Rookie idol group MOMOLAND craves lasting love, immortal songs

SEOUL, Dec. 14 (Yonhap) — Only one month has passed since MOMOLAND debuted on the K-pop scene, but the rookie girl group of Double Kick Company has already set its ultimate goal.

“Recently in a music show by Sechs Kies, we saw fans cheer very passionately for the members. It was an incredibly moving moment,” Hyebin, the band leader, said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency. She was referring to the 90s hit boy band that recently made a comeback after 16 years.

“We could tell how much they and their songs were loved and missed for such a long time. Although we’ve only gotten started, that’s our dream and ideal,” the 20-year-old idol added.

Six of the seven-member act — Hyebin, Nancy, Nayun, Jane, Joo E, and Ahin — attended the interview. Yeonwoo was absent due to illness.

Even in today’s pack of idols, MOMOLAND made a promising start. After releasing their debut single EP “Welcome to MOMOLAND” on Nov. 10, the band was given the opportunity to perform the lead single “Jjan! Koong! Kwang!” in music shows on mainstream broadcasters, an opportunity not often available to new idol groups.

Their dance performance received favorable reviews from the audience, particularly on their “Jjan! Koong! Kwang!” stage. Performing the festive dance-pop song, MOMOLAND members surprised the audience with their surreally synchronized group dance moves that looked as if they were robots in human flesh. Practice perfects performance, according to the members.

The lead song is full of exciting special sound effects, as its title suggests, meant to give listeners a feel of waiting in the line to enter an amusement park. That is the key concept of this six-song EP.

 

Hyebin, the band’s mouthpiece, said, “All seven members have totally distinctive colors, just like an amusement park is divided into multiple themes. The debut EP describes the ‘entrance’ (to MOMOLAND). It gives the kind of excitement you feel when you just get out the car and rush to the line to get in.”

Apparently, the EP is only the start before getting to the mind-blowing attractions and getting on the roller coaster to be revealed in MOMOLAND next albums.

Members were not sure when asked about the “source of their popularity.” After brief thought, Joo E said, “All members look so young and lively, like babies. I think our listeners like the cute, adorable concept of our dance moves.”

Indeed, the bandmates are young, even for idols — Nancy, 16, is the youngest, while Hyebin is the eldest.

 

MOMOLAND’s start is distinguished from many of its peer girl groups. In its pre-debut days, the members had to prove their worth in “Finding MOMOLAND,” a girl group auditioning show on tvN.

Of the 10 candidates, the seven members struggled to show the best of themselves as potential K-pop artists. The winners were to be given the chance to debut as MOMOLAND, but the number of group members was not revealed until the group’s actual debut. This made the young girls more than desperate.

Even after the chosen members were announced, they were given the final mission to complete. They had to draw 3,000 audience members to their concert, or their debut would be canceled.

Despite street busking and promotional events, the pre-debut MOMOLAND drew only 2,300.

“I was confused,” Ahin said. “I didn’t know what to do. I was told about the cancellation only from Jane (not the company).”

Jane continued the story, “They did not inform us about exactly how many people showed up at the event. Since we were never updated about what was going on, we were frightened at the news article that said, ‘debut, canceled.’”

Since the debut came with a difficult test, the spotlight seems so dream-like to MOMOLAND members.

“Every time we are told about next schedule, we are so surprised and pleased,” said Nancy.

“When I participated in a joint unit activity with members of other girl groups, I learned a whole lot of monitoring and other things from the senior artists,” she added.

Looking back at the joys and tears in their pre-debut and after-debut days, MOMOLAND members vowed to roll out many “songs that all genders and ages can enjoy.”

Jane said, “Amusement parks are things that all people can enjoy. I think we can make one with our songs.”

Hyebin seconded Jane’s excitement, saying, “I feel like we’ve finally found the land to build up our MOMOLAND, the amusement park.”

 

 

 

 

 

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1. warnings

   November 5, 2017 at 12:07 AM

   African-American

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