Vol.1 - Interview with 9 members of T1419 from Japan and Korea! Long-awaited debut in Japan: "Next time, we all want to come together.

Released April 14, 2022

T1419 is a K-pop star who has been attracting attention as a promising new star in the K-pop world. They are gaining global popularity, including being the first Korean singers to be invited to the "Monitor Music Awards 2021.

On March 9 (Wed.), they will make their Japan debut with the mini-album "OUR TEEN: BLUE SIDE. Kstyle interviewed the Japanese members directly and the Korean members remotely after they returned to Japan for the promotional activities for their Japan debut. In the second part of the interview, they talked about their various activities in Japan, from the episodes of their variety show to their goals for their Japan activities.

**Vol.2 - T1419, If you were to compare the members, who are full of individuality, to anime characters! Also discusses goals for Japan activities: "I want to stand on the stage of Tokyo Dome."**

**――Congratulations on your debut in Japan! Since half of the members are Japanese, your debut in Japan must be very emotional for you.**

ON: I am very happy to be able to make my debut in Japan in this way, as I have always wanted to work in Japan as soon as possible after learning about Japanese culture and TV programs while living with the Japanese members. This time, only the Japanese members participated in the activities in Japan, but I definitely want to work together with them next time.

Sian: I had heard many things about Japan from the Japanese members, so I wanted to be active there as soon as possible. Since we decided to make our debut in Japan, we have been preparing hard to show you how cool we are.

Gunwoo: I was very excited about our activities in Japan. I had a great desire to visit Japan, and every time I heard the warm words of support from my fans, I wanted to meet as many people as possible and show them our stage. So I was really disappointed that I couldn't go, but when I heard from the members in Japan that the fans were cheering for them and saying, "I wish we could have all come," I thought that if I could show them a cooler figure the next time I could go to Japan, I could make up for the disappointment I feel now. I am sure it will turn into more joy.

**Happy to meet Japanese fans for the first time: "Next time, all of us together."**

**――The Japanese members met Japanese fans for the first time at the release event. How did you feel?**

Kairi: I was able to come back to Japan for the first time in two years and perform in front of my fans. I was very happy to be able to perform in Osaka, my hometown. I could not cheer loudly, so I said, "Please give me a round of applause, everyone," and I was happy to receive a big round of applause. I hope to visit as many fans as possible while I am in Japan.

Zero: I knew there was a difference in atmosphere between meeting remotely and in person. It was a lot of fun. The Korean members who sent us off were very encouraging, saying, "This time there are only four of us, but don't be stressed, just relax and go for it.

Leo：It was a great pleasure to be back in Japan after a long absence and to meet the fans in person, I was nervous because it was the first time for the four of us to perform together, but after being on stage a few times, I got used to it and started to enjoy it. Next time, I would like to come back with the whole group and entertain the fans even more.

**――You met with your family, didn't you? What did they say to you?**

Leo: It's been two years, so I said, "Long time no see!"

Kio: "You've grown taller" (laughs).

**――Did you eat your mother's cooking?**

Kairi: Right after the quarantine period at the hotel ended, I ate fried chicken made by my mother.

Zero: It was fried chicken for me, too (laughs).

Kio: I was happy to eat my mother's and grandmother's cooking. The miso soup was delicious.

**――How does it feel to be apart from the members you have always spent time with?**

Noa: Since there were nine of us, I feel very lonely at the inn now that four of us have gone to Japan. And we take turns being in charge of cleaning the dormitory, but without Japanese members, we are having trouble making the rotation (laugh).

Zero: The Japanese members were relatively quiet, quieter than usual because there were no mood makers like Gunwoo-kun or ON-kun (laughs).

Kio: I have video calls with Korean members every day.

ON: We use video calls to ask each other what happened today, if we have any problems, and what we ate for dinner.

**"Japanese music is easy to listen to and full of sensitivity."**

**――JAPAN 1st ALBUM "OUR TEEN: BLUE SIDE" contains three original Japanese songs for the first time, what was your impression when you heard the songs?**

Kevin: I felt that all three of the original Japanese songs were very different in style from the songs we have been doing in Korea. The Korean songs have a strong hip-hop base, but the Japanese songs are easy to listen to, full of sensitivity, and have familiar melodies, so I thought they would be familiar to our fans.

Kairi: Japanese songs emphasize freshness and have a different atmosphere from Korean songs.

**――What is your favorite song among the three?**

Kevin: I like all three songs very much, but if I had to choose one, "HOME" is my favorite. It is a ballad, so I think it is a song where I can show my strengths as a vocalist, and I like its warm melody. It is also a song that challenged us to show that although we have a hip-hop concept, we can also do a variety of genres well.

Noa: I also like "HOME" because it has a big meaning as a message to the fans.

**――"HOME" is a fan song written by all of you for the mission of T1419's crown program "T1419 EDELHOUSE", isn't it? How did you feel when you recorded it?**

Kairi: We wrote the lyrics to this song to convey our feelings to our fans, so we were happy to be able to sing it, and I think we were more emotional than when we sang other songs. When practicing, I usually sing with a mindset of "let's make this part better," but for "HOME," I practiced with the hope that my feelings would be conveyed.

ON: I like "Run Up". I think the vocal members had a hard time singing this song because it is very difficult to sing, but they gave a cool performance and it was expressed well in the music video, so I love it.

Gunwoo: I like all three songs, but I am most attached to "Run Up" and "Daydreamer". Daydreamer" was a mission of "T1419 EDELHOUSE," and the members were asked to create the choreography together. But we talked a lot about the song together, and the time itself was very meaningful. We completed a choreography that was cool and suited the song, which filled me with a sense of accomplishment. The atmosphere of the song is cheerful and fun, so I think fans will like it.

**――Gunwoo, since you are in charge of dance, wasn't it difficult for you to organize the opinions of all the members?**

Gunwoo: Of course, I am in charge of dance because I love it, but when it comes to exchanging opinions, my brother Noa takes the lead in creating an atmosphere where everyone can easily express their opinions, so it wasn't that difficult for me. What is the best moment to be a member of T1419?

**What is the best moment to be a member of T1419?**

**――What are the highlights of the "Daydreamer" dance?**

Zero: There is a choreography in the chorus that reminds me of "an airplane flying toward a dream," and that is the point of the dance. There is also a choreography at the end that is easy to imitate, so I think it would be fun to dance it together with the fans.

**――What are the highlights of your performance of the title track "Run Up" and what is the behind-the-scenes story of the music video shooting?**

ON: We shot the music video over two days, the first day in a studio with a set, and the second day we shot the second half outdoors, and the second day was very cold, and I didn't sleep well, so I was tired and cold, but we had a lot of fun shooting. If you watch the behind-the-scenes video on the official Japanese YouTube site, you can see how it went. There is a scene at the end where we all run together, and we played pranks on each other and laughed while filming, so it was the most fun I have ever had filming a music video.

Gunwoo: We used various sets and shot from different angles so that the choreography would look good on camera. The chorus has a powerful feel to it, and the free chorus section shows unexpected aspects and charms of the members, and I think the result is spectacular performance-wise.

**――The lyrics of "Daydreamer" are impressive, "I can go forward because of my friends". What are some of your favorite moments?**

Sian: First of all, there are nine of us, so we are very reliable. I always have eight people behind me watching over me, and I feel stable because I trust that they will support me even in situations where I am afraid of making mistakes or feeling insecure. When that happens, I feel happy to be on this team.

Leo: I also feel at ease when there are nine of us. I can calm down.

Noa: We have a hard schedule during our activities, and sometimes we make mistakes due to fatigue, but when we comfort and encourage each other at such times, I feel that we are a really good team.

ON: I think the greatest advantage of having eight such close friends is that most of the members started their trainee life at a very young age and have spent more time together than school friends.

Kevin: I have spent so much time with the members that I feel at ease with them and family is the best way to describe them. I know that with this group, no matter how difficult things get, I will be able to work it out, and I am confident that they will always be on my side, no matter what happens. I believe that T1419 exists today because we love and care for each other that much.

Gunwoo: This is when we feel that we are each other's teachers. When I see the members who are good dancers asking each other about dance, or teaching each other their strengths in vocals, rapping, songwriting, etc., I think it is wonderful that such members are gathered in one team, and it is a foundation for them to grow even more.

Kio: We have been together since we were trainees, so when I was having a hard time, he would immediately recognize it and give me advice or feed me something delicious, and those things helped me a lot.

Zero: In my case, at first it was very helpful to have four Japanese people in a country where I didn't speak the language. Now, I am happy to be on this team because we have become good friends regardless of whether we are Japanese or Korean.

Kairi: Whenever we have a hard time, the nine of us have a kind of family meeting and talk it out. We really get along with each other regardless of whether we are Korean or Japanese, and I feel blessed to be a member of this group.

**In the year since their debut, all of them have grown up and become "cool..."**

**――About a year has passed since your debut, can you list the areas where you think the other members have grown?**

Noa: Even though we try to perform perfectly on stage, we still make small mistakes, but we have acquired the skills to cover each other and deal with such situations, so I think we have all grown.

Sian: The members got a cool upgrade overall!

All: (Laughter)

Sian: Eh, isn't that right (laughs)? And personally, I think Kairi has become mentally stronger. I think it's cool to see her standing tall, knowing how to make herself look cool and how to do things well.

Kio: I also think Kairi has grown up. He has been working hard since he was a trainee, and I think it is great that he has been practicing and working even harder since his debut.

Kairi: Thank you (laughs). I think I can say this about all the members, but I think our mentality and teamwork have become stronger. We support each other when times are tough, and I feel that our hearts have become stronger.

Zero: When I was a trainee, I didn't know how to look at the camera or how to show facial expressions, but now I do, and I think I have grown a lot.

ON: I think Kio has grown the most. He has grown in terms of ability, but he has also grown very tall and manly and cool. But from our point of view, he is still a cute youngest son (laughs).

Leo: Me too, Kio. I was small when I first went to Korea, but I grew taller, and I have been watching that growth period for a long time.

**――T1419 is very popular in Latin American countries. What do you think is the reason for this?**

Noa: It seems that our performance and musicality are well accepted. We are very happy and grateful that people support us even in distant countries.

**――What do you talk about with your Mexican and South American fans?**

ON: Many people join our video call meetings, and after all, they often tell us that they wish they could come to our place as soon as possible, and that they will definitely come when the situation improves. We have heard that many people in South America are supporting us, but we haven't had a chance to actually feel it, so we hope to be able to talk with them face to face as soon as possible.

Interviewer: Yuko Abe

Original article distributed on April 14, Reporter : Kstyle Editorial Department