[Interview] Ize Interview

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[INTERVIEW] Mino’s Ize Interview

Q: It has been over a month since the album came out but ‘Empty’ or Color Ring’ is still doing well on the music charts. You must be please by such result, especially since you sing the intro which sets the mood for the song.

Mino: I know the intro is really improtant, but I wasn’t pressured by it. Taehyun said my voice helped to set the mood and focus on the song. Whenever I hear those comments, I feel proud of myself.

Q: Your voice is well known as a vocalist even though you are a rapper.

Mino: I used to intentionally make up my voice. I used to rap in a loud tone, even when yelling, or make my voice sound like I’m chewing rocks, on purpose. I think my current voice is affected by those days. However, I realized how the best sound comes out if I rap comfortably. Famous musicians overseas like Jay-Z sings with the voice they are comfortable with. So I realized it is best for me to rap the way I am most comfortable with.

Q: Your solo ‘I’m Him’ was included in the debut album and a MV also came out. Your style was very different from that of ‘Empty’.

Mino: I became a completely different singer as a WINNER member to doing hip-hop music. For ‘I’m Him’, I stayed tough throughout the whole MV. Although I did try my best to stay looking tough in the music vdieo, instead of bragging about my hard work, I thought like “It came out nice” or “editing was done well”.

Q: Then was there a moment when you thought “We are indeed a team” while preparing for your title song stage performance?

Mino: Basically Seunghoon takes responsibility for the choreography so we trust him and follow his lead. However, we did adjustments to satisfy all members’ opinions as they have provided ideas for their individual parts here and there. We learned from our trainee times that somebody not expressing his thoughts or simply insisting on his own idea will only cause trouble. When we were preparing for ‘Empty’ performance, Seunghoon first came up with the ideas and made adjustments with the members.

Q: Don’t you resolve any problems within the team after debut? That might be different from what would have happened as a trainee.

Mino: That’s right, I’m tired of seeing their face every single day (laughs) I’m just kidding. (laughs) We always thought that we knew each other very well, but I think there were many things we learned about each other recently. I think that’s because we have started official promotions together as a group. So I think it’s necessary to be more considerate of one another and support each other.

Q: While doing so, what role did you think about taking?

Mino: I think I’m in the process of learning about that. I never got a chance to think about it in detail, but maybe a person that listens and supports whoever is having a hard time? I tend to pay attention to those kinds of situations.

Q: While giving those thoughts, did you even find an unknown part of yourself?

Mino: I think I do find positive sides, but I realize more about the negative sides. I usually act out of improvisation, except when I’m doing music-related activities. However, there were times when I became really sensitive/cold while we were going through a busy schedule. Because I had tried to stay positive and energized whenever we’re all tired, with vocal mimics and stuff, whenever I’m on edge, I felt like I found a stranger within myself.

Q: How do you recover yourself from those bad condition?

Mino: Taehyun once said that he is jealous of my personality, because I tend to be full of energy with whomever I meet wherever I go. Although he did mention how I’m just a little too bright when it isn’t necessary to be so. (laughs) However, there are times when I’m feeling down. I do try my best to get out of such mood when I’m out on public though. I know that a lifeless self not only drags myself, but also the members. So I end up joking around while talking nonsense. Either way, I think I am a positive person. (laughs)

Q: You try to be funny in front of WINNER members, BIGBANG or 2NE1, but it didn’t look like you were always 100% successful. (Laughs) Is there any member you are jealous for his ‘joking takent’?

Mino: I think Jinwoo hyung is a natural. I tend to think a lot before saying jokes (I even think about the timing), but end up getting awkward laughs. But when Jinwoo randomly says something, people starts laughing out loud. I think my aegyo’s better (laughs) because whenever I’m aegyo-ing, Seungyoon normally does it with me, Taehyun and Jinwoo laughs like there’s nothing funnier to laugh about, and Seunghoon compliments me. I will continue to work on it.

Q: You are at a starting point as a WINNER member and as Song Minho. What would be your final goal, if you have any?

Mino: Conquering the world. Signing a contract with NASA. Walking across the galaxy(?) (Laughs) It may sound like I’m joking but I tend to prefer surrealism when it comes to drawing because it has such a charm, a possibility to create new things. Such unrealistic goals might sound weird, but it had always helped me to keep my head straight. I think setting high goals/dreaming big may be necessary for people like us who is at a starting point to jump into music shows, concerts, etc.

Translations by: @yg_winner

 

[INTERVIEW] Taehyun’s Ize Interview

Q: Your voice seems a bit locked today.

Taehyun: When the seasons change, my nasals get inflamed easily. Besides nasal inflammation, I also get homesick frequently. I think it’s because there’s a special fragrance when the seasons change. I remember the times when I smelled that fragrance and I get very emotional. When I get emotional, I get immersed into those emotions, and these days, I think of the past a lot.

Q: Do you think about the time before you debuted?

Taehyun: Yes. I think of my past a lot but it doesn’t mean I’m unsatisfied with my current life. However, recently, when I saw a passing bus, I thought about this. These days I live a life where we ride cars with manager-hyungs and get systematically transported. I sometimes think, “Ah, before I use to ride that 300-something bus around and I transferred to another”. I am very vulnerable to these memories. It might be because I usually think about myself a lot.

Q. Besides music, you express yourself through art. Do you do this when you’re emotional?

Taehyun: Yes. To be honest, I feel more free when I’m holding a brush than when I’m making music. When I make music, I always feel responsibility and burden to an extent. I release that stress by drawing. Because I can draw without thinking and I can control what I want to make.

Q: People seem to call you the “dangerous maknae” who has a lot of thoughts and is a reserved style. (Laugh) What do you think of what the people around you say?

Taehyun: It’ll be good if they could think of me as a maknae to anticipate than a dangerous maknae. I also rely on the hyungs a lot. People who meet me for the first time might think I’m difficult because my personality fluctuates a lot. But the members’ bright and kind side has made me gentler and it’s fun when we’re together. They are hyungs I really need.

Q: You lived with your members from when you were trainees but did you find anything new about your members in this one month after debuting?

Taehyun: When the members get disappointed in themselves, they get really depressed? So I realized that we have to match ourselves a lot. The reason why I was happy with NAVER Starcast’s talk show and thought it was really good was because the members gave each other really good reactions and I could feel that our teamwork improved. Also, after seeing Seunghoon choreograph “Empty”, I was really satisfied. Each member of WINNER have strong characteristics, but instead of trying to do things to show off, I think we are a group that looks best when we express ourselves with controlled motions. I think the choreography of “Empty” expressed that feeling really well. I also like how the choreography has us express ourselves with the detailed movements from the tips of our fingertips. Our faith, trust, and confidence in each other are growing through all this. We give the right amount of trust in each other’s strengths and if they bring good results, trust grows, and we try to learn more from each other. When you think about it, WINNER is a democratic team. (laughs)

Q: Fans think of you as a cat or the maknae who doesn’t talk. It seems like you observe the members a lot.

Taehyun: These days, I feel like I have the potential to be a MC (laughs). People in the company say that as well. Also, my world is already very strong, and my emotions vary a lot but recently, I have found a way to recover quickly when I’m down. I have a hard time being open about my feelings and I’m very shy but recently I was able to express my feelings often.

Q. What do you think of your changed appearance?

Taehyun: It’s interesting. To be honest, when I was student, I thought I was very mature. I really thought my mind was different from kids my age. As I became an adult and entered YG, I realized that I’m so much younger than people my age. There are a lot of things I don’t know and there are a lot of people I don’t know. After entering YG and Winner, my perspective has changed.

Q: The team seems precious to you, how do you want to protect your own world and your team’s teamwork?

Taehyun: I stumbled across this statement once. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. I agreed a lot with it. I think about whether I’ll be able to still have such good times without the members, and the team has become really improtant to me. Because I want to go far in the future, I will remember this phrase well.

Q: How far do you want to go in the future?

Taehyun: I’m not sure. I’m thankful to win no.1 on various music programs and receive good response from Japan, but this isn’t significant. This seems like only the lighting of the wick of a dynamite. Not too long ago, BIGBANG’s TOP hyung also settled us down and told us not to lose tension. I hope that the things we do in the future will be even bigger than what we are doing right now and I’ll be glad if people could think, “Ah, these kids are off to a good start”.

Q: As a team, is there a final goal you want to achieve?

Taehyun: I like the Beatles a lot. They owned a generation and they left their mark in history. I want Winner to be a team like that. Not just a team that’s popular and good looking, I want people to say “WINNER’s music is really good. WINNER are true artists.” I want people to have these thoughts.

Translations by:@timthemine@themYGboys

 

 

[INTERVIEW] Jinwoo’s Interview with Ize

Q. You took a lot of interest in today’s photoshoot. You monitored the photos very closely during the shoot.
KJW: Yesterday, after the internet live broadcast, there were more schedules so I couldn’t sleep a lot. Because of that, I was worried about the photos and I wanted to retake photos until they looked perfect.

Q. Because your Japan promotions paralleled Korean promotions, you must have been happy to meet fans through this opportunity instead of through concerts. 
KJW: It was really fascinating how they responded through the live stream. (laughs) Usually, I don’t look at reactions on the internet. I just noticed that the amount of people waiting for us at the airport was increasing and that we sometimes trend on search rankings? Through those small things, I feel that we are receiving a lot of love.



Q. You must be tired because of your tight schedule after debuting. 
KJW: Because of that, the members try to raise the tension occasionally. As a given, Mino is a mood-maker and he’s really good at that. I don’t try to be funny but after saying a few words, the members end up laughing really hard so it’s fascinating (laughs). Even if it’s not work, I try to take care of the members. Since there’s an between me and the members, if I was scary, it would have been hard for the members to approach me, but since I am a comfortable hyung, I think we get a long well. The kids often jokes and pull pranks annoying, but I like all of that. Seunghoon especially plays a lot of those jokes/pranks so it’s really funny.

Q. Have you become less nervous after debuting?
KJW: In a difficult situation, I’ve started to think more freely. In the past, when one trainee left, I cried a lot. But after someone left, a new member entered and since this process repeated, I don’t cry anymore. “Oh, they just left again”. It’s sort of like that (laughs). I’m starting to be more use to it now.

Q. We can feel that you are comfortable while you are on stage and in somewhat serious situations. 
KJW: I’m the type of person that gets nervous a lot so I thought about how to relieve that often. Before going on stage, no matter what method I used, I still got nervous. But after standing on the stage at Big Bang’s dome tour and 2NE1’s concert stage, I realized it.Once I sing and dance on stage, my nervousness disappears. After that, I’ve had less
pressure.

Q. Did you gain confidence through breakthroughs such as music show wins and placing 2nd on the Oricon chart?
KJW: Regarding things like that, I’m still very scared. As soon as we debuted, we reached #1 on music shows and music charts really quickly, but we’re still rookies. Our accomplishments are good, but I don’t know what to say. The next time we comeback, I wonder if we’ll still have this response. The final answer is something that can’t be answered by anyone. Because of that, I get nervous about it.

Q. How do you get rid of that anxiety?
KJW: I don’t talk to anyone and stay in my room alone. Because it makes me depressed. Because of things like that, I am sorry to the members. Usually, I am a hyung with a big heart (laughs), but I become sensitive because of little things so there have been times when I got mad over things that don’t matter. When I was a trainee, I was like that too, but I start to become like that without me even knowing.

Q: Is it because you are strict towards yourself?
KJW: Yes. When I can’t show what I want to do well, I get stressed. You can call me a perfectionist, but I don’t think that’s a good thing.

Q. Because you and your team want to do a lot of things, if you had to say there’s a final goal, what would that be?
KJW: First off, since we’re babies, there’s a lot of things we want to do. Among those things, the thing we want to do the most is when people say “Winner”, people will picture us. We want to create a unique color. Not only in Korea, but we want to create music that will extend to the whole world. It’s a huge dream, but dreams can come true.

Q. Do you any words of praise to yourself as someone who ran without resting?
KJW: First off, I’m thankful for surviving until the end. I’m thankful for not sleeping a lot. I was able to practice a lot because of that. Lastly, I’m 24 but I’m thankful for not getting too old (laughs). I’m most thankful for that.

Translations by: @timthemine

 

 

[INTERVIEW] Seungyoon’s Ize Interview

Q: On the talkshow, Naver Starcast, you tend to be a person who adds comments instead of being the one who lead the conversation.

Seungyoon: I think I was born with that personality in the first place. I’m the type of person that steps forward everywhere, so I enjoy jumping into conversations. (laughs) Of course, there are times when I say stuff out of kindness for members’ own good. We have been getting interviewed and making TV appearances, but I think we are lacking in some aspects. Since I am technically a little bit more experienced than other members in this industry, I tend to rephrase what members say when I feel like there is a possibility for our audience to understand our words differently or negatively from what we intended.

Q: While you were going through those events, did you ever wish you made more TV appearances in Korea?

Seungyoon: It would be awesome if we can have more chances to meet with our fans. Recently, we are getting less chances to communicate with our fans as we are going through tough schedules after debuting in Korea and Japan simultaneously. The Japan tour was scheduled way before official debut and our overseas schedules are tight. I sometimes think that it would be nice to take some rest when we come back to Korea, but we try our best to catch as many opportunities as possible to make public appearances while we are here. Thta’s why we try to do a variety of things, such as fan-signing events or radio shows.

Q: What kind of programs do you want to be on?

Seungyoon: Variety shows for sure. But I think at least two members should appear together. Mino and Seunghoon paried together would be nice, or Seunghoon with Jinwoo would be funny. Jinwoo’s character is so funny. I know he doesn’t take actions to be funny purposely, but his innocent self is so funny. Seunghoon once said that if Seunghoon and Mino are the ones who continuously jab Jinwoo, Jinwoo is the one who gets rid of them with one punch.

Q: It seems like you guys try to make funny scenes with each other non-stop.

Seungyoon: Since we haven’t spent much time together like BIGBANG seniors, we try our best to make memories whenever we get a chance. I realized how there are commonly asked questions like, “Do you have any stories to share while you were trainees otgether?” or “What happened while you were away to go through the scheduled events overseas?” And we don’t have much. We only practiced together as trainees and we just went through the scheduled events while we were away overseas. Because we don’t have much free time to make special memories, we always try to spend good times together within ourselves. For instance, Mino would start us off with aegyo then Seunghoon would add to it by creating funny scenes.

Q: Aside from enjoying yourselves, won’t there be times when you have to talk to each seriously?

Seungyoon: Occasionally, we talk as a group if we get feedbacks from staffs around us on how to improve ourselves as WINNER. For me, I feel more comfortable now than how I felt when I first became a leader on Mnet’s WIN. Back then, I had to take a role as a person who was more experienced to support them, but not anymore because members know how things work in this industry now. Also, I feel less burdensome because I’m not the oldest member although I’m the leader. Oldest member Jinwoo hyung and Seunghoon hyung takes care of everyday life stuff and etc. to the level I won’t have to pay any attention to anything. Thanks to them, I was able to think about what I can contribute to this group as a leader: just trying my best in singing and other stuff. I think that’s my role.

Q: Were members able to grow up as a group as they personally worked in this album?

Seungyoon: I think so in some aspects. Our company’s staffs tried to help us in the beginning. However as we worked on it, they said how it would be necessary for us to get more involved because the album was losing our own style. Our CEO also said, “Are there any sounds you guys made?” when he used to say, “Try recording this song”. Such progress allowed us to “see” how we are at preparing ourselves for our own debut. We were worried about the possibility of sounding too much like amateurs when competing against professionals, but I’m glad just for the fact that we did it. We’re also thankful for staffs and YG because they were the ones who believed and accepted us.

Q: Maybe that’s more like it because you were able to accomplish so much within a short period.

Seungyoon: But when we look at our accomplishments such as being number two on the Oricon chart or number one on music charts, we think less about the fact that we achieved something, but about how thankful we should be to the people who believed in us and supported us. In my opinion, because every member thinks like that, we were able to not lose modestly or slack off, but become more humble. Of course, it’s also didn’t really hit us just yet about everything happening these days. Maybe we can realize how we did well if we receive any awards at the end of the year or perform in a concert hall that’s filled to capacity.

Q: Comparing your current self to your pre-debut self, how do you think you changed?

Seungyoon: I’m very conservative and strong-willed. I used to not cooperate if there is something that I believed is right. But after going through numerous different situations and spending time listening to members’ advices, I thought about how I may not always be right. With my wider “tolerance range”, I learned how there are times when I should not intervene. Maybe I’m more matured now? (laughs)

Q: Don’t you think you grew up/matured too fast?

Seungyoon: I matured in some aspects but did not in the other. There were times when hyungs scolded me for being rude or misbehaving. However, I think I definitely could not avoid maturing through social life or work-related experiences. I realize it when I meet childhood friends or people my age for the fact that I know the answer to something they’re stressed about, or think how their thoughts are simply cute. Then I question myself, “Am I really a stuffy youngster?”

Q: You’re not scared of it?

Seungyoon: No, I’m not. I’m more scared of not having the ability to do anything.

Translations by: @yg_winner

 

 

[INTERVIEW] Seunghoon’s Ize Interview

Q. In the Color Ring music video, the scene where you fall into the water was impressive. Wasn’t it scary?
LSH: It was really scary. After the shooting ended, it was to the point where I cried. At first, my heart was throbbing. Since the water was 5m deep, the more I fell into the water, it became increasingly difficult. Because of the water pressure, my ears really hurt. I choked a lot of water, and I also lacked oxygen. Suffering alone in the early morning was really lonely.

Q. On the other hand, it seems like you don’t have any fears about broadcast. During the Naver Starcast, it seemed like you were the MC.
LSH: They gave me a script with lots of details. However, the times when I didn’t look at the script and just talked was more natural and our charms came out more. The feeling when the 5 members laugh and talk together normally was portrayed. When I read the script, it felt a little forced. I wondered, “What am I saying right now?” I didn’t feel like I was skilled in the area of MCing. I felt like a baby in the woods. Since we were together, it wasn’t that awkward but if we were with other people, I don’t think I could have done that. I’m very shy.

Q. You summarised and organised situations really well with your comments. Are you like that in person?
LSH: I’m in charge of organising in the team. After we eat together, I tend to clean up (laughs).Truthfully, since I’m in charge of choreography and performances, I tend to always watch the members. During rehearsals, I have become use to watching how the members did the motions and figuring out the overall picture. The members jokingly call me the team’s ace but in any team, each member has a speciality. Compared to other people, I do something better and since there are things I know more, I lead in those aspects. To be direct, the members take a long time picking what they want to eat so I choose what we’ll eat in an organised way. Something like, “It’ll be just right if we order two of these and three of that.”

Q. We heard that you’re also specialized in styling.
LSH: I think, “I’m going to wear simple things but let’s not be boring”. When I look at the entire balance and if it’s too plain, I like to make points to outfits with accessories, a hat, or a pair of shoes. If I were in charge of the team’s styling at one point, I want to make them try on outfits with extremely scandalous and cute themes such as doll masks, plastic clothes, and net/mesh clothing. Although I’ll be sorry for my members.

Q. When you choreograph, what do you emphasise?
LSH: I’m not the type that dances powerfully and with effort. When I’m done dancing, I don’t have a drop of sweat, but I like dances that make you go “wow, that was so cool”. Rather than syncrhonized dancing, I like dancing that is comfortable to look at but not too boring and something that you remember. I made Empty’s choreography thinking that it shouldn’t be too difficult. There are teams that choose to grab both the dancing and singing, but even if we give up on dancing, we work to appeal the song more. I mainly worried about “How can I make this part more comfortable for the members so they can sing comfortably?”

Q. Since you were very young, you danced and dreamed of coming into this company. What’s it like now that your dream came true?
LSH: Standing on one stage with Big Bang is very bewildering and unfamiliar. Ever since I was young, they were my idols, but the fact that they are now my fellow artists doesn’t make sense to me. I continue to regard the existence of Big Bang as my idols in my head. I want to become close to them. But rather than getting close to them personally, I want to leave them in my heart preciously. I also feel like Big Bang and our group are not affiliated. If Big Bang is a big corporation, Winner is a small company.

Q. Because of that, it must be more important of what you do from now on.
LSH: Because we are singers, we want to receive love musically like Big Bang. Other than that, we want to act, be on variety shows, and appear on TV as much as we can. We also really want to meet the fans who love and support as much as possible. Stuff like that makes me the happiest. When I see fans, all my exhaustion disappears. Like Big Bang, I want our name to be known worldwide, but rather than seeing it as a goal, I think it’ll come naturally as a result of hard work. Right now, I think it’s important to work hard where we are now.

Q. Seeing that you placed 2nd place on the Oricon Chart, it seems that you are somewhat popular overseas.
LSH: Truthfully, it doesn’t feel real. Since we have the same schedule patterned everyday, it feels like we’re employees who attend a company and we don’t have time to feel like “Ah, we’ve become stars”. It’s just like there’s another schedule tomorrow, there’s an interview, and a shooting, so I’m happy and my heart flutters everyday looking forward to those activities. Maybe I’ll feel the reality of the situation if my mom came to visit me in a Benz or if I went to my house in Busan and see that my family moved to a better house. (laughs)

Q. After debuting and performing, what has changed the most about you?
LSH: In the beginning, we didn’t accept each other’s styles and everyone tried to change it to their own style. Each of us thought each of our style was the correct one. After experiencing a lifestyle in a team, I realized that everyone’s styles are just different, not wrong. I realised that we all had to acknowledge each other’s style, lifestyle, and just respect each other. Thanks to that, I think we came to live peacefully. If we don’t invade each other’s territory, we’re comfortable, there’s no point in starting a fight.

Q. It seems like you’ve become a peacekeeper (laughs)
LSH: My life’s motto is “Live happily”. When there are situations that give me stress, I’m the type that forgets that stress by sleeping deeply. My mood also improves after eating delicious foods. I enjoy searching for good food places. There are times when I get healed from my pet dog, Lee Hee. During the winter, when I turn on the heated mat and cuddle with Lee Hee, I sleep well because I’m warm. (laughs)

Translations by: @timthemine

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dwylwyd #1
Chapter 68: Lee Hee!!! Seunghoon is a sweet guy ♥♥
dwylwyd #2
Chapter 62: Seunghoon looks so much like a student council president ;-;
-rawrgrowl
#3
Chapter 61: I literally flipped when I saw this on tumblr
dwylwyd #4
Chapter 60: damn they look really good
censorsx
#5
Chapter 58: Hheheh as a blackjack I'm glad winner is getting along with girls generation... Sones and blackjacks unite
miminzy
#6
Chapter 58: LOL. I laugh so hard xDD
censorsx
#7
Chapter 52: I'll miss taehyun's 5:5 hair style but this one looks yyyyyy hehe