iKON "We will become a group that is not afraid of new changes rather than taking a safe path"

▲ This photo, provided by YG Entertainment, shows iKON. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, May. 3 (Yonhap) – “The reason why we tried something new? There's no special reason but we thought it would better to show a variety of aspects than just to take a safe path,” Bobby said.

K-pop boy group iKON, which released the fourth mini album “FLASHBACK,” said at a press conference held at YG's new building in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on May 3 morning, "We also thought of hip-hop or ‘iKON-like music’ that we’ve done often, but we wanted to hear people saying ‘Does iKON sing this kind of song?’ or ‘They carry if off really well.’”

iKON, which debuted in 2015, has received great attention with various songs, including "MY TYPE," "LOVE SCENARIO," and "GOODBYE ROAD." Unlike the music dropped so far, the new album features the retro mood of the 1980s in the title song "BUT YOU.”

Kim Dong-hyuk said, "We added the retro mood to the synthwave genre," adding, "As it is a new genre, we have prepared the new music video, recording, and choreography based on the style of the song so we are very nervous. It would be nice if you look forward to iKON's new challenges.”

Koo Jun-hoe also mentioned, “I like the retro mood the most in the team," adding, "I think the atmosphere of the old days is good no matter what. Michael Jackson comes up to mind when thinking of the 1980s, so the feelings of “splendor” is featured in the music video.

What's interesting is that all six members were born in the 1990s, and no one has experienced the 1980s. How did they indirectly experience the era and express it with their songs?

Kim Dong-hyuk said, “I asked my parents the most,” adding, “When I searched for the musical mood of the songs that people of my parents’ generation listened to, they were all pop. Therefore, I kept this in mind when filming the music video and recording the song.”

Bobby emphasized, “As we chose the fancy concept, we referred to artists, including The Weeknd and Daft Punk," adding, "Jun-hoe cut his hair short because he wanted to try something he hadn't tried before, while Song Yun-hyeong and I thought a lot about our hair color."

Besides the title song, the album contains a total of six songs, including "DRAGON," which compares themselves to imaginary creatures from myth, "FOR REAL?," which humorously expressed their feelings for the loved ones, and "GOLD,” which was presented by K-pop boy group WINNER’s Kang Seung-yoon.

Kim Jin-hwan said, "It's an album that shows iKON recalling the past and looking at the present and the future at the same time," adding, "Therefore, we named it ‘Flashback’ because we thought it would go well with it.”

He added, "We want to become a group that is not afraid of any change or challenge.”

Koo Jun-hoe said, "People don't know what's going to happen in the future," adding with a smile, "If we continue to work hard and enjoy it step by step, I think we will transform into another type of iKON in the future. The future doesn't come true as I think of it anyway.”

Member Bobby got married last year and formed a family by having a son.

When the singer was asked if such a change had an impact on his musical performances, he answered, “I clearly keep the boundary line between iKON’s Bobby and Kim Ji-won(real name),” adding, “When working on the group’s performances as Bobby, I am working hard as before.”

When the group was asked about the goal of their performances this time, the answer was to be loved by the public of all ages.

Member Kim Jin-hwan said, "When we performed with the song 'LOVE SCENARIO,’ we heard the song on the street too much that it was almost embarrassing. As we're showing you a new style, I hope our songs will be played on the streets and at restaurants, rather than winning the first place on music programs".

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Kim Sun Min.)

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