[INTERVIEW] MBLAQ Interview on Inkigayo Magazine (Feb. Issue)

100% VICTORY,
The Strong, They Name Is MBLAQ
A bird is the freest and most beautiful when it is flying. On their almost 4-minutes stage where their splendid performance catches people’s eyes, MBLAQ flaps their most splendid wings. The anger of a man whose lover was snatched away by his closest friend! A humanly and realistic affair rooted with love and betrayal. The five men of MBLAQ who made their comeback with the title song “This Is War” of their fourth mini album <100% Ver.> are all gloomy and have a strong appearance, but the color filling inside of them became rich enough for admiration. They became strong to the extent that absolutely no explanation is necessary, so don’t thoughtlessly turn upon them who came back! Since for this to be called MBLAQ’s 100% there are still all too many things that can be anticipated from them, deciding between victory and defeat is a job of that time.
“(Although I don’t know if that period of time has been long or short) they became the MBLAQ that never lands. One phrase that member Lee Joon mentioned in Mnet’s “MIC” interview recently defines MBLAQ at the moment. It has been the 3rd year since MBLAQ started to wing and fly. It is not a flight depicting a perfect parabola in one stroke, but they are drawing a long one. They fly without even resting for once and with patience. It has been a long time but they have not even rested formally for once. We can say that MBLAQ who cannot try to sit “is a bird that does not land.” While constantly flapping their wings they are like a bird wanting to fly higher and further. MBLAQ that has come to the 3rd year since debut before one knows has grown into occupying global idols who go beyond Korea to Japan’s Oricon chart through their activities of one full-length album and four mini albums after they debuted in October 2009. Their fourth mini album <100% Ver.> released on January 10 is filled with MBLAQ’s pride and expresses that they came back arming themselves with a powerful and majestic appearance in all aspects of completion level, satisfaction level and self-confidence. At the same time when the title song “This Is War” was revealed, they did not only get the 1st place of searched keyword on various portal sites but also secured the 1st place on digital charts. While they were receiving favorable reviews saying they are a group that absolutely found their unique musical color, their comeback rose up into a hot issue. It is MBLAQ that came back as five men who are strong like eagles soaring high while dreaming of a perfect flight. The main vocal G.O with superb singing ability, Cheondung whose self-composed songs are not to be negligent and possesses infinite musical possibility, Mir who gradually shows a blasting growth in his increasing rapping ability, Lee Joon who is in charge of performance and works hard attentively and Seungho who is grasping the center firmly in his leader’s seat are once again writing down MBLAQ’s ontology which is constantly in the middle of growing in all aspects through 100% Ver. this time. They have become to feel the self-confidence and dignity on the stage of MBLAQ who does music that matches themselves, and with completely MBLAQ style’s music they now have built a territory that only belongs to them who cannot be reached. There is no doubt that the music of MBLAQ who overwhelmingly wins listeners over while being splendid and strong is songs that make them have a new sense of anticipation every time.
Through the title song “This Is War” in which the determination of MBLAQ expressing their ultimate was incorporated, their breath is 100 Ver. in the depths of tragedy and all of their energy is poured out. Really, who is the winner of this war?

Through this album MBLAQ members’ musical color became more distinct, and I think when we are trying out new performances that we couldn’t try previously our statistics get improved gradually. In the 100% of this album’s completion level and pride I think a part of it is that our hard work is a big help.

SEUNG HO

    MBLAQ that has come to their 3rd year since debut before one knows has released 4 mini  albums and 1 full album after they debuted in October 2009, and with “Oh yeah” as a start they got the 1st place for the first time with “Y”! Their full album went on sale in January 2011, and while “Mona Lisa” and other songs were made a hit one after another they surfaced as a group leading the K-pop hallyu. Last year they advanced into the Japanese market and swept the 1st, 2nd place at the top of Oricon with their first single <Your Luv> and 2nd single <Baby U>. At the time when they were promoting “Mona Lisa,” they beat the prominent foreign artist “Justin Bieber,” “Chris Brown” and the like on an influential music specialty show “POPCORE.TV” in Bulgaria and were the 1st place on the chart for as many as 75 days. They also have a record of the 1st place on the German Asian music chart and aim at the market in the whole world beyond Asia. They carry the global popularity on their back and like the albums they released their determination is different from others this time. “It’s an album of no sleeping and hard work to the extent that we declared a war on sleeping. It will be good if people see that we really poured out 100% our hard work and potential strength. I want to sleep very much. (laugh) Please send me to sleep. Please send me to sleep!” They are even giving up their sleeping time. MBLAQ, who is going to the practice room, headed by leader Seungho shows their united appearance more than anytime and are stepping on the accelerator pedal in the orbit of success. The noteworthy point on the stage this time is Seungho’s exceptional transformation that reminds one of a warrior and his perfect V-line. “I gained some weight, so when I was preparing for this album I was firmly determined to try dieting and boldly shaved my head first. When I was looking at myself in the mirror, I had a burning will and started to lose weight so that I suit the hair style. Therefore I lost about 7kg and made my comeback.” Seungho who held his hungry stomach and wholeheartedly did the recording phrase by phrase freshly challenged rapping from this album on and also did not forget to work hard on extending his own musical possibility. This is the 100& Ver. Interview of Seungho from the 4th mini album <100% Ver.> of MBLAQ that completed their recording devoting their flesh and blood with the feeling of going to the battlefield.
Do you see she is crying again! “This Is War” was composed of straightforward and strong lyrics, but the more I think about the phrase “do you see she is crying again” in my part the more I think that the lyrics are sad. I got distressed in very few occasions that there are times when I made my girlfriend cry and there are also times when I was hurt and cried because of a girl. However, no matter what occasion it is I really can’t see a girl crying. So I became a lot more sympathetic and it’s a phrase that numbs a part of my heart. If there’s a guy making the girl I love cry it will really be a war then.
100% MBLAQ If there was unanimity among the members for the song “Y, ” this time “This Is War” is a song that all company people and members became unanimous for. Despite having a busy time with the year-end awards ceremonies, it’s an album that everyone worked on without being aware of his weariness and with burning passion to the extent that we waited very impatiently for the time to work on the album. While producing sounds that can be made only with machines by ourselves the members’ own musical color became more distinct, and I think when we are trying out new performances that we couldn’t try previously our statistics get improved gradually.
From now on this is war! Like the lyrics of the song “This Is War” there are times when I experienced estranged love in my school days. Our MV has an impression of the girl being snatched away in the situation that Cheondung and Lee Joon know it between each other, but my situation was that I didn’t know at all. My friend didn’t tell me so I didn’t know he liked that girl. I remember he confessed when we met some time later, “I’ve been liking your current girlfriend since a long time ago.” So there was a time when I instantly became a bad guy who snatched away the girl his friend likes, but because my love feeling was strong I couldn’t give up easily. We liked each other very much so what should I do?
Sweet Seungho The event that is the most impressed on my memory is that my girlfriend’s computer broke down so I custom-made it with the character she liked, directly assembled it and gave it to her as a present. I put a ring on the motherboard inside the computer but… Until now I don’t know whether that friend found the ring or not. I’m very shy so in order for a mistake like this not to happen I think I’m on the side of preparing bit by bit.
Dress Up I’m addicted to car “appearance tuning (Dress Up)” these days. My car’s name is “Yang Sami.” I also gave Yang Sami pretty shoes as a present and increased the car power. So if I drive my car and pass through the street whoever sees it will compliment it to the extent that he/she will be able say, “Ah! It’s really pretty~” I get overwhelmed even by thinking about it only.
The moment you cannot forget MBLAQ’s first solo concert <Men In MBLAQ> last August is the most impressed on my memory and I’m still grateful. Actually there are many moments that I can’t forget while promoting as MBLAQ, but I think I’ll never be able to forget about the concert all my life.
A+ love letter The moment when we got the 1st place in the music show with activities of “This Is War” recently is retained in my memory even now. Regaining the 1st place in a long time has a deep meaning to us as well. Rather than tears coming into my eyes I was really happy like flying all the way through the sky. I certainly want to tell our fans and everyone who supports us once again that we will work hard. We will do our best to show you a better appearance.

Source: Inkigayo Magazine (Feb. Issue) 

Translations: mocha @ AbsoluteMBLAQ