A new K-pop boy band arrived on Monday, aiming to become the voice of youth: T1419.
The act features nine members from South Korea and Japan, and was put together by K-pop label MLD Entertainment in collaboration with NHN and Sony Music, with designs on the South Korean and Japanese music markets, but also that of the United States.
They hope to become a voice for teenagers – their name is made up of T (for teenagers) and the members’ ages at the time of their formation – by addressing societal issues and telling their story through music.
Their first formal release, Asurabalbalta, came in Korean and Japanese versions, and is the first track from their single album, Before Sunrise Part. 1.
As 2020 came to a close, the members of T1419 spoke with the Post over a video call, and shared their thoughts about their impending debut. Here’s what they had to say.
T1419 was introduced last year through pre-debut songs, Dracula and Row, and you’ve been very active on social media. What do you hope to achieve through these activities before your formal entry into the world of K-pop?
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Gunwoo: as we prepared our debut, we wanted to focus on becoming familiar with being on camera. We also wanted to begin to showcase our skills with K-pop basics, like singing and dancing, and get used to expressing ourselves through facial expressions and gestures to better connect with audiences.
We’ve done a lot of variety show-style content to show ourselves to fans in casual ways. We don’t want to seem that we are disconnected from our audience; we want to build a close relationship with fans.
Noa: with Dracula, we attempted to show our take on how our generation, Gen Z, is heavily reliant on the internet and social media. So the song is kind of about how everyone is looking at their phones and how modern society lives in cyberspace, where we’re all becoming virtual Draculas.
And Row represents how we’ve all been growing together as nine separate men and how the eventual goal of debuting has brought us together.
I feel like these two songs are good representations of the philosophy and musical style of T1419. We hope to be able to connect with our fans and be a positive influence on listeners. We still need to improve and grow, but as we do so, we hope to appeal to the ears, eyes and minds of fans.
What is distinct about 1419?
Noa: I feel like our performances and vocals are a little different than other groups in how we bring our messaging and creativity together, and how we relay that on stage. Also, there are a lot of K-pop groups with members from different countries, but we have four members from Japan and five from Korea, and I think that gives us a lot of potential to cross borders.
How do you deal with the cultural divides or misunderstandings among the group?
Leo (who speaks in English throughout the interview): there are a lot of differences culturally between our Korean and Japanese members, but we’ve been together for a long time, so now the Korean members can speak Japanese and we can speak Korean. But when I first came over [from Japan], it was hard to communicate with each other. Many problems happened.
But now there are no problems with communication, and we’re taking what we learned to interact with fans and learning other languages, like English.
Sian: the first time the Japanese members came to eat in Korea, they didn’t understand that we share our food with other people. But now they can understand and accept [the Korean way of] sharing food. I think it’s funny, because they really didn’t understand it at first.
Are there any personal skills that members hope to develop as you grow as artists?
Kevin: as a vocalist, I know I have a good voice but I want to improve as a dancer. I also want to become known as a multifaceted entertainer. I hope to participate in TV and radio shows.
Noa: I’m confident with my rapping and dancing, but I’d like to grow as a songwriter and producer.
Sian: I want to develop my vocal and dance skills.
On: although I am good at dancing and rapping, I want to develop my vocals and writing music.
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Gunwoo: I want to become a world-class dancer.
Kairi: along with growing as a performer, I want to develop my language skills so that I can better interact with fans across the globe.
Kio: I’m the youngest so I’m kind of known for being cute, but I want to grow and become more manly alongside the other members.
Leo: someday I want to make my own music and perform it in front of my fans. I want to keep growing after debut, and also develop my English skills.
Zero: I’ve been focusing on my dancing, but I want to become a more well-rounded, multifaceted type of performer.
Beyond work, are there any distinct traits or skills that you think define any members?
Gunwoo: I’m comfortable MCing, which I think shows off my friendliness. Also, I’m a great pianist.
Kio: I’m skilled at the Rubik’s Cube – I’m really good at it.
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You’re debuting soon, so I’m curious – what inspired you to become artists yourselves?
Noa: Like everyone else, we’re inspired by modern artists like BTS. Personally, I like Chris Brown and Blackbear.
You’re the first boy band from MLD Entertainment, so what’s your ultimate goal as the company’s flagship male act?
Gunwoo: we want to be as successful as our senior sister group Momoland, and grow into an act that can stage top-level performances. We want to spread our messages and be happy as artists ourselves. Also, I’d love it if we could get No 1 on the Billboard charts. It’s not that we want to – it’s that we will.
Noa: you asked earlier which artist inspired us, and I hope that we become the sort of artist that inspires newer artists and fans. I want to make sure that T1419 are a long-lasting group that becomes part not only of society but also an impactful K-pop act.
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