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240429 THE BOYZ Interview for Newsen: “We don’t take the fans’ love for granted… The driving force behind 7 years of growth = TheBs” [Full Translation]

“With TheBs in mind, we will make even cooler music and stages for a long time.”

(T/N: Condensed for clarity. May contain inaccuracies!)

Group THE BOYZ (Younghoon, Juyeon, Hyunjae, Sunwoo, Q, Ju Haknyeon, Sangyeon, Kevin, Jacob, Eric, New) took part in the 2024 ASIA ENTERTAINER AWARDS (ASEA 2024) on April 10th at Yokohama’s K-Arena in Japan. For this ceremony, THE BOYZ took home 3 trophies, from THE BEST STAGE to THE BEST STAR to THE BEST CONCEPTUAL ARTIST. The 3 wins showed once again that these are global artists that receive love both at home and abroad.

About the awards:

Younghoon: We won 3 awards and I am so grateful to be given such amazing awards. Moving forward, we will show an even further developed image. I think of these awards as a reason to work even harder, and we will put in the effort to show many cooler sides of us in the future. Conversely, THE BOYZ will gift TheBs the “Smile Award” so they can continue to smile moving forward.

Kevin: It’s an honor to win 3 awards. We will put in the effort and work hard to continue to be TheBs' pride in the future as well. More than anything, I think of this as an award given to THE BOYZ by TheBs. To our TheBs who are always by our side cheering us on, thank you and I love you. 

New: We very thankfully won 3 awards at ASEA 2024. I want to convey my biggest thanks to our TheBs who are always cheering us on and cherishing us. In the future too, we will work hard to meet your expectations by giving you more, cooler versions of THE BOYZ’s unique performances and music. 

About the performance at ASEA 2024:

Juyeon: Since we were going on stage with two powerful songs, WATCH IT and Breaking Dawn, we prepared with a focus on the performance. In particular, we tried to blend in krump [steps] into the performance. We practiced powerful dances and acrobatics extensively. We gave special attention and practiced a lot of natural expressions, gestures etc that would fit the mood of the songs.

Eric: We really immersed ourselves in the performance while preparing. Since it was a space where we would meet much of the K-Pop public, we paid attention to the energy and live [stage] that would be able to bring the heat up during the concert.

About their remarkable sales records, PHANTASY trilogy, and the good results from Nectar:

Sangyeon: I’m really happy and grateful that TheBs showed sincere support and positive reactions to the album as soon as it came out. Moreover, I’m also glad that we can achieve good results. We worked hard on promotions for PHANTASY pt.3 “Love Letter” and were able to finish it well, so we will repay with the concerts this coming July. Thank you always and I love you.

Hyunjae: Firstly, I’m so immensely grateful to our TheBs for giving us good results as soon as the album came out. I think TheBs' hearts are so beautiful and they’re so admirable for always putting in the effort to give us good results. We will work even harder moving forward to be able to repay all the love TheBs give us.

Ju Haknyeon: Pt.3 “Love Letter”, that finishes our 2nd full album [trilogy], was released to repay the love we receive from fans. I’m just happy and really grateful that [TheBs] gave us so much love and good results. When I see the results TheBs give us, it makes me want to work harder and do even better. Please keep looking after us, TheB.

About the past 7 years of different concepts and constant growth and what drives them forward:

(T/N: In Korean you don't necessarily need to make the distinction between "I" and "we" so in some cases here you could switch it and make it so they're talking as a group, but I've chosen to use "I" since they seem to be talking specifically about their own driving forces.)

Sangyeon: Firstly, I want to say to our THE BOYZ members who have been running together for 7 years a sincere thank you and you’ve worked hard. Whenever things were hard the members leaned on each other, and seeing TheBs’ smile in front of us on stage made me forget those [hard] moments. I would say the members and the fans are my biggest source of strength and drive. I think that above everything, that was possible because the members know each other well.

Jacob: I think for me [the driving force] are TheBs and the members. We give and receive good energy from each other, and we have been able to be together for 7 years by telling each other ‘fighting’. I want to say thank you to TheBs who are always cheering us on, and to our members too, thank you always, let’s continue to run and have fun together in the future.

Younghoon: I think my biggest driving force are of course TheBs. I believe we were able to enjoy these 7 years because TheBs were always there in all of THE BOYZ’s moments. I also want to thank our company staff who have been running together with us so far. Members! It’s been 7 years now. Let’s go until 70 years, I love you. And to TheBs, thank you so much, it’s thanks to TheBs being here with us that THE BOYZ can laugh and be so happy, and have been able to grow this much, thank you so much. It’s so meaningful to have someone to want to show new sides of ourselves to, I will work harder and do even better to make sure TheBs are always happy.

Hyunjae: To me of course that my biggest driving force is TheBs. I believe it’s thanks to them always being by THE BOYZ’s side, cheering us on and giving us love, that we have been able to run this far. I don’t take TheBs’ love for granted, I'm always grateful and will do my best to repay that love. And I want to say thank you to our members for running hard together for the past 7 years.

Juyeon: Releasing albums with different concepts and challenging new things was very meaningful, and I think we were able to grow thanks to it. I believe it’s thanks to the fans’ love and interest that we have been able to promote continuously until now. I want to say thank you always. Also, I want to say to our members let’s not get complacent and let’s go even farther.

Kevin: I think the synergy between the members is really good. I believe that is why we have been able to promote happily for the past 7 years. Our members, you’ve worked hard for all that time, let’s continue to make cool memories. And to our TheBs who are always by our side cheering us on, we will work hard to continue showing you cool music and performances in the future, so please watch over us in the future too.

New: I think my driving force are TheBs. I want to say thank you to TheBs who are always by our side, cheering us on and giving us love, and to our company family for their reliable support. To the members, I really want to say thank you for being together for these 7 years.

Q: I believe we have been able to run for these 7 years thanks to TheBs' love. If TheB hadn’t been cheering us on, I think I wouldn’t have been able to gather courage and strength. These 7 years have been very eventful, but to our members who did their best together while promoting, I want to say you’ve worked hard, let’s take good care of each other moving forward too and be considerate while enjoying our promotions.

Ju Haknyeon: My top priority, and my driving force, are the fans. Believing in us and waiting for us no matter the situation can’t be easy at all, so to the TheBs who are always by our side cheering us on I want to say thank you sincerely and I love you. I can always feel TheBs’ love with my whole body. Thank you so much and I love you, TheB! And to our THE BOYZ members I want to say thank you for being together for these long 7 years, please watch over me in the future too.

Sunwoo: There were many happy moments and many hard moments in these 7 years, and I believe it’s because the members were there relying on each other that we were able to overcome it. Also, I want to say thank you so much to our TheBs for always caring for us whenever. Let’s continue to create many fun memories in the future as well.

Eric: The driving force that made it possible for me to run this hard for 7 years is of course our TheBs and our THE BOYZ members. Even in the moments when I wanted to give up, in the moments when I was exhausted, the TheBs who are always by our side cheering us on and giving us love and the members who are always there looking after me were what made it possible for me to get here. To our THE BOYZ members who are my biggest friends and my family, you’ve worked hard and thank you so much, I love you a lot. Please watch over me in the future as well and, while thinking of our TheBs who are always cheering us on, let’s make even cooler music and stages for a long time.

About the ZENERATION II world tour:

Jacob: TheB! Thank you for always being by our side cheering us on and becoming THE BOYZ’s strength. Let’s see each other a lot and make many good memories this year too. With this world tour in July, I want to see, greet, and make many more TheBs happy.

Q: I was happy that we could spend the last 7 years together with TheBs, let’s continue to give strength to each other by cherishing and cheering for each other moving forward too. Also I want to meet many more TheBs this year. We will become a THE BOYZ who can repay [your love] with better music and stages and cooler images so please continue to give your endless love to our future activities too.

Sunwoo: We will continue to work hard to show you good sides of us in the future too. We are planning to meet TheBs all over the world in the second half of the year. This year, we will put in the effort to be able to greet you not only through group activities but through individual activities as well, so TheBs, please show us much interest and love.

(source)

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240318 THE BOYZ Interview for Newsen: "TheBs, Are You Ready to Receive Our Love Letter?" [Full Translation]

(Translator's note: The article begins by explaining the PHANTASY trilogy, and how it had the overarching theme of "we all dream fantasy", with each installment representing a different keyword - "exciting", "mystery", "emotional". Respectively, "LIPGLOSS" represented "real romance fantasy", "WATCH IT" represented "dark fantasy", and "Nectar" represents "leaving the past behind and running towards a bright future, towards a dream goal".

Translation may contain inaccuracies!)

You're making a comeback after PHANTASY pt.2 "Sixth Sense" was released last November, four months ago. Thoughts on your comeback?

Sangyeon: Making a comeback 4 months after "Sixth Sense" means the excitement is really high. Above all, since this is a song with a concept THE BOYZ hasn't tried before, it's a new feeling, and I'm expecting both TheBs and the public will enjoy listening to the song since it's one you can listen to comfortably.

Hyunjae: We concluded the past promotions with "WATCH IT" having made only good memories, so while preparing for this comeback it felt like time went by really slowly since I wanted to see the fans quickly. I'm excited to have fun on music shows with the fans soon.

Kevin: Our expectations are high since this is the conclusion to THE BOYZ' PHANTASY series. I hope people will love and look forward to it a lot as this is an album where we challenged a new sound and where you can feel THE BOYZ' new charms.

"Love Letter" is an album that is like a precious letter infused with the memories and the love from a period of time you're fond of. How would you introduce the charms specific to "Love Letter"? And how would you hope TheBs would remember this album?

Jacob: Since this is the last in the trilogy, I hope you feel like you are reading a touching letter when enjoying "Love Letter" as a whole. That could be a memory, could be love, I'm curious to see how the fans will react.

Juyeon: I think letters have a different level of sincerity and warmth, so I'm wondering if this album might be like that. And I hope this "Love Letter" as delivered by THE BOYZ is remembered by fans as a precious letter that the fans can pull out [to read again] at any time.

New: In this album we tried to express THE BOYZ' own interpretation of themes that are universal and relatable to many people. While the title track, "Nectar", tells a story about the past in which there's the pain of parting, experiencing longing and saying farewell, hoping you will see each other again someday in the future, and running towards a dream, the track "Hurt Me Less" has a sense of mourning, expressed through the symptom of "phantom pain" from feeling real pain due to the fantasy you've created to deal with the loneliness after a separation. And the last track, "Dear.", just like the album name "Love Letter" says, is a fansong where THE BOYZ conveys to THEB our love, and even beyond that, our precious, real feelings of a young heart in letter format. I hope all of those feelings reach THEBs.

If you were to express this album in one keyword?

Younghoon: I want to express it with "youth". Right now, as I'm singing this song, this is youth, and the past too is youth, and since I think of our future as youth too, [the word] has to be "youth". I really hope you can look forward to this promotion era too since we're coming back with really good songs.

Kevin: I think of "next" (T/N: in English). I think of it as an album about cherishing those distant memories while running excitedly towards your next chapter in life.

Q: I think of the word "gift". The warm past is what gave the present this shiny "gift" of all these beautiful moments lived together that we can't go back to. Please look forward to an album filled with THE BOYZ' affection!

The different teaser pictures for this album drew attention. Is there a particular reaction that stayed with you?

New: All the reactions were memorable, but the fans seemed to really like the photos for the "Send ver. #Burn" where we burn the records of our pain and say goodbye, so that's particularly memorable. It's also personally my favorite photo.

Haknyeon: It was memorable how fun it was to see the fans coming up with different interpretations as soon as a new teaser came out. If I had to pick only one, a comment that said "I missed Haknyeonie who has been gone for so long" is the more memorable to me. Thank you so much for waiting [for me]. I will show you a lively image while promoting.

Please tell us what kind of song "Nectar" is. If you were to point out the song's charm and your impression of it, what would you say?

Juyeon: I think the new song "Nectar" shows THE BOYZ' matured emotions. The charm I would say is that "Nectar" reveals varied and much deeper emotions from THE BOYZ such as joy, sadness, sentimentality, hope, etc.

Q: It's our first time trying a dance song with a more sentimental feeling. And since it's our first time, I believe we can show a different side and a more matured image of THE BOYZ. I hope you can look forward to it.

Sunwoo: The intro has a calm and sentimental vibe, while the chorus is the opposite, with an exciting and vibrant feel that lets you feel that "there can be many variations in one song". Just listening to it is nice but if you pay attention to the lyrics, I believe it will stay with you and make you feel like you're watching a movie about youth.

Member Eric participated in writing the lyrics for "Nectar". How does it feel to participate and what do you think of how it turned out?

Eric: It's an honor to also participate in the lyrics for the title track "Nectar" after participating in the pre-release single for our 6th anniversary, "Dear.". Writing lyrics can be fun but it's a job that can also involve a lot of worrying and consideration, so seeing the end result is always satisfying. I will work hard to give the fans even better lyrics and songs in the future.

When it comes to unique performances of course we can't leave THE BOYZ out. How would you introduce the special points to watch for or a particular choreography you want to highlight in the performance of "Nectar"?

Kevin: As this is a song that showcases THE BOYZ' matured emotions, I think I'd choose the points that represent the lyrics well. And also, it might be fun to pay close attention and try to find the homage to our early debut days choreography too.

Haknyeon: For the "Nectar" performance, the members worried a lot and worked hard to include big and small details. I'm excited and looking forward to seeing how the fans will react to it.

Eric: The move where we act as if we're drinking nectar at the start of the chorus, the flashy step choreo, and the moves with the opposite sentimental vibe are all points I would choose as ones that will let you appreciate lyrically and dynamically THE BOYZ' emotional performance of "Nectar".

What's the highlight of the "Nectar" MV? Is there any memorable episodes from when you were filming it?

New: The MV filming was supposed to take place at a [real] school and it had been so long since I had been to one that I felt nervous, but wearing an uniform at school brought to mind my school days, and that felt nice. There's a scene where we're running freely in a field, and I remember that despite the weather not being good that day, when we started filming that scene the sky cleared and everyone ran together happily.

Sunwoo: I think everyone ocasionally will have moments where they're unable to forget the past and long for it. The "Nectar" MV tells a story of facing those moments and those wishes and going back to say a happy goodbye. Also, in the MV there were items that represent the members' dreams during our school years, it can be fun to look for each one of them. Watching the MV makes me remember one more time those memories of our school years, and makes me wonder how will it be to run towards a bright future together with THE BOYZ?

What's something you paid special attention to or focused on while preparing the album?

Jacob: I practiced my vocals a lot so I could convey the lyrics better. Also, I didn't just practice the choreography, but worried about styling and naturally-looking acting, gestures, etc that would fit the mood of the song. I worked hard preparing so I hope you can look forward to it.

Q: I prepared thinking that I wanted to elicit a different side of the boyish THE BOYZ we've shown so far. My hope is that many people will like it.

Eric: Since "Nectar" showcases THE BOYZ' matured emotional side, I paid special attention to the recording of the rap parts so you would be able to feel emotions like eagerness and deep affection in the song. I hope many people will give love to it.

Are there any plans or goals you wish to fulfill during this era?

Sangyeon: Above everything else, I hope people who don't know THE BOYZ well can listen to our song and get to know THE BOYZ as a group.

Younghoon: Of course that the biggest goal this era is for the fans to like it. I think that's what makes us the happiest and feels like the biggest achievement. I want to meet TheBs soon and show them the stage we worked so hard to prepare.

Haknyeon: I want to show THE BOYZ' "rizz" with this album!

Aside from group promotions, you've been meeting fans in different individual activities such as musicals, radio DJ, variety shows, YouTube contents, etc. Is there something else you wish to do moving forward?

Sangyeon: Recently, I could greet fans through the premium world tour of the musical "Crash Landing On You". It was my first musical so I was nervous and anxious but the many actors and staff that were with me were incredibly helpful, so I'm proud that I was able to conclude it well. If later on a good opportunity comes, I would like to be cast in a drama or a movie too, and I also really want to make new music and show new stages.

Younghoon: Right now I can greet global K-Pop fans weekly through MBC's Music Core. I want to meet with fans often through even more varied activities. Also, personally, I want to greet TheBs again through an acting job.

Sunwoo: I've been meeting fans through "Bambam's Social Club", "TEO YouTube General Assembly", and recently through MBC Radio "Idol Radio Season 4" as a DJ every week. I'm really happy and have been having a good time being able to communicate with listeners live on air. If the opportunity arises, I'd like to have a solo stage too, and to greet fans through many more units within THE BOYZ.

Eric: I was able to greet viewers through tvN's variety show "Genius Paik 2", and thanks to that broadcast many people came to know me and I heard many good things. I would like to express my gratitude once again. In the future too, I want to let the public get to know me more through different variety shows. Above all, I want to keep giving the fans good albums and stages as THE BOYZ.

Last year, you broke your highest first week sales record, then went on your second world tour "ZENERATION" and held a concert in one of Japan's largest concert venues, Saitama Super Arena, achieving significant international acclaim. What are your goals for 2024?

Jacob: Letting many more people hear THE BOYZ' songs is one goal, and I would like to continue with our activities like last year and communicate often with the fans. Also, I hope we can spend 2024 healthily with no members getting hurt.

Hyunjae: The goal is to make happy and joyful memories with TheBs. Also, I hope all THE BOYZ members can be healthy and promote happily.

Now that promotions for "Love Letter" are officially starting, what is driving you forward?

Jacob: I want to show TheBs the "Nectar" stage we've worked so hard on soon, and want to deliver a warm healing [feeling]! Above everything, I hope we can all enjoy and be healthy throughout the entire promotion.

Kevin: As this is the grand finale for the PHANTASY trilogy, I want to make many good memories together with TheBs again. To the people who listen to THE BOYZ' music and love our performances, and to the many fans who wait for what we're doing next, I want to convey well the album's message, of THE BOYZ' bright youth.

Please send a message to the fans who are always cheering for THE BOYZ unwaveringly.

Younghoon: I want to thank you so much for loving THE BOYZ for such a long time. In the future too, I want to say that we will work hard to become a THE BOYZ who can repay TheBs even more for the love you give us. TheB-ya, I love you.

Juyeon: TheB, are you ready to receive our love letter? Thank you for always cheering for us unwaveringly. Please don't forget that we're always by your side cheering you on. Thank you always and I love you.

New: Thank you so much for always supporting us passionately, for giving us energy, and for waiting for us. I hope you like this album as much as we worked hard preparing for it. I believe it's thanks to TheBs who are always by our side giving us strength that we can promote without tiring. Please look after us during this era too.

(pics source: starnews)