Suho: After finishing the showcase, the feeling we had wasn’t “we’re finished”, but rather “we’re starting from now”. I don’t know how the other members feel, but personally I was not completely satisfied with the first stage. In the future I have to practice even harder, to present a more impressive stage.
Sina Entertainment: Ever since debuting in April this year, you’ve been really busy. Comparing the present and pre-debut dreams of the “artist life”, what’s different?
Chanyeol: Before debut everything was really stressful. After appearing onstage, however, now it feels really happy.
Suho: We’re not really trying to compete with other groups, rather, we’re hoping to become even more motivated, wishing that we can share the same stage as many of our seniors.
Sina Entertainment: In comparison to when you debuted, what are the biggest improvements and changes have you each experienced till now?
Suho: We’ve received an interview from the showcase, but at the time I found it hard to speak in front of everyone. Through our activities I met a lot of seniors, and after communicating with them, I can now very comfortably express my thoughts to everyone. It’s the same for performing, I was very nervous before, but now after repeated practice and all types of experiences, I can perform even more perfectly.
Chanyeol: I’ve now learnt how to look into the camera lens during music performances. At first when doing activities with SHINee seniors, the seniors told me how the method of finding the camera lens was very important, also the teamwork between the members have slowly gained tacit understanding. Because I am with the members of EXO-K all day, we are all very familiar now.
Baekhyun: Even though I was very nervous when we first debuted, but now in the field of singing, dancing and performance, I am very confident. We have also begun paying attention to our own images, before we would casually wear sportswear outdoors, but after debuting, even if we’re only going to somewhere close, we have to dress up a little bit.
D.O: There have been improvements in all fields, there has been the most improvement in regards to language. On our debut stage (SBS “Inkigayo”) when asked to introduce our title song, I said “majestic” as “superior”. At the time I was so nervous, my mind went completely blank, I didn’t even say what I prepared beforehand well. Luckily it was because our leader-hyung picked up my words that we got over the problem. Now when we have live shows, I will definitely prepare well beforehand.
Kai: There have been improvements in “sleeping” too, no matter where I am I can sleep immediately. (laughs)
Sehun: Because I am the youngest in the group, hyungs are always letting me be spoilt. In the past I wouldn’t do aegyo very often, but now no matter what show I go on they all ask me to play the cute role, so personally I feel that I’ve improved the most in aegyo. (laughs) Also when we first debuted, I wouldn’t even remember what I did after performances, now I do my best to seem happy on stage, my confident side.
Sina Entertainment: In front of your seniors or in front of TV stations, are you all very careful?
Chanyeol: We are always giving a 90 degrees bow. During our training period we heard a lot of people say how important greetings are, so we always take the initiative to greet seniors.
Sina Entertainment: So after hearing that EXO-K and EXO-M would be debuting at the same time in China and South Korea, how did you feel?
Chanyeol: I’m really happy. Because I am able to debut at the same time as these friends who understand tacitly under the group name EXO, I’m really very happy. Also this kind of fresh group tactic lets us all feel a lot of competitiveness.
Baekhyun: We had been practicing continually, only at the very end did we hear the company say they were using this kind of tactic to debut.
Sina Entertainment: EXO-K and EXO-M are not only one group, on foreign grounds you can also be rivals.
Kai: I don’t think we are rivals. When EXO-K and EXO-M merge into one group, going into the world to promote our music, we are even more radiant.
Sina Entertainment: What charms about EXO-K do you think makes Chinese fans like you?
Suho: I think it’s probably influenced by the popularity of EXO-M’s members.
Sina Entertainment: What is the difference between EXO-K and EXO-M?
Baekhyun: Language?
Chanyeol: The voices are different. The members of EXO-K generally have deeper voices, whereas EXO-M’s voices are crisp and clear. Even though we are performing the same songs, the feeling is very different.
Sina Entertainment: Just finishing your musical activities, what have you been busy with lately?
Chanyeol: Preparing the album, exercising and practicing with the other members at the same time. When not doing activities in China, we usually gather in the practice room. Even though the places of activities are different, but the performances on stage are all the same. So we often talk about our own songs, talk about EXO-M’s members, and learn Chinese.
Sina Entertainment: Within EXO-K, whose Chinese is the best?
EXO-K: It should be Suho-hyung.
Suho: EXO-M has Chinese members within them, so I don’t really count as the best, I just do my best to learn Chinese.
Sina Entertainment: How do you encourage teamwork and relationship between the members?
EXO-K: We have “family meetings”.
Baekhyun: In the past, every week we would gather together to have a family meeting. Nowadays we’re always together, so there’s been more time for us to chat.
Sehun: There are never times when I’m bored when with the members.
Sina Entertainment: Do you usually stay in the dorm? Do you do household chores each on your own? Are there any interesting dorm stories that you can share with everyone?
EXO-K: Each of us have our own household chores we’re responsible for. We complete everything fairly after splitting the roommates into teams.
Kai: We’ll use rock, paper, scissors to decide who washes the dishes.
Chanyeol: At first, our leader, Suho, lost quite often, but recently it’s turned into the youngest Sehun.
D.O: Because recently our maknae has been losing all the time, we don’t play rock, paper, scissors any more, it’s best that we voluntarily do our household chores.
Baekhyun: There aren’t any divides between age groups within EXO-K. Sometimes we’re like a family, sometimes we’re also like friends.
Suho: We can feel it when we’re at the airport. The first time we came to China, there were a lot of fans who came to the airport, the second and third time, there were even more fans. It made me feel really shocked.
Sina Entertainment: You’re very popular in China, are there any differences between Chinese fans and Korean fans?
Chanyeol: No matter what country we go to, the fans all cheer for us, like us, and support us equally.
Sina Entertainment: Are there any Chinese fans that have made particularly special banners?
Baekhyun: Writing “Baekhyun-ah” as “Bekhyun-ah” (spelling mistake). At first I suspected that someone wrote it wrong, but only later did I find out it was Chinese fan. I think that Chinese fans are really cute.
Chanyeol: It’s really moving when the Chinese fans sing along to Korean songs with us, in the future we’ll bring you even better music to reciprocate you guys.
Sina Entertainment: Are there any plans for performances, starring in dramas or something of the like?
Baekhyun: If we have the opportunity, of course we’d like to go up for the challenge. But at the moment, we still hope to reach an even greater development in our music.
Sina Entertainment: As the group dance you dance on stage gets harder, the opportunity for each member to perform and sing becomes smaller, would you feel regretful?
Chanyeol: There’s a lot of charm in which EXO-K still have to show in the future, so we will slowly release more charm.
Kai: Because we are all very young and have a lot of capabilities, we believe that in the future we will perform even better. Recently, Baekhyun and D.O have danced in an advertisement. The other members also all hope that they can perform even more splendidly in a lot of other fields too.
Sina Entertainment: The praise that left the deepest impression is?
Suho: A lot of seniors have given us a lot of suggestions. Especially Super Junior’s Donghae-senior had once said: After seeing EXO-K and EXO-M’s performance, I felt it was the most dazzling when you stepped on stage with the name EXO.
Sina Entertainment: Your feelings after joining SM Family Concert?
Chanyeol: During our training period we’ve watched a SM Family concert before. At the time, we only thought of wanting to debut as soon as possible, to go on stage with our seniors. After debuting, we were honoured to be able to participate in the SM Family Concert organised in the US, LA. The feeling of being able to go on stage with our seniors really is good, our seniors also gave us a lot of suggestions, I really felt very happy after performing.
Sina Entertainment: SM’s specialty is? Are there any traditions?
Kai: SM Entertainment emphasise a lot on etiquette, such as courtesy and greetings etc.
Chanyeol: We have inherited SM Company’s tradition, being called SMP (SM MUSIC PERFORMANCE)’s title song “MAMA” is our company’s tradition.
Kai: Before debut, we watched a lot of seniors’ dances and practiced repeatedly.
Sina Entertainment: Are you looking forward to the Newcomers Award at end of year awards ceremony?
Suho: It’s only possible to obtain a newcomers award once in your life. Actually, 4 months after debut, we’ve worked really hard in order to obtain the newcomers award. However, through this year, the support in which fans have given EXO-K is much more precious than that of a newcomers award. But if we have the luck to obtain it then……. Haha
Sina Entertainment: What kind of activity goals do singers EXO-K have?
Kai: I haven’t considered goals before, I’ve only been thinking of working my hardest to complete what we have to do.
Sehun: Continuous development, slowly finding EXO-K’s colour is my target.
Chanyeol: There’s still a lot of charm in which EXO-K still have to disperse, so I hope that we can display our colours bit by bit.
Sina Entertainment: What will EXO-K be like in 10 years time?
Sehun: EXO members will all hold a world concert tour together. Take a private plane?
D.O: Just like well-known Japanese group Arashi, hopefully 10 years later, we will still be doing activities together. I hope that we will always be together.
Suho: In comparison to “acceptance” EXO promote “dedication”, so I hope that I can go to a lot of places and contribute to society with the members.
Kai: I hope that in 10 years time the members will all be able to become strong artists, and also hope that EXO-K will be an eternity.
Chanyeol: Just like the hopes of the other members, hopefully in 10, 20 years time we can still be doing activities together. I personally want to learn to compose, creating many songs that suit EXO and good songs that will spread far and wide.
Baekhyun: I hope that in the field of singing, acting, arts etc, in all areas, we can show a more outstanding performance, becoming talented artists.
(Source: Sina Entertainment / Trans by: xuan + angi @ exom-trans)
Shared by Luhan @ EXOdicted.blogspot.com
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