Vol.1 - Four Japanese members belong to the promising newcomers "T1419! The promising newcomers "T1419" finally made their debut "admiring their seniors in K-POP..."

Released January 15, 2021

MOMOLAND's MLD Entertainment's new boy group, T1419, will debut on January 11, 2012. MLD, global IT company NHN, and Sony Music have teamed up to create a new group with the goal of debuting simultaneously in Korea, the U.S., and Japan. They have been undergoing intensive training in a systematic way, and have a wide range of talents including visuals, vocals, rap, performance, production, and multilingual skills. Kstyle had a direct hit on them just a few days before their debut! They talked to us about their debut song, the secret story of their debut, and their daily life.

**――What is the origin of the group name?**

NOA: T1419 means when we first met, T is for teenager and 1419 is for 14 to 19 years old, in other words we are the voice of teenagers.

**――Please introduce the member sitting next to you.**

NOA: Kio is in charge of the "14" in the group name T1419. As you can see, he's cute, which is a good thing. He always listens to his hyungs and is a very cheerful and nice boy.

KIO: Gunwoo hyung is in charge of rapping. He is a good talker and a good MC. However, he can be a bit noisy in the dormitory (laughs).

GUNWOO: Leo is also in charge of rapping. His strong point as a rapper is that he has a very masculine voice. He is a member who is usually fearless and takes the initiative when trying new things. However, he can be a bit laid back, which can be frustrating to watch sometimes (laughs).

LEO: Kevin hyung is the main vocalist. He is the main vocalist of the band. He usually looks after my brothers with warmth and care. He is very impatient and wants to finish everything as soon as possible, which is the opposite of me, but sometimes it's hard for me (laughs).

KEVIN: Noa hyung is the leader and rapper. He has a strong sense of responsibility and has the leadership skills to lead the group. But because he's the leader, he's often too self-conscious, and I worry that he's worried about being alone, so I want him to always be able to rely on us.

ON: Zero is a friend of mine who is the same age as me. He is in charge of visuals and rapping for the team. He's really very handsome, and if you look at his face, you'll see that he glows (laughs). At first glance, he looks cold and unapproachable because of his masculine impression, but in reality, he's not, he's a sensitive and kind boy.

ZERO: Sian hyung is in charge of vocals. He has an attractive singing voice and can give off a cold or sexy vibe. His personality is a little shy. When he practices, he works harder than anyone else, and I respect him when I see him working diligently until midnight.

ON: (In Japanese) I respect you too!

SIAN: Kairi is in the maknae line, so people treat him like a child, but he is one of the kindest people I've ever met. You can tell from his appearance that he is pure and untainted by the world (laughs). He is a hard worker and it shows in his face, which makes me feel good when I spend time with him. He is always smiling, as he says he is in charge of smiling, and his strong point is that he is always smiling and positive. And since I am in charge of vocals, we work hard together.

KAIRI: On, as you can see, he's very handsome and he's.......

ON: (In Japanese) Yes, he's handsome (laughs)!

KAIRI: (laughs). He's in the visual line with Zero, so he's cool, but he's also really cute. He speaks good Japanese, so when Japanese members are having trouble with their Korean, he explains it to them in Japanese and takes good care of them. He is also a kind person and works hard at writing lyrics and music. Recently, we have been filming until late, but he still goes to the practice room afterwards to study and is very hardworking. I'm proud to be a member with a lot of charm.

**Long-awaited debut: "Excited and nervous to meet fans"**

**――Which member made a strong impression on you the first time you met?**

KEVIN: I'd have to say my brother Noa. When I met him for the first time, he had an aura that the other members didn't have because he was the oldest. That's how strong his aura was.

NOA: I'm not that strong of a character. ...... I'll be more gentle from now on (laughs).

KIO: I was most scared of Leo hyung! I was scared of him because he was blond and tall, but when I talked to him, he was totally different and much kinder than I expected (laughs).

LEO: It's true that he had blond hair at that time, and I didn't talk to Kio much in the beginning, so maybe that's why I had that image of him. But we gradually got to know each other, and now we're like friends, despite the age difference.

ON: Sian hyung. When I first joined the company, I was following him as a role model. When I started as a trainee, I didn't know anything about him, but he was tall and could dance and sing very well. ...... He's in charge of vocals now, but in the beginning when I didn't have a position yet, I was also rapping and making raps. He was also an all-around athlete, and I really loved him as a role model.

KAIRI: Among the Japanese members, I'd have to say Zero. I met him at the audition site, and he was so tall and handsome, and he greeted me so profusely that I thought he was a gentleman. I thought he was a gentleman. I had the impression that he was cool and cool, but when I talked to him, he was very kind and funny.

GUNWOO: Kevin hyung. We arrived at the office on the same day, and he was there a few hours before me. When I walked into the practice room, he seemed to be the oldest of the trainees. I thought he was a little scary because of his weighty atmosphere, but when I talked to him, I found out that he is a very caring person, and sometimes he talks to me like a mother, and if someone does something wrong, he gives me a proper warning, which cleared up the misunderstanding I had when I first met him.

KEVIN: I never thought that people thought of me that way! Now I know for the first time that I was misunderstood (laughs).

**"Our activity names are inspired by our K-POP predecessors..."**

**――Many of the members have distinctive activity names. Please tell us the origin.)**

SIAN: Sian stands for "time" and "an" for "rest," which means "peaceful time." I thought it would be nice if the time you spend with me was peaceful.

ZERO: Zero means no failure. I like the song "Always and Again" from the soundtrack of the movie "Spirited Away", and the word "zero" appears in the song. It made a strong impression on me, so I chose it as my stage name.

ON: This may sound a little funny, but many of the K-pop artists I've admired since I was a kid have stage names with one letter in Hangul, such as L of INFINETE, V of BTS, and N of VIXX. I decided on Ong simply because I thought it would be cool to have a one-letter stage name. I'm going to do my best to join the ranks of the one-letter line and be called "cool" like my seniors.

KAIRI: (laughs) I thought about using a stage name too, but nothing came to mind. I didn't have any nicknames when I was in school, and my friends used to call me "Kairi," so I felt familiar with my own name and decided to go with it.

**――How have you been feeling since you decided to debut?**

ZERO: When I heard from the company that we were going to debut on January 11, I was so happy. We came from Japan and the Korean members came to Tokyo from the countryside and have been practicing together, so we feel like we've finally made it to the starting point. But to be honest, I'm still not sure how I feel about it. ...... It's a strange feeling, like I'm getting nervous (laughs).

KAIRI: The nine of us worked so hard to make our debut together, and I was so happy that I couldn't think of anything to say. I was surprised and happy at the same time, and it was an emotion I've never felt before. But debut is not the goal, it's the start, so I'm going to work even harder from now on. There are a lot of fans who have been supporting us since before we debuted, so I'm nervous every day because I can't wait to meet them.

KEVIN: This is the long-awaited and long-awaited debut. I'm filled with excitement that I'll be able to meet my fans soon, but I'm also nervous.

**Five Koreans and four Japanese: "Nine people with completely different charms have met.**

**――What do you think is the appeal of T1419?**

NOA: We have half Korean and half Japanese members, so I think the appeal is that we can work globally.

SIAN: For the global market, I think having five Koreans and four Japanese is a strength that no one else has.

LEO: Since we have many Japanese members, I think we can work smoothly in Japan without feeling the language barrier. I think we will be able to communicate more deeply with our fans.

SIAN: Also, all nine members have different personalities and charms. Each member is unique in every aspect, including face and voice, so I think they will suit the tastes of a wide range of people.

ON: I'm glad that nine people with completely different faces, personalities, voices, dance styles, etc. have met to form a group and make music together like this.

**What motivated the Japanese members to become Korean idols?**

**――Why did the Japanese members decide to become Korean idols?**

KAIRI: When I was in the first or second grade, my mother influenced me to listen to 2PM's music and I became interested in K-POP, and I began to admire K-POP stars myself.

ZERO: When I was in the second year of junior high school, I listened to BIGBANG's music and was shocked. They were addictive and had star power, and the way they stood on the stage was so cool that I wished I could be like them. I used to be the type of person who would get nervous doing things in front of people, but after I started learning how to dance, I started to enjoy it, so I auditioned.

KIO: When I was in the first year of junior high school, I was so impressed by SEVENTEEN's performance that I wanted to be just like them, so I auditioned and ended up joining a Korean agency. I spent a year and a half as a trainee from the age of 14, and now I'm 16. My mother encouraged me to do whatever I wanted to do. And she gave me the OK to go to Korea.

LEO: I've wanted to work abroad since I was little, but to be honest, I didn't really need to go to Korea at first. But when my sister was into K-pop, we were watching videos together and BTS seniors were really cool, so I started dancing, and after several auditions, I ended up coming to Korea. I didn't know any Korean, so I was a little worried, but as I learned more Korean, I was able to do more things, and I'm enjoying all the new things I've learned.

NOA: Leo can speak Korean so well now that I think he's a Korean who's good at Japanese (laughs).

**"The members were surprised by the intense makeup in the music video..."**

**――Before your debut, you released the music video for your pre-debut song "Dracula", and we were surprised by the bold makeup. Please tell us the story behind it.**

ON: I spent 7-8 hours from midnight the night before doing special makeup. I wore big ears, Noa put shards of glass on his face, and Kio put blood on his face, but it was difficult because it came off when we danced. It was a long shoot, and the sweat made my makeup run, so it was tough, but there were many funny moments. I wore pointy ears, and I had a hard time with that. I had a hard time with the pointed ears. On the bus, I was leaning against the window and fell asleep and the ears came off.

GUNWOO: It took a long time to do the special makeup for all the members. We drew rough sketches and gradually completed the make-up, and when we drew the rough sketches, people said, "It's cute," but as we completed the make-up, people said, "It's too scary to watch. Since there was a lot of intense choreography, the parts on my face started to fall off (laughs), so I had to be careful not to step on them while dancing, but on the other hand, I was able to concentrate better (laughs).

**――How did you feel when you saw the other members' makeup?**

SIAN: I was surprised every time I saw them (laughs). When we were on the bus, I looked at the other members' faces to talk to them and was surprised to see that they were all red. I had to pick up their fallen ears, and so on (laughs).

**――How was the shooting?**

GUNWOO: It was the first time for me to shoot outdoors, and it was also the first time for me to wear a costume and special makeup on a set, so I was really nervous. The main reason I was nervous was because I thought we weren't good enough yet to show our performance to everyone on YouTube. Of course we had practiced a lot, but we were still a little scared. But I practiced hard, and we were able to go into the shoot with a unified feeling. Thanks to that, I think we were able to look a little cooler.

ON: When I saw the finished music video, I realized that I still had a lot to learn. It was the first time for me to shoot in different places, change clothes and dance repeatedly, so it was hard to get used to. But now that I've experienced a lot of things in preparation for my debut, I'm confident that if I could reshoot it, I could make it twice as good as before (laughs).

LEO: First we shot outdoors, then we shot indoors with a green background for the CG. I was really impressed when I saw the CG synthesized images in the finished music video.

**SBS Music Festival" in collaboration with MOMOLAND**

**――You collaborated with MOMOLAND at the SBS Music Festival at the end of 2020.**

NOA: It was the first time for me to stand on such a big stage, so I was nervous, but I was also looking forward to it, and it was fun. We practiced with the seniors about four times, and they advised us to have fun with our activities because there will be a lot of hard times after our debut, but there will also be a lot of happy times.

GUNWOO: What I learned from practicing with the seniors was that it's better for idols to show off their talents and feelings to the best of their ability, and that this becomes their charm point. We've been doing a lot of research, but we learned a lot from the seniors who actually showed us their examples. We remembered what we learned during the rehearsals for our debut song, and were able to express our facial expressions and gestures at a higher level than before.

**――What kind of response did you get from your family and friends?**

NOA: My parents were watching in real time and sent me pictures of the TV screen. They said, "That's our son," and bragged about it everywhere (laughs).

KIO: My mom also took pictures of the TV screen and sent them to me. She also told her friends that it was going to be on, so it was kind of strange.

KEVIN: My friends also said to me, "It's strange that my friend is going to be in the SBS Song Contest (laughs).

**"I hope that everything goes well for you..."**

**――Please tell us about the song and dance highlights of "ASURABALBALTA," the title track of your debut album "BEFORE SUNRISE Part. 1.**

ON: The song is a trendy fusion of EDM and HIP-HOP based sound sources. The title of the song, "ASURABALBALTA," is a wish for people to "get what they want. I think it's an appropriate song for the New Year because it expresses our hope that "everything will go well" for the people who listen to our songs.

GUNWOO: "ASURABALBALTA" is originally a Korean word, but we don't use it very often, so many of you may not be familiar with it.

**――Please let me know if there are any points that appeal to you in your part.**

SIAN: Now I'll sing a part of my part for you. Will it be a spoiler?

ON: Don't worry. Please do it (laughs).

SIAN: ♪~ 자고 있던 내 안의 마성을 전부 깨워 간절히 바라던 진심을 여기 태워 ♪~ (translation) Wake up all the magic in me that's been sleeping, and burn my heart that's been desperately wishing to be here.

EVERYONE: Wow~ (applause)

SIAN: In this part, everyone moves forward with the same choreography, but I'm the only one who does different choreography as if I'm leading everyone. I think this part is attractive because it has a grand atmosphere.

ON: I also like that part of the song. I like the free chorus before the highlight, and I like the way he focuses and leads us with his gestures and facial expressions. And if I had to pick one point that appeals to me, it would be the long solo rap part. The choreography and gestures are also attractive, so please pay attention to them.

NOA: Just before the chorus, when they sing "ASURABALBALTA," I run in and dance in a cool way, so please pay attention to that.

KIO: I want you to watch the part I sing before the chorus.

GUNWOO: In the beginning of the song, there is a choreography where the members wake me up from both sides and I stand up like a monster. Everyone is a powerful asura.

LEO: There's a part where I step out in front of the stage and look like I'm leading the members, and I think that part is really cool.

KEVIN: My part is very flashy. When I'm singing, the members draw a big picture, and it's really flashy, so please check it out!

KAIRI: I like that part of Kevin's too! Kevin sings in a high-pitched voice while we're dancing, and it's always nice to hear that part. Whenever we're practicing and he sings that part while we're dancing, I go "wow" (laughs).

**Interview: Yuko Abe / Hidehime Yoon**

**Original Article Date : January 15, 2021 17:58 Reporter : Kstyle Editor**