[Interview]
The WINNER Headquarters; GO TO "THE YG PRINCES" thread![interview] the team who lost consecutively and how they became “winner"
If you look back, they have gone through a lot of hardship. ”Trainees from two teams compete and the winning team debuts”, that was the concept of the survival program MNET’s WHO IS NEXT. During many of the battles, they consecutively tasted defeat, they even received a message “Cheer up!” from their company’s CEO. The worse followed as the leader was injured causing there to be a replacement.
However something called a “miracle” appeared right in front of them. No, put simply it is called a miracle but it is actually the result of the drops of sweat they’ve worked hard for all this time. At the end of the third battle, they were crowned the next boy group from YG Entertainment, 8 years after BIG BANG. They took on the name WINNER (Kang Seungyoon · Song Minho · Nam Taehyun · Kim Jinwoo · Lee Seunghoon) They commented, “Even as time passes by, our hearts are still overflowing with happiness.”
"At first, it wasn’t a happy victory. Team B was right beside us, then. We’ve all worked hard together, I really had a heavy heart for our family who’s practiced and been together for a long time. The fact that one team had to lose and only one team could win really made me feel troubled. That’s why when the winning team was announced I was hurting more instead of being happy. Although, as days go by, I also now feel that "We have worked hard, too". (Kang Seungyoon)
For s who are like family, Kang Seungyoon made the song ‘GO UP’, they released this song on the last stage of the survival program . The message I put into this song is that “All 11 of us will go up without anyone lagging behind, it will definitely turn out that way so don’t you worry”. Put simply, ‘GO UP’ or ‘Let’s go up’ is a song for all 11 of us.
Of course, we also had our own critical situations. Thanks to those critical moments, ‘YG Entertainment’s longest trainee’, Kim Jinwoo, was able to win and finally make his debut. Kim Jinwoo who showed his tears after making a lyric mistake during the battle with the JYP Trainees said, “That was my biggest crisis.” He continued, “After the battle finished…Ah, I really had thoughts of just giving up, that’s how hard it was for me.”
"If wasn’t a team competition but an individual one, I probably would’ve already been disqualified. But since I had the members with me, I was able to get through it all. Yang Hyun Suk gave me a goal, "I hope you can overcome and take a step forward improving from your mistake." Although it was a bit sharp, those words became helpful to me. That’s how I got strength and my members really helped me a lot." (Kim Jinwoo)
Yang Hyun Suk CEO revealed that they would either debut early this year or later next year. They are also preparing for their activities as the opening act for their seniors, BIG BANG, on their Japan Dome Tour. Song Minho said, “On the day of the last battle, it wasn’t just my family or relatives that came, my whole entire blood line visited.” My parents said, “(Right after winning) You have every right to be happy, this is your beginning but never your initial determination.” Minho continued, “They’re words I excepted from them but hearing them again softened my heart.”
"I haven’t been able to properly become a good son to my parents. However, I’m really happy that I was able to show them my hard-work fighting for my debut and winning the last battle as well. I thought, "This is what we’ve achieved." Being able to show them that, I really felt that they would be touched. I’m really thankful that I will now be able to be a good son that my parents will be proud of." (Song Minho)
Now that they are finally off to their start, WINNER hopes to show a variety of their individual images to many people. After showing our image on , we wish to show everyone a different side to us.
"Yang CEO told us to attempt to write many songs as much as we’d like, and because of that we’re able to have this opportunity to produce music that we personally love ourselves. Nam Taehyun begins, "During the battle we’ve made a lot of earnest and serious music, this time (on our debut album) I want to let everyone listen to a variety of different, distinct colours into our music.
Strangely enough, they have a lot of intentions that they’ve kept from each other. It’s strange for a group of people who spend a lot of time together as a family. We found WINNER and told them, “Let’s listen to what you have to say about the other members.” After that request we asked them this request, “Why don’t you ask each other something you’ve never talked about before?” After a while the members turned shy, even covering their faces, and looking at each other. They said, “Ah it’s so embarrassing.” They weren’t able to hide their shy faces but they put their 100% sincerity into these following words.
- Kang Seungyoon to Kim Jinwoo
Because of my personality, I wasn’t able to say these words… (Laughs) I hope Jinwoo hyung becomes more confident and I hope he can grow to love himself a bit more. I hope he has thoughts like “I am talented” or “I am very handsome”. But sometimes when he has thoughts like “I’m only so-so”, it seems to be one of the reasons that hinders himself from being more confident. If you love yourself a bit more, I think you will be able to convey your confidence and playful image on stage a lot better.
- Kim Jinwoo to Lee Seunghoon
Seunghoon has gone through a lot of stress for a while. We weren’t aware of it but I think he had a hard time being alone while making his choreographies. He’s probably had a lot of worries thinking of how he can make the dance perfect… I’ve said that once, I felt sorry. I really want to say this. I hope you drop the weight off your shoulders because we are here for you, no, hyung is here for you. Also, Seunghoon’s rap has improved a lot. If he becomes a bit more confident, he’ll be the best “Jjang!”. (Laughs)
- Lee Seunghoon to Song Minho
Minho is actually very grown-up. He’s mature. I don’t know if it’s because he’s had a lot of practical experience but whenever we go somewhere, he doesn’t seem like my dongsaeng. (Laughs) I’m also very thankful that even with his position in the middle, he’s able to compromise between the hyungs and the dongsaengs well. Out of the five of us, his personality is the most…animated, so he’s very fun. There’s been some times when we felt down after living in the basement practicing, but Mino lifts us up by being a “huge bundle of fun”. That’s one of the reasons why this team needs him. Even though he came in last, he’s really become a “useful item” to us. (Everyone laughs)
- Song Minho to Nam Taehyun
Even though Taehyun is the maknae, he really has manners of a prince, he watches over us sharply too. Before he was the style to only be interested in whatever he’s doing, but after being in this battle, Taehyun also changed a lot. I felt that he opened up his heart to us a lot more and I’m really thankful that we gradually became more and more like a team. But, I hope he treats the hyungs a little bit better. I mean, I want him to show off his aegyo like a maknae too… (Laughs)
Lee Seunghoon butts in: You know a cat who hates being cuddled but then hates it even more when you don’t cuddle it? That’s exactly Taehyun’s style.
- Nam Taehyun to Kang Seungyoon
Seungyoon-hyung, Jinwoo-hyung, and I, the three of us have been together for a long time. Even before Kang Seungyoon became the leader, I already saw his leadership skills back then. Since his personality isn’t overly nice, he just says whatever comes to his mind. In order to mediate the team, he really showed off that strict side of him. On the other hand, Mino-hyung has always been a bright, smiling kind of personality…but right when he became the leader…(Laughs)…
(Lee Seunghoon butts in: He said he tried really hard to first drop his sense of humour.)
Seungyoon doesn’t hold on to the team members. He lets them walk freely but guides all of us together on the same road, that’s the kind of great leader he is. (Smiles)
Source: Naver
TRANSLATED BY: JENI @onewomansubs
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