HiUP Entertainment's second girl group UNCHILD announced the birth of K-pop's 'rule breaker'.
UNCHILD (Park Ye-eun, Hiki, Tina, Ako, Lee Bon, Na Ha-eun) held a debut single "We Are UNCHILD" release showcase on the 21st at Bluesquare Woori WON Banking Hall in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
The girl group UNCHILD, the first girl group HiUP Entertainment is presenting about six years after STAYC, combined the prefix 'UN-' meaning overturning normalcy with 'CHILD(PERSON)', meaning a person not confined by any standard, in the team name. Using a tadpole symbol that defies standardized molds to express the team's unique identity, they declared departure from existing fixed notions and standards and are expected to present a new paradigm for the 5th generation.
Including Na Ha-eun of "Awesome Ha-eun," who has 5 million subscribers, Park Ye-eun, a former contestant of Mnet "I-LAND2 : N/a," Hiki who serves as the musical center and anchors the team with solid skills and leadership as leader and main rapper, Tina from China with dazzling visuals and unique talent, Ako from Japan who is a quirky and eccentric "killing part maker," and main vocalist Lee Bon who raises musical completeness with a distinctive voice, came together as UNCHILD members. Talented members with diverse backgrounds are expected to present shocking and original performances.
Na Ha-eun said, "The six of us have been running toward today, and now that debut day has come it feels like a dream. Since I used to film cover dances alone and do broadcasts alone since I was young, I had a dream of dancing the dances I love with many people. It was so happy to coordinate with the members and try group practice. Having five older sisters makes me feel as strong as the Avengers," and added, "It would be a lie to say there was no pressure. There was pressure, but I accepted it as good pressure and devoted myself to trainee life to show the public a great appearance as idol Na Ha-eun."
Park Ye-eun said, "After being eliminated there were many worries, but I'm overwhelmed and emotional to debut with the six members. I will work harder from now on," and added, "I cried a lot then, but entering during a difficult time allowed me to practice with determination. There is a lyric that goes 'slightly get over the speed bump called fear,' and if I didn't have the mindset to overcome fear then, now I have become Park Ye-eun who can easily get over it."
The debut single "We Are UNCHILD" is an album that announces UNCHILD's meaningful first start, fully containing the team's aspiration to refuse 'normalcy' through the prefix 'UN-' and to sublimate their unique individuality into a special energy without being bound by predetermined molds.
The debut track "UNCHILD" is an electronic pop song that features a garage-like sound and carries a bold message of lightly overcoming the speed bump called fear and moving toward a new adventure. Rough electric guitar riffs and psychedelic electronic sounds combine to complete UNCHILD's intense proclamation.
In particular, choreographers Renan (RENAN), Baby Zoo (BABY ZOO), and Root (ROOT), who have proven trendy sensibilities while collaborating with numerous K-pop artists, directed the choreography for the debut track "UNCHILD," and the members also participated in the choreography for the dance break section, the song's highlight.
Na Ha-eun said, "There are two points. There is choreography that opens like a door, which means opening a new door. The dance break Hiki and I made is another point. It's the part where you bend down at the waist and then lift your head up. It's also a face attack and a drop part, so I hope many people will watch it as the 'get out of the way' challenge," and added, "I hadn't choreographed much before so I had many worries, but whether it was adopted or not we decided to put everything we wanted in, so we put our heads together and practiced. The section I liked most was chosen, so I'm very happy." Hiki said, "From verse one to the dance break we made it, and because the period was short we worried about what to do, but we put our heads together and are happy we were able to finish it safely."
Na Ha-eun especially said, "If there's a performance distinction from other groups, I think it's teamwork. Teamwork has a big impact, and because our teamwork is so good we make eye contact with each other and those kinds of moments will be transmitted to the audience onstage as energy. The other unnis gave a lot of ideas too, so a performance created together is our own distinction."
The B-side track "ENERGY" is a song that blends house-based rhythms and lively synth sounds to express, in UNCHILD's own language, the awakening and stimulation of encountering a new world for the first time and the excitement and impulses felt within it. It intuitively conveys the team's free and unrestrained energy and gives listeners a strong thrill.
Hiki said, "Before the chorus part there is a part where we shout 'ENERGY.' There are many parts where we speak casually," noting it as a listening point. Ako said, "I've liked this genre of dance for a long time, and I'm so happy to be able to show it like this. We performed so energetically that everyone said we looked like fish in water."
UNCHILD, who will change the 5th generation idol landscape as a rule breaker. Hiki said, "I want to be called UNCHILD that puts an exclamation point on the world," and Park Ye-eun said, "I want to be called UNCHILD that is unfamiliar but keeps being wanted to watch."
UNCHILD's debut single "We Are UNCHILD" will be released through various online music sites at 6 p.m. on the 21st.
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