"Honestly, it was hard"... 'Debut 14th year' Teen Top, the only thing that has changed is 'age'

Teen Top, who has been in their 14th year of debut, will reorganize into a 4-member group and start their activities again. Although their stamina has decreased, they expressed their determination to approach with exciting and upbeat music like Teen Top.

On the 4th, at Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjang-dong, Seoul, Teen Top's 'Teen Top [4SHO]' release showcase was held.

Teen Top, which debuted on July 10, 2010, was reorganized into a four-member group after Niel, Chunji, Ricky, Changjo, L.Joe in 2017, and Cap withdrew this year. Niel expressed his feelings, "It's been a while since we've made a comeback. It's been a while since we've had a showcase like this, so I'm nervous and excited." Changjo showed off his good condition, saying, "Yesterday, after preparing for the showcase and finishing practice, I went to bed." Ricky said, "I paid attention to my appearance. I worked hard on my diet."

Regarding the reason he thought about making a comeback, Niel said, "The fans who have been waiting for us wanted to see us as a complete group. While we were thinking about what stage we should take, senior Yoo Jae-seok kept mentioning it (on the air), so we said, 'Let's try it once'. I could think of it. I am grateful to my senior. He is the person who made me prepare for the album by holding my heart together." Then, he said, "I want to express my gratitude by meeting you even in private, not on the air," and "Please like this song a lot." When asked what it would be like to ask Yoo Jae-suk for a challenge, he said shyly, "I'll ask you once I meet you." Chunji said, "The group was reorganized into 4 members, and they said to work hard. There were also fans who waited for us, so we worked harder. We were more proud and united."

When asked if it was easy to prepare for a comeback together after seeing each other for the first time in a while, Niel laughed, "To be honest, it was difficult. In the past, it was difficult when we met often and practiced. He also laughed, saying, "We were preparing for a concert together, so we said, 'I am right, you are right'. We talked a lot of love." Changjo said, "At first, we quarreled, but we're used to seeing friends after a long time." At the same time, he said, "But the physical part was different from before."

This album 'Forsure' contains 5 songs including the title song 'Poof', 'NEXT YOU', 'Because it's not you 2023', 'Poof' sped up version, and an instrument. done. 'For Sure' means 'For Sure', which means that it is natural and certain, and it is a 'sure promise' that Teen Top gives to the angels (fandom name) they have been with for a long time. The reason why this album is more special is that it is a new album released after a 3-year hiatus and an album released after a 4-member reorganization.

The title song 'Poof' is a funky track with an exciting brass sound. It contains the meaning of blowing away daily stress and worries like a cool breeze in midsummer. Jieum Seo, a hit lyricist, and Josef Merlin, who made music for Shinee and Super Junior, participated.

Niel, who presented an exciting stage, was satisfied, saying, "I practiced for a long time and showed it to you, and I am satisfied. There are still some areas that I lack, but I will fill in more." Chunji said, "It can be called a vacation song or a diet song. I hope it coolly blows away the stress of everyday life." Niel asked, "Many of the fans are now office workers or are in their 20s or older. It's summer vacation season, and if you listen to this song while traveling or going somewhere, it will make your trip more fun."

When asked if the diet had any effect, Ricky laughed, "When we heard that we were making a comeback, we didn't take care of ourselves until then, so we had off-season faces. We lost weight while practicing." Changjo added, "There was a time when it was popular online that the teen top diet was popular. I wonder if I could lose a lot of weight with this song."

Regarding the choreography, Changjo said, "The choreography we have shown so far, such as 'No kidding' and 'Girl with long straight hair', can be difficult because it has a lot of staff. there is,” he explained. Ricky also performed a point choreography, such as raising his arms happily and shaking his shoulders lightly. Creation brought laughter by revealing the behind-the-scenes story, "Unlike 10 years ago, I am getting older, so I thought it would be difficult to do the staff choreography as a point choreography.

The second track 'Next You' is a fan song for fans. Words such as 'You next to me', 'Puzzle pieces we were looking for', and 'The sun rises at the end of the night' were incorporated into the lyrics to express the close relationship with Angel. 'Because It's Not You 2023' is an R&B genre where you can feel another emotion of Teen Top, and the members' mournful vocals are impressive. In particular, it is noteworthy that this song, which was included in the first regular album in 2013 and has been constantly mentioned, was directly selected as a song that fans want to hear again through the 'TEEN TOP Re-Cording Project'.

Teen Top re-recorded '2023 because it's not you' after 10 years. Niel said, "We were minors 10 years ago. The lyrics are about a guy with a bit of a bad attitude. When we sang it at the time, I don't think we conveyed our emotions well. The appeal was a bit low. It feels like we sang because we had to sing. After 10 years, we understand the lyrics a little more. I was able to sing more appealingly,” he explained. Then, he laughed, saying, "It's not my sincerity."

Regarding the speed-up version of 'Swish', Niel said, "There are a lot of people who have been assigned to sing while doing the challenge. I thought it would be nice to include it on the album." The speed-up version refers to music made by speeding up 120 to 150% of the original song. Niel said, "The up version is good for those who do aerobics and exercise. The BPM definitely goes up. I felt that it was different from the original song."

At the time of their debut, the average age of the members was 16.3 years old, but even now, ahead of the 13th anniversary of their debut, all of the members are in their 20s. Niel said, "We debuted when we were very young, and as we got older, I became in my 20s again. It feels good, but Ricky and I are the same age." My 'genealogy' in Teen Top got twisted when I started using my age. When Ricky said, "I'm the same age as Niel, I'll ask if it's OK to talk to him or if we can treat him as friends." Niel replied, "I don't care what year he was born. I was born in 1994 and Ricky was born in 1995, so I still think I'm the older brother." brought a smile

As a memorable moment during his long career, Niel said, “It was the moment when I stood on stage after a concert. It was a moment when many fans sang songs and waved lightsticks at that moment. I think I will live with that memory in the future. It may be an impossible scene, but I think I've experienced it."

When asked if it was an event-type activity, Chunji hinted, "It's not an event-type activity. I plan to continue promoting in the future. I plan to meet overseas fans after completing my activities in Korea." Niel also said, "I don't think it's possible if we don't worry about the future. We thought about how long we could sing together as idols. Whenever that happened, the members said to each other, 'Let's at least let the fans who love us stay until the end.' Rather than worrying about the future, I worry more about what kind of music I can present now.” Ricky said, "The secret that Teen Top never changes is that there are many people who remember us. Also, we can be here thanks to our fans and angels." I have the same intention to do it," he said.

When asked if there was a modifier he wanted to hear, Niel said, "In the past, we were often called super-presidents. Now, it seems that students don't know me. Now, I want to let them know about me and become 'MZ'." brought a smile Cheon Ji-do also wished, "I hope elementary school students know a lot about us. I think it would be nice to become the super-president."

Teen Top's 'Forsure' will be released on the 4th at 6pm on each music site.

Reporter Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia bella@tenasia.co.kr