Winner's interviews roundup post!!!

[babyonions.livejournal.com]

Q. You took a lot of interest in today’s photoshoot. You monitored the photos very closely during the shoot.

KJW: Yesterday, after the internet live broadcast, there were more schedules so I couldn’t sleep a lot. Because of that, I was worried about the photos and I wanted to retake photos until they looked perfect.

Q. Because your Japan promotions paralleled Korean promotions, you must have been happy to meet fans through this opportunity instead of through concerts.

KJW: It was really fascinating how they responded through the live stream. (laughs) Usually, I don’t look at reactions on the internet. I just noticed that the amount of people waiting for us at the airport was increasing and that we sometimes trend on search rankings? Through those small things, I feel that we are receiving a lot of love.

Q. You must be tired because of your tight schedule after debuting.

KJW: Because of that, the members try to raise the tension occasionally. As a given, Mino is a mood-maker and he’s really good at that. I don’t try to be funny but after saying a few words, the members end up laughing really hard so it’s fascinating (laughs). Even if it’s not work, I try to take care of the members. Since there’s an age gap between me and the members, if I was scary, it would have been hard for the members to approach me, but since I am a comfortable hyung, I think we get a long well. The kids often jokes and pull pranks annoying, but I like all of that. Seunghoon especially plays a lot of those jokes/pranks so it’s really funny.

Q. Have you become less nervous after debuting?

KJW: In a difficult situation, I’ve started to think more freely. In the past, when one trainee left, I cried a lot. But after someone left, a new member entered and since this process repeated, I don’t cry anymore. “Oh, they just left again”. It’s sort of like that (laughs). I’m starting to be more use to it now.

Q. We can feel that you are comfortable while you are on stage and in somewhat serious situations.

KJW: I’m the type of person that gets nervous a lot so I thought about how to relieve that often. Before going on stage, no matter what method I used, I still got nervous. But after standing on the stage at Big Bang’s dome tour and 2NE1’s concert stage, I realized it.Once I sing and dance on stage, my nervousness disappears. After that, I’ve had less

pressure.

Q. Did you gain confidence through breakthroughs such as music show wins and placing 2nd on the Oricon chart?

KJW: Regarding things like that, I’m still very scared. As soon as we debuted, we reached #1 on music shows and music charts really quickly, but we’re still rookies. Our accomplishments are good, but I don’t know what to say. The next time we comeback, I wonder if we’ll still have this response. The final answer is something that can’t be answered by anyone. Because of that, I get nervous about it.

Q. How do you get rid of that anxiety?

KJW: I don’t talk to anyone and stay in my room alone. Because it makes me depressed. Because of things like that, I am sorry to the members. Usually, I am a hyung with a big heart (laughs), but I become sensitive because of little things so there have been times when I got mad over things that don’t matter. When I was a trainee, I was like that too, but I start to become like that without me even knowing.

Q: Is it because you are strict towards yourself?

KJW: Yes. When I can’t show what I want to do well, I get stressed. You can call me a perfectionist, but I don’t think that’s a good thing.

Q. Because you and your team want to do a lot of things, if you had to say there’s a final goal, what would that be?

KJW: First off, since we’re babies, there’s a lot of things we want to do. Among those things, the thing we want to do the most is when people say “Winner”, people will picture us. We want to create a unique color. Not only in Korea, but we want to create music that will extend to the whole world. It’s a huge dream, but dreams can come true.

Q. Do you any words of praise to yourself as someone who ran without resting?

KJW: First off, I’m thankful for surviving until the end. I’m thankful for not sleeping a lot. I was able to practice a lot because of that. Lastly, I’m 24 but I’m thankful for not getting too old (laughs). I’m most thankful for that.

Q. In the Color Ring music video, the scene where you fall into the water was impressive. Wasn’t it scary?

LSH: It was really scary. After the shooting ended, it was to the point where I cried. At first, my heart was throbbing. Since the water was 5m deep, the more I fell into the water, it became increasingly difficult. Because of the water pressure, my ears really hurt. I choked a lot of water, and I also lacked oxygen. Suffering alone in the early morning was really lonely.

Q. On the other hand, it seems like you don’t have any fears about broadcast. During the Naver Starcast, it seemed like you were the MC.

LSH: They gave me a script with lots of details. However, the times when I didn’t look at the script and just talked was more natural and our charms came out more. The feeling when the 5 members laugh and talk together normally was portrayed. When I read the script, it felt a little forced. I wondered, “What am I saying right now?” I didn’t feel like I was skilled in the area of MCing. I felt like a baby in the woods. Since we were together, it wasn’t that awkward but if we were with other people, I don’t think I could have done that. I’m very shy.

Q. You summarised and organised situations really well with your comments. Are you like that in person?

LSH: I’m in charge of organising in the team. After we eat together, I tend to clean up (laughs).Truthfully, since I’m in charge of choreography and performances, I tend to always watch the members. During rehearsals, I have become use to watching how the members did the motions and figuring out the overall picture. The members jokingly call me the team’s ace but in any team, each member has a speciality. Compared to other people, I do something better and since there are things I know more, I lead in those aspects. To be direct, the members take a long time picking what they want to eat so I choose what we’ll eat in an organised way. Something like, “It’ll be just right if we order two of these and three of that.”

Q. We heard that you’re also specialized in styling.

LSH: I think, “I’m going to wear simple things but let’s not be boring”. When I look at the entire balance and if it’s too plain, I like to make points to outfits with accessories, a hat, or a pair of shoes. If I were in charge of the team’s styling at one point, I want to make them try on outfits with extremely scandalous and cute themes such as doll masks, plastic clothes, and net/mesh clothing. Although I’ll be sorry for my members.

Q. When you choreograph, what do you emphasise?

LSH: I’m not the type that dances powerfully and with effort. When I’m done dancing, I don’t have a drop of sweat, but I like dances that make you go “wow, that was so cool”. Rather than syncrhonized dancing, I like dancing that is comfortable to look at but not too boring and something that you remember. I made Empty’s choreography thinking that it shouldn’t be too difficult. There are teams that choose to grab both the dancing and singing, but even if we give up on dancing, we work to appeal the song more. I mainly worried about “How can I make this part more comfortable for the members so they can sing comfortably?

Q. Since you were very young, you danced and dreamed of coming into this company. What’s it like now that your dream came true?

LSH: Standing on one stage with Big Bang is very bewildering and unfamiliar. Ever since I was young, they were my idols, but the fact that they are now my fellow artists doesn’t make sense to me. I continue to regard the existence of Big Bang as my idols in my head. I want to become close to them. But rather than getting close to them personally, I want to leave them in my heart preciously. I also feel like Big Bang and our group are not affiliated. If Big Bang is a big corporation, Winner is a small company.

Q. Because of that, it must be more important of what you do from now on.

LSH: Because we are singers, we want to receive love musically like Big Bang. Other than that, we want to act, be on variety shows, and appear on TV as much as we can. We also really want to meet the fans who love and support as much as possible. Stuff like that makes me the happiest. When I see fans, all my exhaustion disappears. Like Big Bang, I want our name to be known worldwide, but rather than seeing it as a goal, I think it’ll come naturally as a result of hard work. Right now, I think it’s important to work hard where we are now.

Q. Seeing that you placed 2nd place on the Oricon Chart, it seems that you are somewhat popular overseas.

LSH: Truthfully, it doesn’t feel real. Since we have the same schedule patterned everyday, it feels like we’re employees who attend a company and we don’t have time to feel like “Ah, we’ve become stars”. It’s just like there’s another schedule tomorrow, there’s an interview, and a shooting, so I’m happy and my heart flutters everyday looking forward to those activities. Maybe I’ll feel the reality of the situation if my mom came to visit me in a Benz or if I went to my house in Busan and see that my family moved to a better house. (laughs)

Q. After debuting and performing, what has changed the most about you?

LSH: In the beginning, we didn’t accept each other’s styles and everyone tried to change it to their own style. Each of us thought each of our style was the correct one. After experiencing a lifestyle in a team, I realized that everyone’s styles are just different, not wrong. I realised that we all had to acknowledge each other’s style, lifestyle, and just respect each other. Thanks to that, I think we came to live peacefully. If we don’t invade each other’s territory, we’re comfortable, there’s no point in starting a fight.

Q. It seems like you’ve become a peacekeeper (laughs)

LSH: My life’s motto is “Live happily”. When there are situations that give me stress, I’m the type that forgets that stress by sleeping deeply. My mood also improves after eating delicious foods. I enjoy searching for good food places. There are times when I get healed from my pet dog, Lee Hee. During the winter, when I turn on the heated mat and cuddle with Lee Hee, I sleep well because I’m warm. (laughs)

Q: It has been over a month since the album came out but ‘Empty’ or Color Ring’ is still doing well on the music charts. You must be please by such result, especially since you sing the intro which sets the mood for the song.

Mino: I know the intro is really improtant, but I wasn’t pressured by it. Taehyun said my voice helped to set the mood and focus on the song. Whenever I hear those comments, I feel proud of myself.

Q: Your voice is well known as a vocalist even though you are a rapper.

Mino: I used to intentionally make up my voice. I used to rap in a loud tone, even when yelling, or make my voice sound like I’m chewing rocks, on purpose. I think my current voice is affected by those days. However, I realized how the best sound comes out if I rap comfortably. Famous musicians overseas like Jay-Z sings with the voice they are comfortable with. So I realized it is best for me to rap the way I am most comfortable with.

Q: Your solo ‘I’m Him’ was included in the debut album and a MV also came out. Your style was very different from that of ‘Empty’.

Mino: I became a completely different singer as a WINNER member to doing hip-hop music. For ‘I’m Him’, I stayed tough throughout the whole MV. Although I did try my best to stay looking tough in the music vdieo, instead of bragging about my hard work, I thought like “It came out nice” or “editing was done well”.

Q: Then was there a moment when you thought “We are indeed a team” while preparing for your title song stage performance?

Mino: Basically Seunghoon takes responsibility for the choreography so we trust him and follow his lead. However, we did adjustments to satisfy all members’ opinions as they have provided ideas for their individual parts here and there. We learned from our trainee times that somebody not expressing his thoughts or simply insisting on his own idea will only cause trouble. When we were preparing for ‘Empty’ performance, Seunghoon first came up with the ideas and made adjustments with the members.

Q: Don’t you resolve any problems within the team after debut? That might be different from what would have happened as a trainee.

Mino: That’s right, I’m tired of seeing their face every single day (laughs) I’m just kidding. (laughs) We always thought that we knew each other very well, but I think there were many things we learned about each other recently. I think that’s because we have started official promotions together as a group. So I think it’s necessary to be more considerate of one another and support each other.

Q: While doing so, what role did you think about taking?

Mino: I think I’m in the process of learning about that. I never got a chance to think about it in detail, but maybe a person that listens and supports whoever is having a hard time? I tend to pay attention to those kinds of situations.

Q: While giving those thoughts, did you even find an unknown part of yourself?

Mino: I think I do find positive sides, but I realize more about the negative sides. I usually act out of improvisation, except when I’m doing music-related activities. However, there were times when I became really sensitive/cold while we were going through a busy schedule. Because I had tried to stay positive and energized whenever we’re all tired, with vocal mimics and stuff, whenever I’m on edge, I felt like I found a stranger within myself.

Q: How do you recover yourself from those bad condition?

Mino: Taehyun once said that he is jealous of my personality, because I tend to be full of energy with whomever I meet wherever I go. Although he did mention how I’m just a little too bright when it isn’t necessary to be so. (laughs) However, there are times when I’m feeling down. I do try my best to get out of such mood when I’m out on public though. I know that a lifeless self not only drags myself, but also the members. So I end up joking around while talking nonsense. Either way, I think I am a positive person. (laughs)

Q: You try to be funny in front of WINNER members, BIGBANG or 2NE1, but it didn’t look like you were always 100% successful. (Laughs) Is there any member you are jealous for his ‘joking takent’?

Mino: I think Jinwoo hyung is a natural. I tend to think a lot before saying jokes (I even think about the timing), but end up getting awkward laughs. But when Jinwoo randomly says something, people starts laughing out loud. I think my aegyo’s better (laughs) because whenever I’m aegyo-ing, Seungyoon normally does it with me, Taehyun and Jinwoo laughs like there’s nothing funnier to laugh about, and Seunghoon compliments me. I will continue to work on it.

Q: You are at a starting point as a WINNER member and as Song Minho. What would be your final goal, if you have any?

Mino: Conquering the world. Signing a contract with NASA. Walking across the galaxy(?) (Laughs) It may sound like I’m joking but I tend to prefer surrealism when it comes to drawing because it has such a charm, a possibility to create new things. Such unrealistic goals might sound weird, but it had always helped me to keep my head straight. I think setting high goals/dreaming big may be necessary for people like us who is at a starting point to jump into music shows, concerts, etc.

Q: On the talkshow, Naver Starcast, you tend to be a person who adds comments instead of being the one who lead the conversation.

Seungyoon: I think I was born with that personality in the first place. I’m the type of person that steps forward everywhere, so I enjoy jumping into conversations. (laughs) Of course, there are times when I say stuff out of kindness for members’ own good. We have been getting interviewed and making TV appearances, but I think we are lacking in some aspects. Since I am technically a little bit more experienced than other members in this industry, I tend to rephrase what members say when I feel like there is a possibility for our audience to understand our words differently or negatively from what we intended.

Q: While you were going through those events, did you ever wish you made more TV appearances in Korea?

Seungyoon: It would be awesome if we can have more chances to meet with our fans. Recently, we are getting less chances to communicate with our fans as we are going through tough schedules after debuting in Korea and Japan simultaneously. The Japan tour was scheduled way before official debut and our overseas schedules are tight. I sometimes think that it would be nice to take some rest when we come back to Korea, but we try our best to catch as many opportunities as possible to make public appearances while we are here. Thta’s why we try to do a variety of things, such as fan-signing events or radio shows.

Q: What kind of programs do you want to be on?

Seungyoon: Variety shows for sure. But I think at least two members should appear together. Mino and Seunghoon paried together would be nice, or Seunghoon with Jinwoo would be funny. Jinwoo’s character is so funny. I know he doesn’t take actions to be funny purposely, but his innocent self is so funny. Seunghoon once said that if Seunghoon and Mino are the ones who continuously jab Jinwoo, Jinwoo is the one who gets rid of them with one punch.

Q: It seems like you guys try to make funny scenes with each other non-stop.

Seungyoon: Since we haven’t spent much time together like BIGBANG seniors, we try our best to make memories whenever we get a chance. I realized how there are commonly asked questions like, “Do you have any stories to share while you were trainees otgether?” or “What happened while you were away to go through the scheduled events overseas?” And we don’t have much. We only practiced together as trainees and we just went through the scheduled events while we were away overseas. Because we don’t have much free time to make special memories, we always try to spend good times together within ourselves. For instance, Mino would start us off with aegyo then Seunghoon would add to it by creating funny scenes.

Q: Aside from enjoying yourselves, won’t there be times when you have to talk to each seriously?

Seungyoon: Occasionally, we talk as a group if we get feedbacks from staffs around us on how to improve ourselves as WINNER. For me, I feel more comfortable now than how I felt when I first became a leader on Mnet’s WIN. Back then, I had to take a role as a person who was more experienced to support them, but not anymore because members know how things work in this industry now. Also, I feel less burdensome because I’m not the oldest member although I’m the leader. Oldest member Jinwoo hyung and Seunghoon hyung takes care of everyday life stuff and etc. to the level I won’t have to pay any attention to anything. Thanks to them, I was able to think about what I can contribute to this group as a leader: just trying my best in singing and other stuff. I think that’s my role.

Q: Were members able to grow up as a group as they personally worked in this album?

Seungyoon: I think so in some aspects. Our company’s staffs tried to help us in the beginning. However as we worked on it, they said how it would be necessary for us to get more involved because the album was losing our own style. Our CEO also said, “Are there any sounds you guys made?” when he used to say, “Try recording this song”. Such progress allowed us to “see” how we are at preparing ourselves for our own debut. We were worried about the possibility of sounding too much like amateurs when competing against professionals, but I’m glad just for the fact that we did it. We’re also thankful for staffs and YG because they were the ones who believed and accepted us.

Q: Maybe that’s more like it because you were able to accomplish so much within a short period.

Seungyoon: But when we look at our accomplishments such as being number two on the Oricon chart or number one on music charts, we think less about the fact that we achieved something, but about how thankful we should be to the people who believed in us and supported us. In my opinion, because every member thinks like that, we were able to not lose modestly or slack off, but become more humble. Of course, it’s also didn’t really hit us just yet about everything happening these days. Maybe we can realize how we did well if we receive any awards at the end of the year or perform in a concert hall that’s filled to capacity.

Q: Comparing your current self to your pre-debut self, how do you think you changed?

Seungyoon: I’m very conservative and strong-willed. I used to not cooperate if there is something that I believed is right. But after going through numerous different situations and spending time listening to members’ advices, I thought about how I may not always be right. With my wider “tolerance range”, I learned how there are times when I should not intervene. Maybe I’m more matured now? (laughs)

Q: Don’t you think you grew up/matured too fast?

Seungyoon: I matured in some aspects but did not in the other. There were times when hyungs scolded me for being rude or misbehaving. However, I think I definitely could not avoid maturing through social life or work-related experiences. I realize it when I meet childhood friends or people my age for the fact that I know the answer to something they’re stressed about, or think how their thoughts are simply cute. Then I question myself, “Am I really a stuffy youngster?”

Q: You’re not scared of it?

Seungyoon: No, I’m not. I’m more scared of not having the ability to do anything.

Q: Your voice seems a bit locked today.

Taehyun: When the seasons change, my nasals get inflamed easily. Besides nasal inflammation, I also get homesick frequently. I think it’s because there’s a special fragrance when the seasons change. I remember the times when I smelled that fragrance and I get very emotional. When I get emotional, I get immersed into those emotions, and these days, I think of the past a lot.

Q: Do you think about the time before you debuted?

Taehyun: Yes. I think of my past a lot but it doesn’t mean I’m unsatisfied with my current life. However, recently, when I saw a passing bus, I thought about this. These days I live a life where we ride cars with manager-hyungs and get systematically transported. I sometimes think, “Ah, before I use to ride that 300-something bus around and I transferred to another”. I am very vulnerable to these memories. It might be because I usually think about myself a lot.

Q. Besides music, you express yourself through art. Do you do this when you’re emotional?

Taehyun: Yes. To be honest, I feel more free when I’m holding a brush than when I’m making music. When I make music, I always feel responsibility and burden to an extent. I release that stress by drawing. Because I can draw without thinking and I can control what I want to make.

Q: People seem to call you the “dangerous maknae” who has a lot of thoughts and is a reserved style. (Laugh) What do you think of what the people around you say?

Taehyun: It’ll be good if they could think of me as a maknae to anticipate than a dangerous maknae. I also rely on the hyungs a lot. People who meet me for the first time might think I’m difficult because my personality fluctuates a lot. But the members’ bright and kind side has made me gentler and it’s fun when we’re together. They are hyungs I really need.

Q: You lived with your members from when you were trainees but did you find anything new about your members in this one month after debuting?

Taehyun: When the members get disappointed in themselves, they get really depressed? So I realized that we have to match ourselves a lot. The reason why I was happy with NAVER Starcast’s talk show and thought it was really good was because the members gave each other really good reactions and I could feel that our teamwork improved. Also, after seeing Seunghoon choreograph “Empty”, I was really satisfied. Each member of WINNER have strong characteristics, but instead of trying to do things to show off, I think we are a group that looks best when we express ourselves with controlled motions. I think the choreography of “Empty” expressed that feeling really well. I also like how the choreography has us express ourselves with the detailed movements from the tips of our fingertips. Our faith, trust, and confidence in each other are growing through all this. We give the right amount of trust in each other’s strengths and if they bring good results, trust grows, and we try to learn more from each other. When you think about it, WINNER is a democratic team. (laughs)

Q: Fans think of you as a cat or the maknae who doesn’t talk. It seems like you observe the members a lot.

Taehyun: These days, I feel like I have the potential to be a MC (laughs). People in the company say that as well. Also, my world is already very strong, and my emotions vary a lot but recently, I have found a way to recover quickly when I’m down. I have a hard time being open about my feelings and I’m very shy but recently I was able to express my feelings often.

Q. What do you think of your changed appearance?

Taehyun: It’s interesting. To be honest, when I was student, I thought I was very mature. I really thought my mind was different from kids my age. As I became an adult and entered YG, I realized that I’m so much younger than people my age. There are a lot of things I don’t know and there are a lot of people I don’t know. After entering YG and Winner, my perspective has changed.

Q: The team seems precious to you, how do you want to protect your own world and your team’s teamwork?

Taehyun: I stumbled across this statement once. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. I agreed a lot with it. I think about whether I’ll be able to still have such good times without the members, and the team has become really improtant to me. Because I want to go far in the future, I will remember this phrase well.

Q: How far do you want to go in the future?

Taehyun: I’m not sure. I’m thankful to win no.1 on various music programs and receive good response from Japan, but this isn’t significant. This seems like only the lighting of the wick of a dynamite. Not too long ago, BIGBANG’s TOP hyung also settled us down and told us not to lose tension. I hope that the things we do in the future will be even bigger than what we are doing right now and I’ll be glad if people could think, “Ah, these kids are off to a good start”.

Q: As a team, is there a final goal you want to achieve?

Taehyun: I like the Beatles a lot. They owned a generation and they left their mark in history. I want Winner to be a team like that. Not just a team that’s popular and good looking, I want people to say “WINNER’s music is really good. WINNER are true artists.” I want people to have these thoughts.

Lee Seunghoon

“He’s not just a good rapper, but he can dance (especially free style) amazingly. I’d already seen him dance even before joining the company, but I got shocked that he still wanted to learn more. And his way of speaking while laughing is outstanding. He can easily got closer to girls and older people, I’m a bit envious. (laughs)” by Song Minho

Song Minho

“Mino is an essential element for WINNER. He always brings energy and positivity around him. He’s so friendly that sometimes you cannot stand him. (laughs) He’s not just cute, but when he’s on stage he manages to bring cool performances with confidence. In my opinion he’s one of the top class rappers in Korea.” by Lee Seunghoon

Nam Taehyun

“In the group I’m the eldest member, but Taehyun looks and act a lot more adult-like than me. Since he has a really solid spirit, he’s a person you can totally trust. The most amazing thing is that he becomes really friendly in front of girls. And he has a sexy side too. Taehyun is the member we need and a lot of girls like. (laughs)” by Kim Jinwoo

Kang Seungyoon

“He’s really smart and can understand a lot of things right away. I envy him because he knows how to make his way in life. (Taehyun then made a ranking about this: Mino, Seungyoon, Jinwoo, Hoon and lastly himself) He’s strong. That’s why he can easily carry girls in his arms who become really happy. (laughs)” by Nam Taehyun

Kim Jinwoo

“Among WINNER’s members he’s the cutest and he’s in charge of the visual. Doesn’t he look like a japanese actor? And he’s the most innocent and kind member. He’s the eldest, but since he feels like a little brother, sometimes I suddenly want to cuddle him. (laughs) And his secret weapon are impersonations. Will you see them at our concerts?!” by Kang Seungyoon

Interviewer: You have released your japanese debut album “2014 S/S Japan Collection”, did you have some difficulties or did you realize anything during the recording?

Mino: Pronunciation and accent, of course. Rapping in japanese wasn’t very difficult itself, but I had some worries if I managed to deliver what I wanted to say.

Interviewer: Your rap was perfect, it was really cool!

Mino: Thank you very much! (laughs)

Hoon: It was pronunciation for me as well. In “Just Another Boy”, there’s this 15 seconds-long lyrics that are faster and it becomes more difficult. But, since we recorded the japanese version after we had already recorded the english version, it wasn’t so difficult. Compared to the korean album we finished recording a lot faster.

Jinwoo: To me too, the pronunciation of “chi”, “tsu”, and “zu” was very difficult. You can say I used a low tone (laughing).

Taehyun: To me it was the pronunciation of “to”, in words like “tatoeba” (for example) or “omedeto” (congratulation) I keep saying “tou”.

Seungyoon: Since the lyrics changed, there were several points that became a bit difficult to sing.

Taehyun: In the korean version, the melody and lyrics perfectly matched, but in the japanese version there are some point where it’s a bit different.

Seungyoon: Exactly. Especially in the very low and very high part.

Interviewer: Can you please suggest us a track?

Mino: I suggest “Different”. It’s not a dance track, but the melody is really catchy. Seungyoon and I composed this song together!

Hoon: “Smile Again”, was presented during WIN, but the album version was rearranged by me. I think the image of the song become a bit different. (Admin: To those thinking if this was a typo, no I double-checked the magazine and it states that HOON said this)

Seungyoon: I suggest “But”. The melody is really happy, but actually the lyrics says “I wish you loved me”. This gap is the point of the song, which was composed by Taehyun, by the way.

Jinwoo: The song “Go Up” was composed by all the members for the final of WIN. I still love to hear it.

Seungyoon: And it grows up the tension!

Taehyun: For me it’s “Don’t flirt”. Since it’s a funny song, I’d like to sing it happily with all the members at a karaoke, while eating some delicious food.

Interviewer: You debuted after winning on a reality program, was it hard for you till now?

Taehyun: Actually I’ve been discouraged a lot of times. But thanks to the presence of the members and the support of fans, I managed to go on.

Seungyoon: Before debuting as WINNER, I had experienced a bit of a solo career. But it was just me. When we became a team, I was together with other four people and during the tough and hard periods, we kept going on. Thanks to that pressure, I think we became a lot more like friends.

Hoon: It wasn’t just about winning or losing, but it was our future, so we totally felt a lot of pressure during the reality. But right now we don’t feel as much, right? Maybe it’s just something I can say now (laughing).

Seungyoon: But since we received the first place during music programs, we can totally feel the pressure on our future release (laughing).

Interviewer: In your first Japanese tour what do you want to show? (They’re currently on their Japanese tour, from September to October in 5 different cities)

Hoon: I was in charge of choreography, but since the time for preparation was a bit short I have some dissatisfactions. But I surely want to show to our fans a good and funny concert.

Seungyoon: I want to create a show where we can share our feelings with all the fans. We participated as the opening act to BIGBANG’s “BIGBANG Japan Dome Tour 2013-2014″ in very big concert halls, but we felt a bit distant from the audience. But this time we are performing at Zepp’s concert halls, so we can feel a lot nearer to the audience.

Interviewer: Did you received some advices from BIGBANG members?

Seungyoon: Deasung told us to become famous quickly.

Mino: He even joked saying that, more than songs, comments in japanese are a lot more important. (laughing)

Hoon: Seungri told us to be confident while doing gags and funny comments.

Interviewer: Did you learn some japanese jokes? (laughs)

Hoon: Lately we didn’t learn anything new, but for example “baigaeshi” (Note: A popular catch-phrase meaning “#-times the payback” from Japanese drama ‘Hanzawa Naoki’ )

Jinwoo: We learned the “omotenashi” joke too! I’ve always seen BIGBANG and 2NE1 performing really funny shows, and I thought it was great, so, while having fun ourselves like our seniors, I wanted to make a show where all our fans can have fun as well.

Taehyun: Once, during the last tour, G-Dragon came out on stage wearing sunglasses, he was really charming. Then, in the middle of a song he coolly took his sunglasses off and all the audience went crazy and start screaming even louder. I thought it was so cool that instead of practice singing, I practice taking my sunglasses off. (laughing)

(All members and staff laughing)

Q. Then, lastly teach us WINNER’s strong points!

Seungyoon: Strong performances and a wide range of musicality. In this album you can find a lot of different genres, from R&B to ballad, to upbeat and powerful songs. From now on we would like to become artists that can move people and can express sensitive and serious topics as well.

Mino: Fans from Japan, I love you! I can’t wait to meet you at our concerts!

Taehyun: Everybody, let’s go to karaoke all together! (laughs)

A pleasant chat with Winner “We’re thankful for everything”

Kim KwanMyung

I met with Winner. On the 3rd floor of the YG Building. Without beating around the bush, let’s go with the interview.

Q. Let’s talk about music first. Let’s start with “Empty”

Song Minho: This song was a present from B.I and Bobby, who we competed against in TV. Because the keyword of this  song is strong, we worked to focus on that emotion. While we recorded it, we tried to be as empty as possible. Instead of being more sad or trying to be on the verge of crying, we tried to be without any strength.

Q.Tell us about “Color Ring”

Kang Seungyoon: This song has feeling different from songs that come out these days.Even the topic of color rings (ringtones). I wanted to pull out the emotions from songs about ringtones [in the older generation] that I empathized with. The superficial theme of the song is about a past lover but this song is actually about regret. The song is about the regret of “If I had done that like this…”.

Q. “I’m Him” is good

Song Minho: First of all , The title itself is strong. I made this song as strong as possible because this way my solo song, simultaneous with ou debut, and I wanted to make it differently from WINNER’s concept, also I wanted to fully appeal to the public. The song is amusing due to the metaphors in it.

Q. “I’m confessing” has many fans

Nam Taehyun: Personally, I like simplicity. I wanted to express myself with just a piano and my voice; I wanted my voice to be delivered well. You could say I recorded this in one take. That’s why I think my sincerity and originality is truly alive in this song. I rawly expressed the sounds of my breathing, the shushes in between my singing,and things line that .

Q. This Might be a cruel question. What did you think about B.I and Bobby’s activities as WIN Team B in “Show Me the Money 3”?

Song Minho: It’s not a cruel question (laughs). They are dongsaengs we like. While watching “SMTM”, I encouraged them a lot. I could see them lose a lot of weight during the show so I sympathised with them. I watched them every week on TV and they did really well. As a rapper, personally, I was more thankful. I was also proud of them. They did well in showing the feelings that I would have shown. I was proud of them for breaking the prejudice against idol rappers.

Kang Seungyoon: I felt pride as a viewer. Men are blind in their own cause. I was delighted to see them mature through the broadcast. I had goosebumps when B.I performed really well in the last round.

Q. How do you feel about the newly begun “Mix and Match”?

Song Minho: We know the feeling all too well so we worry a lot. But they are friends who do well.

Kang Seungyoon: Friends other than B.I and Bobby will improve a lot through this program. I hope they endure this difficult time and mature well with the name “iKon”.

Lee Seunghoon: (imitating YG’s voice) I hope they endure this difficult time and mature well with the name “iKon”. (all laugh)

Q. How bad is Seunghoon’s injury?

Lee Seunghoon: I fell during the concert in Singapore.

Song Minho: He fell hard. It was really dangerous.

Lee Seunghoon: I had my in-ears on and i was filming something while on a brightly lit stage and I fell 2 meters. It’s a relied it wasn’t worse.

Kang Seungyoon: This hyung came right back up the stage after falling so we didn’t know he was in pain. As soon as we were backstage he cried. I was thankful. He looked cool. He sang 2 songs while he was injured.

Q. Kim Jinwoo, do you have any pressure as the eldest?

Kim Jinwoo: The kids grew up well by themselves. As of now, I haven’t reprimanded them or got mad at them. I think it would be best to stay as they are

Q. Are you getting use to promoting in Japan?

Lee Seunghoon: We were on a Japan dome tour with Big Bang seniors. After we opened for them, I tried hard to remember the repertoire and their talks. There are noo difficulties in recording songs and practicing but it is very difficult to talk in Japanese because we need to deal with it quickly. We sometimes talk in Japanese.

Q. Let’s talk about the competition you have against this year’s rookies such as GOT7 and Red Velvet.

Kang Seungyoon: I am a fan of Red Velvet. They’re too fresh.

Kim Jinwoo: You seem to have ulterior motives. (Laughs)

Kang Seungyoon: Because we promoted around the same time, we met each other a lot and I smiled automatically. I think their concept was really good. They have a similar basis as other girl groups from SM but they are refreshing

Lee Seunghoon: We are close with GOT7. We are really close with them.

Kang Seungyoon: I wish K-POP became bigger through our competition against them.

Lee Seunghoon: (Imitating YG’s voice) To vitalist the K-pop market.. (All laughs)

Q. Basically, the long-awaited album did well. You are starting your Japan tour on the 23rd.

Lee Seunghoon: Before the album was released, I worried a lot. I worried about having to show something that YG hadn’t shown before. I also worried about how to break the image of being the next Big Bang. Fortunately, the reaction was better than expected. I feel that people of a wide age range like our music unlike other idol groups where only young people like their music.

Nam Taehyun: I didnt know that people would love us this much. I am grateful. We have packed schedules but as a group who have just debuted, it is a new experience. There are many things i learn and feel.

Kim Jinwoo: We have gone to many countries through the YG Family concerts. It’s difficult to fly for long hours but because it is such a new experience, I like it. I learn many things when I am with our seniors.

Kang Seungyoon: I’m thankful for the world tour and other gigs. We will do our best to express our more matured selves in our next album. I think this is the only way we can pay back all the love we are receiving.

Song Minho: Every day is a repetition of surprise and thankfulness. We can get carried away with all these things and all this love doesnt let us settle don in reality. I make sure to have humility every day

The interview that lasted for one hour was enjoyable. However Taehyun honest exposure that he cannot hear in his left ear, making it difficult to compose, which makes him more obsessed with sound and once even falling in too deep into the audio, making him forget about his duty as a singer. As a reporter, The talk was unexpectedly serious as they talked about Lee Seunghoon staying until the end of the encore despite his injury, the members’ surprise and gratefulness, and Song Minho’s gushing vehemence as a rapper. Above anything, their values and opinions on their songs in their album was solid and cool-headed. That’s right. WINNER has much more to show in the future.

Big Bang’s little brothers WINNER have come!!

It has passed 8 years since YG Entertainment debuted Big Bang. Winner has come to Mini for their first interview. Their debut album ranked two in the Oricon Weekly chart and have only started their journey, and we have taken a closer look at the boys behind the name WINNER.

Taking us one step closer to the true faces of WINNER: 10 Q&A’s and personal rankings.

Jinwoo’s BEST 3:

Who does the most skin-ship?

1. Seungyoon

2. Seunghoon

3. Mino

Favorite song by WINNER: Confession. The lyrics are sexy.

Favorite color: Purple. It has this special feel to it.

What type of girls do you like: White skin, big eyes, around 164cm. Someone who’s more like a puppy or a cat.

What perfume do you use: Coco by Chanel.

When was your first love: Still haven’t experienced it.

What to do sleep in: Only in my underwear.

What’s your motto: There’s nothing that can’t be achieved by hard work.

What’s a gesture that makes your heart race faster: When someone pats my head.

Something that made you smile recently: When we placed first on a music show.

A message to the readers: Even if we get more popular I always want to do fan meets!

Seungyoon’s BEST 3:

Who’s the most popular with the girls?

1. Taehyun

2. Mino

3. Seunghoon

Favorite song by WINNER: GO UP. It’s a very special song to us.

Favorite color: I like monotone colors, but if I have to pick one apart from that it’s red.

What type of girls do you like: Someone who has a very charming personality, face and body. I like people who possess many type of different charms.

What perfume do you use: Yves Saint Laurent.

When was your first love: All the members of our fan club are my first love(s).

What to do sleep in: Only in my underwear.

What’s your motto: Change is the key to success.

What’s a gesture that makes your heart race faster: When someone leans their head against my shoulder.

Something that made you smile recently: I always laugh when I’m with the rest of the members.

A message to the readers: Please listen to our album!

Seunghoon’s BEST 3:

Who likes getting pampered the most?

1. Mino

2. Jinwoo

3. Seungyoon

Favorite song by WINNER: BUT. I like the songs Taehyun made.

Favorite color: Green.

What type of girls do you like: Someone charming. I realized this after meeting our fans, because they are all very charming.

What perfume do you use: Versace (for women)

When was your first love: Still haven’t experienced it.

What to do sleep in: Only in my underwear.

What’s your motto: There’s no such thing that’s called a worthless experience in this world. It means that everything that you go through will help you grow.

What’s a gesture that makes your heart race faster: Unpretentious body touches.

Something that made you smile recently: When I finished making the choreography for our songs.

A message to the readers: Please support us a lot!

Taehyun’s BEST 3:

Who’s the manliest?

1. Seunghoon

2. Seungyoon

3. Mino

Favorite song by WINNER: DON’T FLIRT. The rap by Mino and Seunghoon is cool.

Favorite color: Black. Because I think I look good in it.

What type of girls do you like: Someone with pretty hands.

What perfume do you use: Silver Mountain by Creed.

When was your first love: When I was in elementary school.

What to do sleep in: Only in my underwear.

What’s your motto: Do not hold onto possessions that you no longer need. (Buddhist quote).

What’s a gesture that makes your heart race faster: When someone with a beautiful smile smiles at me.

Something that made you smile recently: Recently I feel the happiest when I sleep.

A message to the readers: We will work hard in both learning Japanese and our activities here in Japan so please support us!

Mino’s BEST 3:

Who responds the fastest at texts or SNS messages?

1. Jinwoo

2. Seungyoon, Taehyun

3. Seunghoon

Favorite song by WINNER: I’M HIM. It’s my solo song.

Favorite color: Black and Gold. It makes you look like you’re rich.

What type of girls do you like: Someone who has the same sense of humor as me.

What perfume do you use: Versace

When was your first love: At 18.

What to do sleep in: Only in my underwear. All the members sleep in only their underwear.

What’s your motto: This too shall pass (quote in English).

What’s a gesture that makes your heart race faster: It’s not a gesture but when someone smells nice.

Something that made you smile recently: Our fan meetings.

A message to the readers: Please expect great things from us!

YG Winner 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Ize Magazine interview translation by @timthemine, @yg_winner & @themYGboys 1 2 3 4 5
YG Winner 1 2 3
Geekan Exile Magazine interview translation by kalaea YG Winner
HMV interview translation by @chrissy96_ YG Winner
Mini Magazine interview translated by Isabella @ fy-winner scans by @5KI2NE8

This is a catch up post I made for myself BC I TOTALLY MISSED HALF OF THIS STUFFFFF. Ize and HMV are must reads, the rest is just eye candy + fanservice. Speaking of fanservice...

(c)
(AND THEY ARE BACK TO PROMOTING WITH DON'T FLIRT!!!!) (BUT THEY ARE DOING NOTHING EXCEPT THAT IN KOREA!!!) (I HATE YG!!!!)

Comments

[bauci.livejournal.com]

OP, you should be proud of this monster of a post, I'm in awe.

[kaninasan.livejournal.com]

Mte

[kaninasan.livejournal.com]

BLESS YOU FOR THIS POST!

I'll read it all later when I have time

[piqapique.livejournal.com]

What is this perfection?
Everyone should stan Winner. I mean, them boys can definitely twerk.

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

My bb OP
where is my report?
How are you? how is lady bunny?
did she miss you? is she mad you left her?

[babyonions.livejournal.com]

I was busy with real life for the past few days :(
The report hmmm... I ate my weight in takoyaki and sundubu jjigae, I bought too much makeup (AND I WON'T EVEN USE IT) bc everything was so cute and cheap and now I'm waiting for my kdrama transformation. I also bought so muuuuuuch clothes, my bank account is a sad place rn. I actually fit in clothes in Japan and Korea, this was the biggest shock bc I'm not the tiniest girl tbh
From the cities we visited, I have to say Kyoto was the biggest disappointment. I really didn't enjoy it (maybe bc we went around on bikes and I'm a lazy ass), I felt like it was a big tourist trap? Temples were nice, but I'm not a big fan of Kyoto, tho it's a pretty city. Osaka and Tokyo on the other hand were great, especially Osaka. I didn't expect I'd like it so much, even with male prostitutes we've seen around and shady streets lol
Korea.. NEVER DRIVE IN KOREA!!!! 3 days of driving on Jeju made me lose 10 years of my life. Jeju is wonderful, Busan is great (cheap food, cheap drinks, cute boys). We went to temple stay in Korea and tbh, I'm still disappointed. The program is great if you speak Korean, but the English program is lacking. It was a nice experience, but I wouldn't go again tbh
Seoul.. I think I prefer it to Tokyo? It's more relaxed, dirtier and it's a city I could live in one day. And now I'll go back to crying bc I'm poor and I want to go back :(

This is some long rambling, I still didn't process everything and I really don't know what to talk about lol
Lady bunny hates me rn, she's currently trying to eat my socks in revenge for me leaving her :(

[kitty9163.livejournal.com]

Hoon and Yoon should make a subunit tbh

[awsteven.livejournal.com]

my ovaries wouldn't be able to handle the perfection

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

They look so good in the shoots. I'm glad you're back OP. Us lazy winner stans need someone like you.

[atopworld.livejournal.com]

I think we all thought someone else would make the posts...and turns out no one did...lol.

[atopworld.livejournal.com]

I can't stop laughing at those gifs. What the hell is happening...Jinwoo lmaooo omg. I'm weak.

[icedevil0289.livejournal.com]

"Versace (for women)"
the emphasis

[leighbee333.livejournal.com]

lol ikr

[purekpopology.livejournal.com]

I swear every time I see Taehyun, I have hearts in my eyes!!! He always seems to surprise me with what he says too.

I really have to give OP props, because I've been following the ygwinner tumblr, and thought I'd read all these yet somehow there was one I missed!!!!!!! Flawless execution OP.

[princetabi.livejournal.com]

i keep trying to leave a comment and lj won't let me so i'm sorry if all of a sudden there are 5 of the same comments lol

"a stuffy youngster..." seungyoon is so precious ;__; I'm glad his role as the leader isn't too burdensome to him yet and that he has older members to take the lead in other areas. He doesn't seem like the type of leader to tell everyone what to do anyway.

I worry about Jinwoo bc of his self esteem and his tendency to worry. I hope that performing more and getting good responses from fans helps him with his confidence. The other members clearly love him and believe in him and he needs to do the same for himself.

Seunghoon seems so chill and nice. but lol bb I don't think you're going to have a benz for a long time

[mlmello.livejournal.com]

seunghoon is everything and everything is seunghoon.

[justawhim07.livejournal.com]

seunghoon's snark/imitations (of YG) in interviews is killing me HAHA

[hellodee16.livejournal.com]

When was your first love: All the members of our fan club are my first love(s).

Alright, Yoon, you better knock that shit off. It's gonna get you in trouble someday. xD

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

I know he's really grateful to Winner fans but these are the statement that come to bite you in the ass so stop.

For Science

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

Re: For Science

[babyonions.livejournal.com]

I see you, trying to get back into my good graces with dick pics.. it's working
And apparently Yoon is the winner in Winner so D A M N

[overflowers.livejournal.com]

I love how while the rest of the groups on MCD Begins just used their hands to shake the pedometer, Winner's like: eff this, BUTTS.🍑

If anyone is curious where the gifs came from

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

That is some flop twerking. I feel like Winner is gonna get more and more embarrassing.

Re: If anyone is curious where the gifs came from

[asteri5k.livejournal.com]

lmao. they're exhausting and wonderfully weird.

they were the only ones who twerked to shake the pedometer. lol.

they're like 2PM "kkap" embarrassing but less manly and with infinitely more aegyo and ships.

TONIGHT!!

[piqapique.livejournal.com]

The ghost sound from Tonight is creepy as fuck. Nobody gonna comment on that?

[ashiva.livejournal.com]

After their Japanese tour ends YG better put them into all the Korean varieties he just can.

[leighbee333.livejournal.com]

Q: As a team, is there a final goal you want to achieve?
Taehyun: I like the Beatles a lot. They owned a generation and they left their mark in history. I want Winner to be a team like that.

They also, like, revolutionized pop & rock music, so


What type of girls do you like: Someone charming. I realized this after meeting our fans, because they are all very charming
When was your first love: All the members of our fan club are my first love(s).

I really wish idols would stop with this pandering bullshit.

[hipployta.livejournal.com]

Taehyun is so pretty...you better slay

[kawaaiipie.livejournal.com]

I didn't even read the interview I was too busy staring at the pics lol.
Winner in black and white is heaven.

[babyonions.livejournal.com]

I'm waiting for subs tbh, but maybe I'll post them before bc I also want to spazz about Different AKA THE BEST SONG OF THIS SUMMER

And for icons, I only know about CLICK CLICK CLICK (http://quedesetrangers.livejournal.com/)