponent who’s taller, really admired his kind of sportsmanship.

Q: The Chinese standards of the Korean members have reached till what kind of extent? In the process of learning, are there any fun incidents?

SJ: I really like watching the Chinese TV series, especially when it’s martial arts. (A/N: Sungjoo, shut up.)

YX: “Legend of the Condor Heroes”.

SJ: Yeap, haha. (All members laughed) So when I watched these martial art movies I thought it was particularly interesting, it made me have that feeling of wanting to learn.

YX: That is to learn Chinese and China martial arts.

SJ: Yeah.

SY: Usually I really like to have a chat with the Chinese members, so during my process of learning Chinese, I often received a lot of help through chatting with the members.

Other members: Mm…… really good…… really “good”.

Q: In the new album is there a particular style of music that you wanted to try, or is there any elements that you particularly wanted to challenge?

WH: By comparing the style of the new album and the previous one, it will make people feel an increase of heavy sense of feeling, more stronger and more powerful. Especially for our last album, our style is more biased towards a relatively warm tone, giving out a warm feeling, but in the new album you can feel the strong performance in the music itself, there were also obvious changes in the rhythmic aspect. We hope that this can be an album that brings strength to people.

// He who is from my perspective

Q: If you were to use a personal label or keyword to summarize yourself, what kind of keyword would you use?

WH: Manly, sexy. There’s no need a say for being handsome. Too narcissistic. Haha! (everybody laughs)

YB: Dance, aura, cold faced, throat, eyebrows….

WH: Okay that’s enough, that’s enough. Next one!

SJ: Da Zhuzi (big pillar) the vocalist.

SY: Cool!

YX: Leader, the official spokesman, Mom, warm.

WH: That’s really nauseating.

// I like him

Q: Which member do you personally appreciate? Which part of him has attracted you?

WH: Can you refer to yourself?

YX: If you could refer to yourself there won’t have any more answers already……. (everybody laughs)

WH: If this is the case, I’ll chose Xuan ge (YX). YX really knows how to take care of the members, his heart that takes concern for others really made people feel really warm, moreover Xuan ge’s tolerance is really worth learning.

YB: I choose SJ, what I must say is that I really like his voice, it’s really nice to listen to. Moreover, he especially loves to laugh, the sound of his laughter could made them happy to those who were beside him, it has even brought us a lot of positive energy every day.

SJ: I choose YB, his dance moves are really too amazing! Really cool! Moreover the outfits that he wore are really awesome, and his face is also too handsome. Wow… that moment of seeing his face, really can’t stand it. (YX: Mutual boost.) *Everybody laughs*

SY: I chose WH gege. Because he is usually very funny and he would do some funny action, kinda interesting.

YX: I appreciate SY, it’s because of his cute vibe. But then if you said he was cute, then he would not admit it, right? (SY: yes yes *laughs*) He will surely say that he’s cool, but actually the vibe that he gives to other people are the cute and well behaved type.

SJ: He’s really cool.

SY: And why is that so?

SJ: I’m saying that you have a cute vibe, and the same time also have a cool vibe. These two vibes you can control it. (laughs)

// The voice of Unicorn

Q: After debuting to become a real artist, there is a change of mentality? What is the greatest feeling of pressure?

YX: There’s not so much of a change of mentality, it’s just that when we were still previously trainees there was not much of attention, there’s not much of audiences who looks out for our performances. Now after becoming artists, the attention changed much, each show we have a lot of the audiences watching our performances. So we have to show to you all a more perfect performance, from every single expression to every movement and every details to be regarded more seriously.

WH: Also because of these pressures, we are also more motivated to prepare and practice even harder.

Q: If they you were not an artist in the first place, what kind of job will you be doing?

WH: Probably a NBA player.

YB: I would still be choosing to dance.

SJ: Musician.

SY: Football player.

YX: MC……. If it’s not an artist, most probably a Tai Chi master? Haha, I’ve an uncle who’s a Tai Chi master. At that time my uncle told me to learn under him for 2 years, then I can graduate and become a Tai Chi master. But…….I’ve given that up…… (laughs)


Epilogue:

UNIQ’s company has treated them like having some kind of family relationship, in both to maintaining professionalism and retaining childlike innocence, it seems that the company gave them enough space and freedom to play from time to time and also reminders to them. When introducing the new album, Wen Han worked hard in trying to find the right words to describe the style of the new album, the other members will certainly look with an expression of sureness and humbly nodded along.

Each member of UNIQ are very polite, there were no shrewdness either, each person answered the questions basically would respectfully say again his name first, then shyly pour out their opinions. If there are things that has been repeated, they would cast trusting eyes to assure the concerned member.

After the shooting and the interview, they asked the staffs for a group photo, UNIQ with their childlike attitude happily got everyone together to post comical faces or handsome facial expressions and gestures to capture the front of the lens. For them, interacting it seems to be their most happiest and non-boring thing, though "idol" is their identity for them to push themselves to spur on, but during that moment, "idol" is just another title.

Who would refuse such an innocent boy? Who would not want to see them acting earnestly? Who would not anticipate that pride of "the building of China's boy group”? That day a UNIQ fan came along and said, UNIQ's "natural advantages" is that each member’s handsome appearance are "more in line with the Chinese market and moreover, strength is a major attraction, each of their rich experiences are bonus points for them, so that fans look forward in full anticipation.

In future, how would UNIQ attack the music industry scene, how would they advance on the entertainment field?

Let us wait and see.


full trans by: jiji (@wenjoox)

original link: http://www.trends.com.cn/interview/uniq/

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