MANILA, Philippines - Korean pop group Beast is your best example of Asian harmony — literally and figuratively. Interviewed through the wonders of video conferencing, the band says its edge over similar acts is unity despite their diversity.
“The six of us have our different styles and characters,” they chorus. “This makes us different from other male K-pop groups.”
Speaking through an interpreter, each of the members took turns singing each other’s praises for everyone to hear.
Du Jun Yoon, they say, “is a good leader, funny and smart.”
As he should. The 20-year-old guy is like the big brother who monitors all the members and makes sure their needs are met.
He joined part of a reality show with 12 other guys. But he got eliminated and moved on to train under Cube Entertaiment.
Fellow members admire the youngest guy, Dong Woon Son, 18, for “his deep (set) eyes and good singing voice.”
The others, Hyun Seung Jang, Jun Hyung Yong, Yo Seop Yang and Gi Kwang Lee have their own virtues, like good dancing skills, on stage charisma and simply “being nice to be around.”
It’s all for one and one for all.
After all, these guys not only share a passion for music. They’re also veterans of life’s school of hard knocks. Before they stayed in the spacious house “where we always have fun together, the boys knew how it was to face rejection..
Dance machine-vocalist Hyun Seung Jang was booted out from a boy band’s documentary show. Rapper Jun Hyung Yong had to re-train before joining Beast because somebody else took over his spot in his previous group.
Not one to cry over spilled milk, they packed their bags and moved on.
No wonder no amount of on stage accidents can put them down.
“One time,” they recall, “We sang the wrong song on stage. It was raining and we fell from the stage.”
But that didn’t keep them from rising to their feet again “because the fans are watching and we always try to give our best.”
Today, barely a year after they banded together, they don’t even have time to look back at those funny, embarrassing moments.
“Our busy schedule does not give us time for family and friends anymore,” the members sigh.
That’s the price they have to pay for success.
Last December, Beast won two rookie awards from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Korea and Cyworld Digital Music for their song Mystery. They also bagged the Best Newcomer Award in the recent 19th Seoul Music Awards.
Manila will see the group live when they come over, first for a meet and greet at SM Megamall New Event Center on Wednesday, June 16, 5 to 8 p.m. and on Thursday, June 17, 5 to 8 p.m. at the fourth floor of The Annex, SM City North EDSA.
The members will sign album covers of their latest CD, Shock of the New Era (MCA Music, Inc.) at the venue entrance. Those who want to buy the album can do so from 10 a.m. to 12 midnight.
Then, Beast will join Kin Hyung Joong in K-Pop Meets P-Pop at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, June 19, 8 p.m.
Yoon, Du Jun, who has already visited the country, says he can’t wait to taste the delicious mangoes again. His eyes light up when he remembers how “the very friendly” Filipinos he met.
His fellow members sound just as eager to come over.
For starters, all the members have learned to say Mabuhay — a word they repeated over and over during the video conference.
It was here that they described their ideal date as “meeting fans in the Philippines”
And, judging by the fact that a Philippine-based group that call themselves Best, was formed to mimic the band, the K-pop group is not wanting in fans in this part of the world.
Far from being irked, the Beast members are tickled pink at finding out that they have wannabes in the country.
“It’s an honor to be mimicked,” they react to news about their copycat. “In fact,” they add, “we’d like to meet the group when we come over there soon.”
Meanwhile, the girls out there are counting the days when they will finally see their idols — singing and dancing — right before their very eyes.