TV Report recently shared an interview with MBLAQ who released their newest mini-album, “Mona Lisa“, earlier this morning.
Back when they debuted in October of 2009, MBLAQ was mostly known for being Rain’s project idol group. Two mini-albums and one full album release later, members Seungho, G.O, Lee Joon, Thunder, and Mir were able to shed that label and prove that they possessed real talent.
The group humbly stated that although the name MBLAQ is now widely known, they have yet to release any real hit songs. With that, the group met with TV Report for their interview and shared their goal to promote a true hit with their new album.
==
- “We want to release a song that represents MBLAQ.”
From their unique album concept to a completely new music style, MBLAQ has finally returned with their third mini-album, “Mona Lisa.”
Leader Seungho said, “After monitoring our progress, we’ve realized that only our fans really knew our songs while the general population still can’t recognize most of our title tracks. As such, we’ve chosen a track this time that we hope people of all ages will enjoy and remember.”
Mir added, “When you say 2PM, you think ‘beastly idols’. MBLAQ still doesn’t have a set image like that, nor do we have any notable hit tracks. We hope that we can find our group’s unique image with this promotion.”
Main vocalist G.O said, “It’s the greatest flaw for a singer not to have a trademark song. As pop singers, our goal is to be recognized by any and all people by our music alone.” He reiterated, “We need to make this album the one that finally sets us apart.”
==
- “B2ST as our rivals? Of course we’re jealous.”
MBLAQ and B2ST debuted only one day apart from each other back in October 2009, and have been labeled as rivals since the beginning. Seungho candidly revealed, “B2ST definitely does a lot of things better than we do. We’re human so of course we get a little jealous when B2ST does well, but that’s what makes us work even harder.”
He added, “We always support B2ST’s successes and make sure to congratulate them when something goes well.”
G.O said, “It’s true that the main reason our two groups get compared a lot is because of our debut dates, but we don’t think of it as a competition that we need to win. We just want to make good music.”
==
- “Created by Rain? We weren’t worried at first.”
Although they’re under different management now, MBLAQ was formed under Rain’s direct supervision. Since it was also Rain’s first time with production, it seems that he and the group both felt the pressure.
Seungho noted, “A lot of people paid attention to us because we were created under Rain’s name. Even though everyone thinks we probably felt pressured by that, we didn’t really understand what it meant at the time of our debut. More than anything, we thought of it casually, but we’re starting to understand now why it was such a big deal, since any of our actions would be a reflection of Rain-hyung himself.” He concluded, “We work extra hard now and will continue to grow because of that.”
==
- “MBLAQ, leader of the next Hallyu wave.”
MBLAQ took their first international steps to Japan in May with their single album, ‘Your Luv‘, which placed first in the Oricon chart. Member Lee Joon commented, “We only promoted there for a month, but surprisingly we received a lot of love. We were very grateful.”
The group is popular not only in Japan, but also all over Asia as well. Thunder, who was revealed to be the younger brother of 2NE1’s Sandara, is especially popular in the Philippines where he grew up. Just like how 2PM’s Nichkhun is considered the ‘prince of Thailand’, it seems that Thunder has come to be the ‘prince of the Philippine’s. He said, “Our entertainment company hasn’t said anything about an official debut over there, but we will continue to promote and perform there occasionally. We want our music to be heard everywhere.”
==
- “First solo concert within two years of debut.”
MBLAQ will be holding their first solo concert next month and are preparing to show fans a whole new side to themselves. Lee Joon laughed, “Our manager told us not to expect any sleep for the next month, so we hope everyone is looking forward to a spectacular concert with us.”
Mir added, “We’re each preparing solo stages that fans will be surprised to see.” Member G.O will be revealing a solo track for the first time at the concert. Seungho and Thunder are, of course, busy preparing their own stages for the show as well.
With all their humble charms, good looks and musical talent, MBLAQ continues to capture more and more hearts. Keep an eye on the group’s progress by following their upcoming performances for “Mona Lisa”!
Source: TV Report via Nate
