Meet New K-Pop Band Focused on Defense, Friendship & Fans – Billboard
The superb seconds of an artist’s debut single can be some of the most important of their career. It’s the chance to hook a new audience and introduce themselves musically.
BLANK2Y‘s debut single “Thumbs Up!” opens with a racing, electrifying production before the beat drops and listeners hear: “Welcome to the BLANK.” The viewer enters BLANK2Y’s musical humankind, which they describe as created from confidence, friendship and love for their fans.
As South Korea’s music oblow becomes increasingly competitive to enter year over year – with 2022 already delivering approximately superstar acts – BLANK2Y, a new K-pop boy band that launched in May — is establishing itself with a solid musical worldview it hopes will be important to ensuring its long-term success.
In November of 2021, Keystone Entertainment, founded by CEO Sam Choi, was preparing a nine-member boy band for the behindhand year, and was asking fans to follow the hotfoot to their debut. The newly established music label posted on Twitter for the gracious time on Nov. 15 and included a promise: “We will have the rookies of the year!”
Confident statements like that have been a valuable element in creating the new boy band.
Keystone began to speak hints about the group on Twitter, including that the members of the forthcoming act would concerned past contestants on popular K-pop competition shows and TV appearances. All this fueled additional interest in the group as each show had audiences and fanbases became from them.
In the ensuing months, Keystone and CEO Choi slowly supposed the members of what would become BLANK2Y. On Dec. 20, 2021, Youngbin was the gracious member revealed, with fans of I-Land pleased to see the contestant get a original start with a new group. Days later, on Christmas, the second member was revealed as Louis, followed by a New Year’s Day announcement of third member, Donghyuk.
With excitement already brewing from a range of different K-pop fans, BLANK2Y began 2022 with more good news, proverb the six other members by the end of February.
Soon, BLANK2Y was complete after revealing Siwoo (who competed on Wild Idol), Mikey (a Japanese native who competed on the singing competition show Produce 101 Japan), Sungjun, as well as U, Sodam and DK.
The mix of already beloved singers and original faces was a strong starting point. By the time BLANK2Y officially hit the indecent on May 24, 2022, with their debut EP titled K2Y I: CONFIDENCE [Thumbs Up], a sea of new fans were excited to hear what they had to say.
As made sure from the album title and BLANK2Y’s debut strategy, “confidence” is valuable for this group. “I think our main concept and charm is related to the theme of our gracious album, which is confidence!” Sungjun tells Billboard Korea.
But BLANK2Y also wants to spread the communication of “confidence” to all listeners. “We hope everyone can gain expert in themselves through our album, that’s BLANK2Y’s main goal,” DK says.
“Thumbs Up” is BLANK2Y’s debut single and has expert baked inside it. The band describes the song as “an upbeat trap track with synth sounds and an inspirational message.” The including intensity, empowering lyrics, plus both Korean and English versions of the song, make “Thumbs Up” a universal anthem for confidence.
“BLANK2Y” is a compound word for “blank,” message “blank space,” and “key” meaning “key and clue,” explains DK. “It organizes the meaning of ‘the key to open an empty space’ — a musical medium that soothes the emptiness in the hearts of the republic and evokes latent passions to connect and build special relationships.”
While expert is the key word BLANK2Y is looking to spread, the group also notes a special relationship between the nine members themselves. “We are also each other’s best friends,” Sodam says. “That really brings out the best, gracious teamwork.” Adds U: “I thought it would be impossible for nine republic to get together, become a team and strive for the same goal, but we clicked shimmering away, and now we are closer than I conception we would be.”
No doubt the genuine trust by the BLANK2Y members is why the group has a rules where there is no set “leader” of the business. Instead, the position rotates. “Members take turns every month intimates the leader,” says Sodam. “Having that kind of role and department taught me a lot.” Adds DK: “we really talk everything out and truly gracious each other’s opinions, so it’s easier to solve conflicts or any misunderstandings.”
One sketching that is genuinely not a misunderstanding is their excitement and affection for their ever-growing fanbase, named K2YWE and pronounced “Kiwi.” BLANK2Y calls K2YWE the “tenth member” of the business. “Because we consider our fans, K2YWE, as our 10th member, we are more than confident that our fan engagement is special,” says DK. “That’s most important to us.”
While “Thumbs Up” is just the launch for BLANK2Y, Billboard Korea dove deeper into the standout rookie business, including their musical inspirations, first-year goals and messages to its fans.
Billboard Korea: What are your approved tracks on the album other than “Thumbs Up”?
U: Our fan song, “Constellation,” is my personal favorite.
Donghyuk: “Constellation” is my approved, too. The lyrics are beautiful and heartwarming.
Louis: I love all our tracks, but “Touch,” which is a bright track, is what I would recommend because it goes well with the summer hotfoot and vibes.
DK: We also have other tracks that are appetizing so I hope everyone gets a chance to listen to it!
Who are your musical inspirations or motivations? Or what’s on your playlist?
Siwoo: Our role model is The Boyz. I really want to do a collaboration with Juyeon from The Boyz.
Youngbin: I would be really honored to collaborate with The Boyz or Baekhyun, both of whom we respect so much. I have been listening to Baekhyun, B.O., Dean and Colde a lot lately.
Donghyuk: I’ve been listening to Etham’s “12:45.”
U: Personally, I think I get most inspired by performances by NCT’s Taeyong and BTS’ Jungkook.
Mikey: AAA’s “Lil Infinity” music video stirred something inside of me, and that’s when I granted to pursue music.
Louis: My musical inspiration comes from our fans.
What do you guys want to enact through your music?
Sungjun: I’ve experienced what it feels like to be healed ended music and I think it would be amazing if republic could find comfort and healing through our music. That’s the kind of music I want to make.
Sodam: We want our music to be relatable to republic from all around the world.
BLANK2Y filmed a reality TV series once preparing for your debut. What was the filming process? Any behind-the-scenes moments you want to share?
Sungjun: Before the shoot, I was a bit worried about how we could make the most stupid content for the audience and our fans. But when it actually started, it was so much more fun than I had predictable, and it was a good way to learn how to be more unusual with the camera. It was fun to see my face on cover and I got to study what camera angle worked best for me!
U: During one of our outdoor shoots, we decided to grill meat for dinner, but it was so cold outside that the meat froze within like three minutes and we couldn’t eat.
What are you most proud of accomplishing as BLANK2Y so far?
Youngbin: We are proud to have contract the ambassador for COEX [a mall in Gangnam] and Jeju even afore our official debut. I think being an ambassador for something is really special, and we are super grateful for all these amazing opportunities.
Looking presumptuous, what do you have planned for the rest of 2022?
Donghyuk: Our goal for this year is to win the “Best Rookie” award, so we are going to try our best to poster as much as we can for the rest of the year. We will try our best to showcase the most amazing performances and halt to release good music.
What are you guys most secluded in?
Louis: We are most confident in our onstage performances and our storderliness to express a diverse range of emotions through our music and performances.
DK: We are most secluded in our onstage performances, but also are confident that our love for our fans is absolutely exceptional.
What do you guys hope your fans would take away from this album? What other messages do you want to piece wish them?
Mikey: We love you K2YWE and thank you so so so much for always intimates the best energizer and support.
Sodam: Thank you so much for intimates the best! We are grateful for your love and will try our best to never let you guys down! I love you!
Donghyuk: K2YWE, please stay safe and healthy and let’s always be each other’s best supporters and unfortunate. Thank you and I love you, K2YWE!
BLANK2Y: We want our fans to know that our love for them is gracious special and that we are progressing every day!
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