In preparation for their upcoming fifth mini-album, U-KISS underwent some drastic changes to bring about some growth and maturity into their group.
The most obvious of changes were seen through the departures of members Kibum and Alexander, who were replaced by Paran‘s AJ and Hoon. Admittedly, the original members did confess that they were upset by the switch-ups at first.
They revealed, “We didn’t know what to do at first, and all of us were so confused and lost because we had to separate from the two friends we were with all along. But now that we’ve been rehearsing with the new members and spending more time together, we’ve been making an effort to try and get to know each other better. We’re definitely learning faster than in the past, so we do have strong hopes of showing a lot more than we previously could.”
U-KISS never really had a formal leader, but in the spirit of change, they’ve decided to elect Soohyunfor the position. “After experiencing something as big as a member change, all of the members have become so much more serious and mature. Now, no matter what we do, we have better focus and are able to advance at a faster pace than before.”
The members also decided to participate in the album’s writing, rap-making, and production, in an effort to show that they’re not merely a product of their company.
“The team has transformed a lot musically. People usually think of addictive choreography, auto-tune, and powerful performances when they think of U-KISS, but through this promotion cycle, we hope to break that stereotype. AJ and Dongho participated in writing the songs; wouldn’t that fact alone make you feel a sense of change? (smile)”
K-pop fans will probably cock their head when told that U-KISS has yet to win #1, especially considering the success of their hit track, “Manmanhani“. But with their new song, “0330“, the group hopes to finally acquire that top spot on the charts.
“After debuting in 2008, we carried the same dream every year, and it’s to win #1 on a music program. We want to receive a shower of flowers when the MC says we’re #1. But of course, before we win, we’ll be working to show that we’re not falling behind our peers in terms of talent.”
Although they’re eagerly anticipating great things with their new team, the boys have to face an unfortunate obstacle. Because of the member changes, the U-KISS fanbase became divided, with some fans expressing that they’d only be supporting the original members.
U-KISS stated, “At the end of the day, music is what represents the singer. Right now, we’re at the point where we’re deciding whether to take that one step or not because we’re back at the starting line. We hope to show our fans that U-KISS are great singers. We’ve prepared a lot, so please look forward to it.”
Soohyun concluded, “I like people who work well, and my dongsengs all do so well on their own, so as a leader, I don’t have much to do.”
