Infinite's Interviews for Ize

[v-glace.livejournal.com]

You must be busier because of KBS <Highschool: Loveon> Filming.

Woohyun: Preparing for the concert, music shows, and acting, I’m three jobbing. I’m barely living by breathing. (laughs) Yesterday too I filmed the drama until 2 AM. It’s not yet, but after the concert’s over, the drama filming will almost be like its’ live. During the seven days of the concert I can’t film. Drama, if I do it carelessly it shows so it’s a job I have to do with caution. So I practice a lot, and in real life, I try to act like Shin Woohyun. Are you looking for Nam Woohyun? I’m Shin Woohyun. Nam Woohyun went that way. Don’t look for him. He’s tired so he’s sleeping. (laughs)

What kind of character do you think Shin Woohyun is?

Woohyun: He nags Seulbi a lot. But in the drama there’s going to be a love line so you can see it as cute bickering. I don’t know why but I’m growing attached to Seulbi. Other girls, I act cold and conceited. Shin Woohyun is a player, but the real me can’t do that so I’m experiencing it freely in a drama.(laughs) But in another way, I think Shin Woohyun and I are alike. When I’m with others, I like to do aegyo and make people laugh, but when it’s just the two of us, I am pretty serious. I listen well and give advice.

Do you do any adlibs while acting?

Woohyun: I do. For example, there’s a scene where Shin Woohyun first goes to his new highschool and is late, and most of that was adlib. The teacher goes “Hey, new transfer”, and I go, “Yes,” “What are you?”, “Uh, I’m a new transfer.” “Get down here.” Up until that is the script. The rest I made up. While the rest of the kids are running on the field and the teacher asks “Why aren’t you going?” I laugh and answer, “Because I’m a new transfer” and remind him. That actually aired. Of course I monitor. Because there are a few bad habits I do when acting, so I try to look at how to use my body and use gestures.

You’re doing a lot of things at once, and what are you focusing on the most?

Woohyun: I’m focusing on all three. My actual job is to be a singer, so I worry about myself on stage. Acting as well. Especially because acting, it’s my first time as the lead role, if I show even just a little lacking image, then the audience might take me lightly. That’s why everytime it’s break time, I keep on reading the script and wonder why the writer wrote some things, why they told me to do such in what scenes. So even if it’s filming just one scene, I prepare a lof of versions. First, a bit brightly. Second, a bit darkly. Third, a bit refreshingly. I played with the script a lot. Also looking for seniors or directors advice.

Why are you preparing so much?

Woohyun: I’m the type to be like that. Rather than being suffocated, it’s just I’m anxious so I prepare so much. I’m actually a bit afraid of the camera. I still get a bit nervous. It’s just naturally my personality so I probably won’t ever be able to fix it. I just need to learn how to get used to it. The feeling of filming and the atmosphere, I just need to always hold the character in myself. Rather than receiving help, working hard by myself is my personality. If I do it like this, I get a bit better.

If you don’t get nervous, are the results not good?

Woohyun: The quality definitely falls. Once I just acted without being nervous at all. I was just laughing and talking then went right into shooting, but I couldn’t focus. Then they said OK. I monitored and I really didn’t like it. Then I thought, “If I do it like this then I really fall apart.” Now, before going into scene, I don’t say a word and just keep an emotion then go into shooting. It hasn’t aired yet, but there are a lot more emotional scenes.

You seem a bit hard on yourself.

Woohyun: In a way, yeah. To myself I say, “If you don’t do this, it won’t work.” If I make a mistake, I’m the type to almost not be able to fall asleep. If it’s going to be like that, it’d be better just not make a situation where I make those mistakes, so I just work harder.

How are you to other people?

Woohyun: I sense how other people are. Because I have to take care of them. And because I’ve met a lot of people, if I just talk to someone for five minutes, I can already sense what kind of thoughts they’re having and what type they are. I catch what kind of person they are quickly. I wish that other people could do this for me as well, but I just think. I sometimes get lonely, but life is like that. (laughs) There are people who are lonelier than me and going through harder times so I try to stay optimistic.

If you sense others a lot, are you sensitive to others’ criticism?

Woohyun: Getting criticism is important, but I don’t mind it much. Then my mental state breaks down. Even if others criticize me, I worked hard. I didn’t embarass anyone, so I don’t get sad or worn out. I just grit my teeth and think, I’ll show something better than that. Everytime they criticize me I get stronger and work harder.

Until what do you want to do?

Woohyun: For example, “I’ll be the best actor in Korea.” I don’t have any goals like that. Just to be memorable to some people or have them think, "wow, he really suited that role" or "how did he do that?". Just those comments are enough. Same musically. "Ah, at that part of the song Woohyun brought it to life," just those comments would make me satisfied. There’s still a long way to go, and I’m still young so I have a lot of things to do. If anyone is curious about how I’ll turn out to be, they can just watch me, right?

Is your cat “Jeurumie” doing well? (laughs)

Sungyeol: I don’t have time to take care of him, but I think he’s growing well. I actually don’t just like cats and dogs but all animals. I always wonder what they’re thinking about. Like SBS <I can hear your voice>, I want to read their thoughts like Lee Jongsuk. Of course I’ve never succeeded in connecting with them before. When I went to the jungle because of SBS <Law of the Jungle> I heard a lot of things like I’ve grown the lizard, but he only stayed with me because he liked me. We never connected.

In Mnet’s <This (Diss) is Infinite> I saw that you wanted to raise a monkey in your dorm. Do you still have any left over feelings from that?

Sungyeol: Since I was little I liked <Dragonball>. Seeing the main character help people in need and fightly cooly, I’ve always had a thing for monkeys. (laughs) Just a while ago, I was doing my own schedule then I received a message from L. He took a picture with Hyuna’s monkey. Seeing that picture, the greed I had for monkeys that had shrunken grew again on fire. I think a monkey the size where I can carry him around would be good but it doesn’t matter much. If I could just take one picture hugging it…if I saw stuff like this people tell me I’m weird, but I think it’s normal.

Your image seems to be very different from your actual self.

Sungyeol: When I got accepted to my company, my CEO told me something like that. I had a good role model student kind of look like Lee Seungi so he picked me, but he was tricked. (laughs) These days that image seems to have flown away. A lot of people say I’m kind of cold these days. I look cold, a bit scary, etc.

Isn’t it good that you got out of your “choding” image?

Sungyeol: There is definitely something good about that image. I could talk to my fans casually and play jokes with them and stay close. But, some fans also thought less of me. I got a lot of stress from that, so I thought I couldn’t do it and had to change myself. I tried to make a manly image. I exercised, went to the jungle, drank Americanos, and did all sorts of things. After I changed a bit like that, people have been telling me, I’m not like myself, I’m a bit scary, so I don’t know what to do. I’m still worrying a lot about it. I want to get close to my fans, but then I feel like people will step on me because of my “choding image”, but if I stay like this I’m going to drift away from the fans.

You must really think about your fans’ feedback.

Sungyeol: I look for it a lot. Some even judge my character so I get hurt, but I still force myself to search for feedback. I can’t be satisfied with myself. If I don’t look for feedback then it means I’m satisfied with where I am. I can’t be satisfied now. I’m the type that only fixes self when getting hurt. “Why did I live this way” I would think and be hurt by myself, then I would think, “I’m going to fix then.” would be the thought I would have after. Even acting, I had a lot of criticism on my pronounciation, so for six hours each per day, I’d hold a cork in between my teeth and practice.

Do you have a lot of expectations for yourself?

Sungyeol: That’s right. But compared to it, what I’m showing you now in dancing, singing, and acting, they’re all in very low levels. It might just be my greed, but I really want to do the best in everything. Weirdly, it’s not like anybody even pressured me when I was younger. I wasn’t very good at studying so there was no pressure there, but that didn’t mean I got first places in sports. There was just no expectations for me.

It almost seems like you have no confidence.

Sungyeol: Even on air, because I always said “I don’t really have any good things about myself except my height”, so a lot of people asked "why does this kid have no confidence?" That’s not it. If amongst some people I was the best at something, then I can call it my strength, but if not, then I don’t think that you can call it that. It’s just one thing out of your many charms, but it’s not a strength. I have a lot of charms that are not strengths. I’m good with my hands, I used my mind well, and I’m flexible. However, even if somebody tells me that they are my strengths, I won’t listen. Everything I think in my condition.

Still, don’t you want to receive compliments?

Sungyeol: Looking back, I think I lived well without any thoughts. I don’t have any outstanding strengths to put out, and I just did things that I was told to do. I didn’t try to do more. Although, when I did filial things, I wanted to praise myself. When I was younger, my nickname that my mom used to call me wsa “Money eating machine.” If I borrowed, 10 dollars, 20 dollars, my mom would say “What are you doing with all this money?” Everytime she’d say that I would bluff “I’ll be successful and pay you back. I’ll even buy you a house before I get married.” But turns out that I could keep my promises. I bought her a shop, a house. I’m proud of that one thing.

You seemed like somebody who needed to grow a bit more, but I’m surprised.

Sungyeol: Ah, there’s a side to me like that, but I’m realistic. Especially financially. I think every single thing realistically. It can be good but it can also be tiring. Even if I lose some things, living well is living well. If I bought something and it came out to be 100 bucks, I would need to consider why it came out to be that much. Because my personality is like this, I can’t see anybody else losing things either. If my friend got ripped off, I would go in the shop with him and go, “I bought this cheaper than he did, so why did you sell it to him at this price.”

If you’re like that then is there a scale to how much you want to earn?

Sungyeol: $500,000,000! Living life, I told myself I’d earn that much. No, if born once, shouldn’t I earn a lot then die? Of course, because it’s a lot of money, I’m thinking about compromising with myself. maybe about 100,000,000? There isn’t really anything I want to do with that money. If my parents are happy, then it’s okay. They’re just words, the talk about that 500,000,000. Honestly, nobody knows how much you need to earn to never worry about money. So I’m just saying 500,000,000. Ah, did I only talk about money today? (laughs)

I heard that you’re interested in photography. How was today’s photo concept?

L: I think it’s very natural. Personally, I like natural photos that you can take in every day life than adventurous styles. My third photo essay that’s going to come out soon is going to have easy to approach elements and points. Before at one interview, I’ve said that I wanted to photograph Infinite’s album jacket, and that too I want to do a natural style. Whether it’s the beach, Busan Gamcheon culture village, Naksan Park, the place doesn’t matter. On a sunny day, I want to do a shoot with natural light. Like our songs, “She’s Back” or “White confession” the mvs, I want to photograph in that kind of concept. I don’t really like to take pictures in dark places, but honestly I don’t know how to use flash properly. I just took random photos and it came out really truthfully. The person’s atmosphere isn’t contained in it, so I like natural light.

You seem to like everything natural. This is your lightest hair after debut, so it feels kind of awkward (laughs):

L: This is my first time bleaching my hair after birth. At first when I saw it, leaving side if it suit me or not, it was just plain awkward. You might know from seeing my pictures, but I always had black hair. Even if I dyed my hair it was just dark brown. But as time passed, because my hair was brighter, I started to want to wear brighter clothes, and I felt like my personality had lifted a bit from before. Still, if my company asks me to get pink hair, I will greatly refuse. Because it won’t suit me. (laughs)

Do you not have any interests in dressing up?

L: That too, but in my opinion I think dressing neatly suits me the best. I might put on a necklace, watch, a bracelet, or something like that. But I don’t try to overdress. I don’t really like to wear flashy things. I like comfortable bland colours. I wear a lot of sweats too. Of course every now and then I think dressing up is needed. Still, rather than matching bright colours, usually if I wear two-toned, it’s done. Grey, black, white, I choose from that. Even clothes at home, if there are ten piles of clothes, one pile is bright colours, and the rest nine piles are bland.

Maybe it’s because you always hear that you’re good looking, but you seem to be used to the compliment and now as a joke you shamelessly deal with it.

L: Hearing that story whether it was at a station or not, rather than getting used to it, I just don’t like it anymore. They could ask other questions, but if I go to a fan signing, fans say “Oh, you’re good looking” and don’t say anything else. No, I want to talk about something else. “Do you have any other questions? Isn’t there anything you’re curious about?” I ask that but they just always leave. It’s the same on shows. I want to talk about other things like my hobbies, specialties, what I’m going to be doing soon, what I think about something, and more. I want to hear other questions…rather than questions about talents, I want to hear deep and serious stories.

Do you like to talk?

L: I like to talk. Most of the time, I’m the one talking rather than listening. But I don’t talk much on our team. We don’t necessarily all have to be noisy. Those times, I watch the other six members from a listener’s point of view. If I talk, I usually have my attention somewhere else and can’t catch things around me, but if I just watch, then I can understand more about everyone else.

Is there anything new you’ve learned about yourself?

L: I still don’t know myself very well. Because of recent work, I went to a meeting, and someone I met there listened to me and said, “You seem to like things that are analogue, unlike your looks.” On the outside I look like I’d like trains or cars, but I’m not really interested in those things. Rather than that, interior, camera, and guitars catch my attention. The word “analogue” doesn’t perfectly match me, though. (laughs) Other than that, I’ve realized what kind of instruments and vocal tones suit me well. Honestly, the song ”Back” doesn’t match my voice very well. Songs like “That summer” that are acoustic are the type of songs that suit me well. Singing all the time and recording a lot of songs and monitoring them have made me realize.

How are you in other parts?

L: I feel this in acting a lot. Before, if I acted very vaguely with my busy schedule, now I’ve kind of gotten grasp of it. This time in the SBS drama <My lovely girl> I’m taking the role of an idol group member, and I’m kind of getting the feel of how to do it. Maybe I can do it well with my style. Of course at first, I wasn’t very good at acting, and the results always gave out the aura of a rookie. But now, because I’m continuing with acting, I must’ve developed a lot, and compared to before, the bad remarks have decreased. Now I can show many good sides of myself.

When you receive criticism do you get depressed or do you get angry?

L: Because I have a lot of pride, I used to just pass by any negative feedback. Because I was young I didn’t know very well, and after debut I’ve changed a lot. Anyways they’re saying those things because they’re interested in me, and because in their eyes I’m not that great. I see their opinions as completing quests, and as I clear through those, I’m like building on my career. By myself, I can make myself a bit more perfect.

Then if you look back at those past five years, is there anything you regret?

L: There definitely is. There’s no way that there isn’t, and there’s a lot of parts that I haven’t been able to deal with properly. But to just look at that, there’s so many different things that I’ve done. Just because of that one regret, I don’t think that I collapse at once. It’s just something that I look back on. Just don’t make the same mistakes twice. For example, if I was cooking and I didn’t make it wrong, then at least I won’t mess up again in the same way. Whether it’s acting or something else, I think it’s all like that. It’d be best if I didn’t make mistakes, but if I do make any, I won’t repeat it.

We heard that you’ve been exercising for a while now, have you lost a lot of weight?

Sunggyu: I think I’ve lost about 4-5 kg. I weighed myself and it was 60 kg. Before the comeback I went to the gym for about two months following Dongwoo, and I think I exercised with more fun than I thought. It was hard going at a specific time but the exercise itself wasn’t very hard. I’m raising my record doing Crossfit but it’s from the sense of achievement I felt.  Especially deadlift or ab exercises were fun. These days I’m too busy so I can’t exercise, but if I get more time I’m planning on starting again.

You seem to be the type of person to push through with will when starting something?

Sunggyu: I actually have perseverance. For example, if I’m practicing and I think “I’m going to practice this part”, I always find time to do it. Honestly, these days because of the concert practice and music shows, I didn’t have time to practice my musical “Vampire”. Still, if I thought “I’m going to practice thei song”, I would practice staying up, then go to sleep. Then I would think, “Mm, of course I have perseverance.” (laughs) It’s stillsomething I have to do and something I love, so I’m trying to learn while I enjoy it. I’ve always wanted to try a vampire role. Isn’t it cool. My nickname is “Hurt sexy charisma”, too. (laughs)

You’re doing a lot of things at once, so don’t you get worried if you’re doing it right?

Sunggyu: I think I’m doing it right, but I think, “What is my real self?” so I get annoyed.Sometimes I have to do this, sometimes I have to do that. It doesn’t matter what I look like on air. Just my personality is hard to get closer to people, so adjusting is hard. Still, I’ve done music shows for a while so I’m used to it but musicals are a bit unfamiliar, scary, and careful. I’m more afraid of the environment than the work itself.

How do you deal with stress?

Sunggyu: I used to deal with stress by drinking, but I recently quit. These days I’m so busy that I don’t have time to think about how to deal with it. I guess I deal with it by working? It stil doesn’t mean that I work too much and I have no confidence. Now just singing is so much fun. After doing singing activities than doing musicals, wouldn’t the vocals be different. But just learning that is a lot of fun. After doing <Gwanghamun Sonata> it’s been a while since I’ve done musicals and I thought, “It was this feeling, right? It was something this fun, right?’

Because of your own personal schedule, you missed a lot of radio or variety shows that your members attended. You must sometimes want to go with them?

Sunggyu: That’s right. But even if I’m not there, the kids do well. Going to my own schedules I listen to the radio and I thought, Ah, I’ve talked by myself too much. When we go on shows together I’ve sometimes felt that the kids share and leave me to do the lines. Now, even if it’s just the members, it’s not bad, so I’m proud. It looked like it’d be okay even if I relaxed. I especially worried about Sungjong, but now seeing him even working as a MC makes him more trustworthy. “Yeah, working hard in everything is a good thing” is something I wanted to say to them, but I think I realized that myself. Of course I don’t say these things to the members actually because it’s embarrassing. (laughs)

Isn’t being a leader too much pressure?

Sunggyu: It’s not too much pressure. Because it’s true that I’m a leader. Because of that I’ve been working harder, but if I make a mistake or bring harm to the other members I feel really sorry. I’ve never thought “I need to be this kind of leader”. I just went with how it flowed. Of course when we first debuted I thought that I’d need to nag them even if they would hate me. However, “being a scary leader” isn’t what I thought, but it’s something that somebody needs to do and because I’m the oldest hyung I could do it a bit more comfortably. And…if I’m tired I tell them. How can’t I, I’m a person, too. It’s not just me, but because all the members are tired, I don’t tell them every single story and thing.

Looking back, do you think you’ve lived well?

Sunggyu: I came well, and I’m going well. Looking back I’ve always worked. When I came up to Seoul when I was twenty, I worked, and I debuted when I was twenty-two and now I’m already twenty-six. Thoughts that I’ve lived really busily come to me. I wonder if it’s time for me to relax, I don’t need a long time but I wish I could rest for just a week. Then I will travel to Himalaya. No special reason, it’s just too hot and I want to go somewhere cold. (laughs) I watched the movie, “The secret life of Walter Mitty” and the main character hikes the mountain. That looked like a lot of fun so I want to go once someday. It’ll take too much energy so I won’t actually go up there myself, but stare up from the bottom and go, “wow, nice.”

Like the album’s title, do you ever want to go back to a time?

Sunggyu: Living, I haven’t had a lot of times where I wanted to go back. If I had to pick one,during the world tour? That time, all the members would go out to sight see but I would always be in the hotel. Even when we were doing the US tour, the members went to the Empire State Building, but I didn’t go. The schedule was too tight and I was tired and lazy. Now that time has passed, I regret it a bit. When would I go back to that country again? I wonder if it’s because I got older. Even going anywhere, I’m kind of the “I’m not going, I’m lazy” style, but these days I’m thinking, “All that is left while living is those experience.”

Have you ever thought about changing yourself for the future?

Sunggyu: I think I need to live more optimistically. I’m a critical style. “Is this for sure? I need to think more logically? I don’t think this is it?” was the type of thoughts I had. However, after last year’s world tour, I had an empty feeling so for the first time I had a tarot reading. Until now, I didn’t do such a thing because I was Christian, but I felt like I had lost my way so it was a bit hard. Ah, the world tour is over. What do I do now? Will I be able to do a world tour again? The person who read for me said this: I need to think more positively, then I will be very successful. It might seem like just a story, but at that time it was a good motivation.

So have you changed any part to become positive?

Sunggyu: For two years I didn’t receive any vocal lessons. I thought that it was better to practice by myself. Why do I need to receive lessons from this person? Is this person really right? Is there an answer to singing? Are you sure? I used to suspect like this, but I think that was a bad attitude. I’m a bit softer now. Because of singing I want to upgrade myself and my ambitions become bigger. If there is a part I can improve from, then I can get that from that person. I started to think like this. Don’t always look for an answer.

As soon as you reached the studio, you showed enthusiasm for the photoshoot.

Sungjong: I really like being photographed because you can try various concepts. I often look at fashion pictorials and scrap if there’s a page I like. Once a particular fan gifted me a few overseas fashion magazines and I received a lot of help. I like the model Cole Mohr. I look attentively at how models express specific emotions and his is really diverse. He used his finger to pull at his mouth to show his teeth and that pose was very refreshing [as in new/different].

If you had an individual photoshoot what do you want to do?

Sungjong: I want to do a punky themed one and a chic and manly one. Wouldn’t it be nice if it was opposite concepts like this? If you want to take good photoshoots, I think there has to be a concept where you can naturally express from your body and to show your talent, I think you have to throw a part of yourself away.

You said often before that you wanted to create a manly image for yourself.

Sungjong: That’s right. I had the thought that I wanted to show a manly and mature self before. I wanted to express to the fans to ‘Lean on me, I’ll protect you, I’ll hold you [defend/envelop]’. But a fan told me this in her letter: “Sungjong, don’t try to show too much of a manly self. It’s not that I like a decked out [decorated/stage-managed] Lee Sungjong; I like you just the way you are, without any decorations.” After I read that, I felt like showing myself the way I really was.

But in the ‘Back’ performances, you fully showed manliness. You’re the member that caught my attention in changes; what kind of efforts did you make?

Sungjong: Firstly, I think if I look more manlier than before, its because I’m getting older. Its because I’m showing what I’m like on the inside naturally, little by little. ‘Pretending’ [to be someone I’m not] doesn’t work now. Those kinds of things are revealed [in the end sooner or later]. But of course, I put in effort for the stage separately. After thinking about it, it felt as if my voice was too weak. When we sang live, it was to the point of you not being able to really hear it. I thought a lot about how and what I could do to make it be heard more solidly, and for months, until we came back with ‘Last Romeo’, I steadily juggled vocal lessons and practices. I invested a lot of time into that because I didn’t have a individual schedule. With the ‘Back’ comeback in front of us, my hair was given a transformation and I trimmed my body as I received PT [physical therapy]. Its important to form expressions according to the song; in my opinion, this song is strong but has a soft image. So when I sang the song, I thought of the times I was sad a lot and sang.

When were you the most sad?

Sungjong: Last year. After going into the 20s, my thoughts grew so much. Why can I only do this much? What is something I can do right now? What do I truly like and what do I do the best? With those worries, I could not sleep for 3 days straight. I had no individual schedules so I couldn’t sleep, and I think my thoughts increased. I was trying to solve those problems all by myself but it became really unmanageable because I couldn’t really organize them well. I did that because wanted to look somewhat adult-like; usually when I’m having a hard time, I’m the style to not tell anyone and hold and deal with it by myself. I don’t like giving others harm [burden]. I’d rather have it more hard on me; giving others a hard time is not very good. I locked myself up too much [in my thoughts].

How did you overcome that time in the end?

Sungjong: I hadn’t been able to sleep so I went to pray in the early morning. From that day I was able to sleep. I solved it while I prayed by myself. Also, I had a bicycle that someone gifted me and I rode that around the Han River and felt better. I looked at trees and the green sprouts and I rode without any thoughts. I rode to and from the Yanghwa Bridge to the Banghwa Bridge [several times] without resting.

Did you seek advice from the people around you?

Sungjong: From the CEO and the director to the department head and the family at the company, etc., I confessed my worries to them. They’re older than me by a lot and there are some who were married too so I confessed my story to them like how I would to my mom and dad. I felt more comfortable consulting these people rather than the members. The members would be tired and worrying them is burdening them [using their hearts(literally)]. When I asked “I’m troubled by this particular part, what should I do?”, everyone gave me solutions and worried together with me. I am really thankful to them.

How much of a solution have you found right now?

Sungjong: I’m in the process of finding one. I sort of have a feel of what I can do on a certain level and what I have to work more harder on. Because there’s a lot of things I have to do, I’m really happy and having fun. Its natural when your body gets tired when you can’t sleep and there’s a lot of work but even if it’s difficult, it’s a good thing mentally. This time around, I became an MC for Mnet’s <Super Idol Chart Show> and that entirely makes me so happy. Of course after I tried it myself, the thought that I should practice my pronunciation more came to me. (laugh) So I held a pencil down in my mouth and read the script; I also remembered and practiced as I thought of the speech lesson I received beforehand. Specifically after seeing the video and because there are a lot of ments to say, it was a bit hard since you have to say things accurately. Even so, I think I did somewhat well on the parts that had no script by quickly being able to adapt and say things. I think I’ll be able to show a more better self gradually.

What do you think is the most important thing to you at the moment/present?

Sungjong: It’s my mindset. I feel that the different ways you put your mind to things can change [your life]. These days, practicing, doing concerts, and taking photoshoots are all, one by one, so fun [for me]. Unconditionally I try harder thinking that this is the last and it makes me do my best. If you think about it, I went through those kinds of worries and did a kind of reset, but the fun I feel right now is greater than the happiness I felt than the time we just debuted. So I don’t have a specific time I want to go back to. I just really like the time passing by me right now. It’s like my heart has become peaceful.

What is it like/ How do you feel about getting older?

Sungjong: Many people around me tell me that I’ve gotten more mature, but to me, I think I’m still holding my self from when I was in my teens [adolescence/10s]. The only thing is that my voice little by little, became thicker and my speaking tone has become more calm. If I was like a excited child before, I’m somewhat a more grown young man. To tell you the truth, I used to not care about age much before. These days, I often think and wish that I was in my 10s right now. I’m just wishing I was younger. My stamina/fitness is the same right now and from then but I feel like I had more overflowing spirit then. But for right now, I still think that ‘age is just a number.’ (laugh) Would I say that ‘I really became an adult, I really got older’ when I reach my mid to late thirties then.

Is your injured leg okay?

Hoya: There’s a slight fracture in my bone and my muscle has been injured. KBS <You Hee-Yeol’s Sketchbook> recording was where I got hurt. The audience there is half males. The half that were females like us, but the male audience members were watching with their arms linked with girls as if to think, “Let’s see how good you are.” (laughs) So when we were on <sketchbook> I wanted to perform as well that the guys would accept me. So I went overboard than usual. It’s all my fault.

Is it important to be accepted by the guys?

Hoya: Whether it’s on the stage or anywhere else, being able to appeal to all genders is being really full of charms. I also watched those kind of singers and grew my dream thinking, “I want to be like that.” In grade one, the first singer I liked was Yoo Seungjun and in the first year of middle school I really liked Rain. After that, I also grew to like Usher and Justin Timberlake. It’s hard to express in words, but aren’t there some kind of aura to these people? Despite skills, I think only people who really have it have it (the aura). Even if I don’t listen to their stories, there’s something I can feel from their eyes.

What do you need for that kind of charm?

Hoya; What’s really important is that you need a lot of experience. But even if you go on a ten day eleven nights trip, if you really want to build experiences, you can’t just go but also think about yourself and naturally feel something. You have to realize. So I also, even if it’s just reading books by myself I try to make it mine. Definitely now that I think about those kind of experiences there’s a lot more varieties of lyrics I can write. These days I’m working on Infinite H’s album, but if before I worried about what to write, now, there’s so many things. I almost have to worry about what I should leave out.

This album, an Infinite H song “Alone” was added. How was the process of producing it?

Hoya: I’m personally close to the producer, Alphabat, Yooseok. So I worked comfortably. Even if it’s just a voice mail asking, how’s this, how’s that, we would exchange messages and call each other. My name is only credited for the rap making, but I didn’t just write the rap lyrics but also wrote the bridge part and the melody as well. We did change it to the melody that Yooseok wrote, though. The song concept was somebody who was getting tired of his girlfriend. Because I heard so many stories around me I had confidence that I could write about it. I also have something like that before. So I went back to the memories and wrote the lyrics.

You must have gone more emotional than technical.

Hoya: I think I’m like that on stage, too. Before, I would always calculate where I should be more powerful, what kind of expressions I should do, and what kind of angle I should look at the three cameras in. Now, I just have go on stage with one emotion. Whether it’s dancing or singing, all the technical parts have been made in the practice room. Now rapping or acting, I’m getting used to all sorts of parts.

What kind of person are you normally?

Hoya: I’m a person from the Gyeongsang district, so maybe it’s why, but before, even if I was sad I didn’t cry. I guess I thought that if I was a guy I couldn’t cry. But since two years ago, I put myself down a bit. There’s a lot of times that I cry a lot watching sad movies. I watch sad movies all night even when there’s nobody in the dorm. If there was a sad scene I’d just weep and cry. Then if somebody came in all of the sudden, I’d hurry and wipe my tears, hiding, not even saying hi.

What did you think, seeing yourself change?

Hoya: I didn’t someone could change so easily. It’s fascinating that somebody’s personality can change too with a bit of work. I’m looking forward to see how I will change more, and I think I’m a bit more flexible. Before, I didn’t understand people who tried to solve things with human relations. I didn’t do a lot of that so I lost a lot from that. I then realized. I thought too innocently. I had a delusion that I could do everything myself. Skill is first. Just me, and the team needs to do well. Like that. But then our team might not look good if I thought like that, so then we might get less opportunities. From last year I thought I can’t live being hard like this. Up until three months ago I couldn’t understand celebrities doing business, but now it’s not even like that anymore.

Why did you feel the need to even change your values?

Hoya: It’s not good to be stubborn about everything. Something that I’m sure about now may change to be nothing as time passes. Something that experience is really important is that when I got accepted to my company it was not because of dance but because of my singing. In that situation I really didn’t like it when my CEO told me to rap. But from the second album as I started to write rap lyrics myself, it was really fun. From then I started to be interested in rapping, and then I thought, “Ah, I want to sing, so can I be rapping right now?” Then after 1, 2 years, I realized that rap helps with singing as well. Because it’s all the same music. Even when I first started acting, I liked it but because my practice time for singing and dancing shrunk. I was worried that my skills would fall. But rather than practicing dancing and singing for 10 hours, practicing acting for 5 hours and practicing dancing and singing for 5 years, you get better at both. It’s syngergy.

Is there something you want to achieve by changing yourself?

Hoya: I don’t have a specific goal. When I’m most happy is not when I got first, or got any award, but when I’m just on stage. Even if I record myself practicing dancing then monitoring and I seemed to have improved, I’m the happiest. I want to feel that I’m developing.

Aren’t you a bit impatient?

Hoya: If a chance just comes, I’m going to knock it all. There was a time I used to think like this. Now, rather than that I just try to enjoy myself. Then the results are better, too. Even if I can’t show you right now, if I work hard then I can keep on developing to show you a better side of myself. Hurrying doesn’t mean anything good. I don’t need to force opportunities.

Your singing skills seemed to have improved a lot.

Dongwoo: In the title song, the hook is gone and there is no source. The part with just vocals is the part I was in charge of. I don’t know if the emotions were delivered properly, but that might be why it stands out a bit more. There’s a song called “Diamond” amongst the added songs in the album, and most of the adlibs I did. When I first sang it on stage, I was so nervous I had stomachaches. I had always just been rapping, but now that I had to adlib too, I was really stressed. I finally felt the pain of main vocals.

If there’s a new challenge like that, do you always have a plan?

Dongwoo: I don’t set a specific plan. Unless a person is a machine they can’t keep it perfectly. But I always have an outline. I say “Let’s try at least until this” and I set a number, or  ”Just in case, let’s try once more” is something I do a lot. Sometimes if I get excited, because sleep isn’t necessarily important whether I stay up all night, I practice until I like it.
Even if I go over the number that I had set, it’s better than getting stressed because the result was lacking. Even when making food, you need to taste it to see if it’s good or not. When practicing vocals, my breathing can’t be shaky, so I try some skills, and if it doesn’t work I rest a bit and try again with more power. I have to open all sorts of possibilities so I can make certain skills mine.

If it doesn’t work out as you had hoped, how do you overcome it?

Dongwoo: Once, I uploaded a quote on twitter: “The moment you’re about to give up is the step right before you succeed”. It’s a famous saying, but even now, I relate to it a lot. Yes, let’s try again, let’s do it again, those times became the bones and the skin. It’s painful, but for the moment that I reach it, that’s why I keep it in and do my best. For that pretty berry, the patience is what I think is more important. It’s like giving it fertilizer.

Do you have any resistance to showing others your worn out side?

Dongwoo: Not really. In my case, if I try not to act tired on purpose, it shows and the fans all notice. For example, “When you were introducing your new song on the music show, you looked a bit tired.” I’m a person too, so I can’t help being tired, but I don’t think that’s bad. Not when I’m singing or dancing, but even when doing those little comments, I don’t think you need to act like you’re not tired. Of course always showing your bright energetic side is good, but I don’t want to lie to myself.

When you’re out of energy, how do you recharge?

Dongwoo: I go home often. It’s great healing. It’s the smell of when I was young, and if I eat the food that my parents make me, it’s like I put everything down and come. when I go home I often use the subway, so a lot of pictures of me are taken. I even wear black clothes and a black mask so I can barely see anything, but they always notice. Thanks to that when I go home, sometimes I get a call from the company. “Dongwoo, are you on the subway?” “Ah, how did you know?” (laughs) Because of that sometimes I get surprised but it’s always funny.

You don’t seem to be the one to be crouched down even when tired.

Dongwoo: It’s good to be true to your feelings, but aren’t there people who get depressed for no reason? Some people drink because they can’t sleep at night, but I think that’s consuming. Instead, find a hobby where you can release your stress. If you go to Han River there’s so many things you can do. You can play badminton with your friends, ride a skateboard, or go out for a drive with a friend and blast music. If you just want to enjoy alcohol, then do it once with a lot of fun then the next day set a new heart. Because of the weather, I’m blank. I’m uneasy because of someone. I think those are all just excuses.

It must be because you have that mind, whether you’re on a variety show or on the radio, you’re doing well. Your ability to react quickly has improved.

Dongwoo: I like to talk a lot, so I think I’m adjusting.Though, whether it’s a variety show or a radio talk, I don’t monitor separately. I’m not the type to regret things I’ve done. I like to get over it. If I prepare early for a radio show and it’s different from what I’ve thought, I focus on that and I mess up. Still, I really want to try a radio DJ.

You said that a lot in interviews, why do you want to be a DJ so much?

Dongwoo: If a story comes in then I want to talk with them, and I want to call people and give them advice. I feel like then we’re both learning. I think it’s because I like talking a lot. It’s not lack of affection, not all people can be like me. Because of that, I want to hear other people’s opinions and thoughts and think, “Ah, you could think like this.” I also think, “Next time I’ll be careful of this.” If I hear some good things then I can also use it in other radio shows. It’s all learning.

Do you think understanding others is important?

Dongwoo: That’s right. If a friend talks about his conflict with his mother, then I like to put myself in his mother’s shoes and my friend’s shoes, too. For each person I have something that I can relate to. But most cases, both cases did something wrong. In the end, they just need to be a bit more giving. It means they need a bit more flexibility. The side of me that is manly is similar, too. Saying “come here” with charisma isn’t more important than having flexibility to the world. If it’s head-on, then go head-on. If going at an angle, go at an angle. If bouncing, bounce.

How can you apply while living?

Dongwoo: If you marry, the girl may meet her parents in law and I don’t want to meet my parents in law. Even then, I think that flexibility is needed. Just “I will take her” is not it. “Ah, they think like this too”, is the way I should go and talk. Doing it one-way is hard. You need to learn how to compromise with the world. Shake hands with the world. Don’t punch.

Translator's note on Dongwoo: btw near the end it was hard to understand what he was saying. i tried my best translating it, though. i’m really sorry to both you all & dongwoo but dongwoo’s really deep & sweet uh idk

first post!
It feels like they've matured...
featuring yadong talking about singing, sunggyu + crossfit, and sungyeol on Jeurumie, monkies, and his choding image

Source: Ize& Magazine x
Photos: Ize& via fyinfinite
Interviews minus Sungjong translated by ho-gyu
Sungjong's interview translated by smilejong

Comments

[koushiba.livejournal.com]

I love Sungyeol and his interview made me a bit sad :( I hope he gets that monkey someday. or maybe not because exotic pets are a big no no.
Sunggyu don't get hurt doing crossfit.
I always have to read Dongwoo's interviews twice because half the time I'm confused lol.

[ultimaaa.livejournal.com]

Someone needs to arrange for him to meet a monkey ala Kristen Bell's sloth story, I imagine it would go down quite similarly haha.

[mlmello.livejournal.com]

woohyun, my baby, come here! <3

[torontok.livejournal.com]

These were all great interviews (but of course I scrolled down to Dongwoo's first). I'm so proud of how good his singing's gotten, his ad-libs in Diamond had me in tears.

[skystealers.livejournal.com]

my tlist exploded bc tonight was his night for the summer concert! i can't wait to see fancams of his stages ;___;

[torontok.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, I'm not ready, I will never be ready.
Please let him bust these out again, we don't get to see them enough.

[skystealers.livejournal.com]

omg he played the piano and sang try from the movie fame ;___; back is suh a blessing i love hearing him sing so much

[ultimaaa.livejournal.com]

The audio (http://t.co/yLCZ2uSE7A) for it is out and it's sooooooo good. Oooh Mr. Jang ooooohhhh, indeed.

[skystealers.livejournal.com]

ty for uploading op! i really love these interviews. yeol and namu's have me feeling sad tho... dongwoo's are always a treasure :)

[redcompels.livejournal.com]

i love these pictures, especially dongwoo's hair and sungjong's solo shots. the interviews were interesting to read, very introspective and sad at some parts. they sound more self-aware, and i wish them the best and hope they get some rest bc they deserve everything good

[digitalqueen.livejournal.com]

im thinking things...................................

idk what to think about sungyeol's interview.

[hipployta.livejournal.com]

I've only read Sungjong's and Dongwoo's so far and my babies...my heart

[moronicus-kyla.livejournal.com]

this post is long as fuck but I read every word. I've always loved reading their interviews, they always seem to give really honest, introspective answers to even the most basic questions. I guess the reason why they get along so well as a unit is because of their similar work ethic -- they all agree that there's so much more to their work than what they're doing and are therefore never complacent. it's nice to know that they're so professional but I hope they find time for themselves occasionally.

[pseudo-shigure.livejournal.com]

i read this finally lol.
oh my bbs ;~; woohyun sounds overwork, sungyeol and sungjong and sounds so restless. especially yeol's interview, it just broke my heart. gyu, hoya and myungsoo sounds like they're learning about themselves a lot and changing themselves to get better. all seven of them don't sound like they lean on each others during their hard times, and i do kinda think they're the kind of groups that have professional relationship first and only few members are super close with each other, which is okay too i guess. it's proven they still have the one of the best team work and chemistry. but i just hope they have support system around them that can listen to them, giving them advice, etc.