Seoul mates
The five girls of 4Minute are young, driven and insanely cute. Sometimes dressed in black but most of the time in Skittles colors, they look something straight out of a Teen Vogue fashion editorial — had it been storyboarded with the aid of soju and Babel Fish. The Korean pop universe is a place inhabited by rather singular creatures, singing and dancing in tandem to lyrics oddly decorated with English phrases. They are but the latest.
4Minute — Ji Hyun, 20; Ga Yoon, 19; Ji Yoon, 19; Hyun A, 17; and So Hyun, 15 — may be K-pop newbies, but they could have what it takes to make it big. They’ve already received a bunch of accolades in Seoul: Cyworld’s Rookie of the Month, SBS Power Rookie in 2009 and a Golden Disk Awards Newcomer award (shared with T-ara). They’ve also managed to clinch a few endorsements — crucial in the celebrity industry — during their freshman year; they’ve done everything from hawking the Sony Walkman E series to opening the Seoul Character & Licensing Fair.
It’s quite a feat that they, along with fellow South Korean acts, have captured the fascination of Asia’s youth despite perceived setbacks. What they lack in English skills they more than make up for with passion, catchy hooks and all-out production design.
So testing my mastery of cross-cultural communication, I indulged in a bit of guilty fun with the hotties of 4Minute. I was expecting a pants-wetting, Me Talk Pretty One Day kind of interview, but what I got from these ladies was a sincerely upbeat vibe. I could really tell that they were amped to finally meet their fans in Manila.
How did 4Minute start and what does your name mean?
We officially got together in April 2009. 4Minute is made up of five people who each have their own dreams and goals but who came together to try and make those dreams come true. Of course, Cube Entertainment, our management, played a big role in making it all possible. By the way, 4Minute also stands for the time we hope it takes to catch people’s attention and get them dancing to our music!
Do you like performing or recording songs?
We enjoy doing both but in completely different ways. We like performing our choreography on stage and sometimes it makes us nervous, but in a good way. We end up having so much fun! We like seeing our fans’ reactions whenever we have a show.
As for recording, it can be a long and difficult process since we really have to concentrate. It all pays off though when the song comes out. Hearing our voices together makes us happy, too!
Do you think K-pop acts can compete with established performers like Lady GaGa or Rihanna?
The K-pop scene is still developing. But Korean singers work very hard so in the future, why not?
You guys have a growing fanbase in the Philippines. How do you feel about the fact that your music reaches people around the world who may not even speak Korean?
It’s a marvelous feeling. The Internet has helped spread our music to different parts of the world. We’re glad, but we also feel a sense of responsibility to those who love our songs, especially our Filipino fans. Whenever we hear news like this, it makes us work even harder to become better performers.
On that note, have you even heard of the Philippines? If so, what about it?
Lots of Koreans talk about how beautiful the Philippine islands are, about the beaches and nature in general. One of us has a friend who studies there and we heard that there are lots of talented Filipino singers.
Our time is almost up. Any message for your fans in the Philippines? I’m pretty sure they’re totally excited to see you perform.
We’d like to say hi to everybody! Thank you for all your support. We’ve been practicing hard for our shows in the Philippines and we hope to live up to everyone’s expectations. We promise to give it our best and we can’t wait to meet the 4Nias! Thank you once again. It’s such an honor to be invited to your country. We’ll give a fantastic performace!
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Ji Hyun, Ga Yoon, Ji Yoon, Hyun A, So Hyun, collectively known as 4Minute, will be in Manila from Feb. 4 — 8 for a series of mall shows and autograph signing sessions.
Feb. 5 — SM Mall of Asia, Main Mall Atrium 6 p.m.
Feb. 6 — SM Megamall, New Event Center 5 p.m.
Feb. 7 — SM North EDSA, Annex Event Center 5 p.m.
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4Minute’s Philippine promo tour is presented by Talk N’ Text Tipid Sulit Together and SM Supermalls. Media partners include MYX Your Choice Your Music, Tambayan 101.9 San’ Ka Pa, ASAP XV and ABS-CBN. Official residence of 4Minute in Manila, EDSA Shangri-la Hotel.
To get 4Minute’s music on your Talk N Text mobile phones, simply text 4MINUTE to 234. To become a member of the 4Minute official fan club, register at www.4minute.ph.
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Special thanks to Odyssey and O Music stores, Cube Entertainment and Kathy Choy of MCA Music Inc.
