[INTERVIEW] ONEUS returns as 'mermaid prince'

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

Sat, December 9, 2023 | 08:25

K-pop

INTERVIEWONEUS returns as 'mermaid prince'

Posted : 2023-09-26 07:00

Updated : 2023-09-27 11:00

K-pop boy group ONEUS / Courtesy of RBW

K-pop quintet adds Latin flavor to new song

By Dong Sun-hwa

“Baila Conmigo,” ONEUS's lead single from its 10th mini-album "La Dolce Vita," offers a compelling reinterpretation of Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tale "The Little Mermaid," infused with a rare Latin flair.

In the song, the five members ― Seoho, Leedo, Keonhee, Hwangwoong and Xion ― assume the role of a "mermaid prince," who gives up his voice in exchange for legs to meet his loved one. "Baila Conmigo," which translates to "dance with me" in Spanish, portrays the last dance of the two people who have only one day to spend together before their farewell.

“We thought a lot about different ways to put our own twist to a well-known fairy tale,” Hwanwoong said during a media interview at a cafe in eastern Seoul's Gwangjin District, Sept. 20. The interview took place a few days before the release of “La Dolce Vita” on Tuesday.

“We attempted to focus on storytelling and acting. For instance, all of us perform like we have our female partners next to us on stage so that people can better grasp our story.”

The choreography and costumes also play a vital role in storytelling. Keonhee explained that the choreography depicts how the prince loses his voice in exchange for a pair of legs and they also paid extra attention to their stage outfits.

“We used vinyl and lace on our clothes to visualize fish scales,” he said. “We also added some pearls, which are known as 'mermaid’s tears' … Another big thing is that we picked blue as our main color, instead of using red which people often associate with passion. We made that choice because we wanted to deviate from the typical path.”

The Latin-flavored "Baila Conmigo" marks a departure from ONEUS's previous hits like "LIT" (2019) and "Luna" (2021), which incorporated elements of Korean traditional culture.

“Latin music has its own distinctive character, so we were at first hesitant and concerned about trying out this genre,” Hwanwoong said. “But in the end, we decided to tackle fresh challenges by changing our singing styles and voice tones. Since we are also releasing the Spanish version of our lead track, we strived to make it sound familiar to Spanish-speaking listeners as well. We are not flawless, but we sing it in our way.”

K-pop boy group ONEUS / Courtesy of RBW

Leedo elaborated, “A Spanish expert gave us directions when we were recording the song. He corrected our pronunciation and helped us lift its quality.”

Keonhee believes that the Latin influence will resonate well with their international fan base. “We actually performed in Latin American countries like Mexico and Brazil for the first time during our first world tour, ‘Reach For Us,’ that wrapped up in February. I think our fans there will love our new tune. Korean fans will also be fond of it because Latin pop is so popular here as well," he said.

The mini-album “La Dolce Vita” includes three more tracks: “Intro: Beggin’ you,” “Simulation” and “Epilogue.” Leedo, who participated in the creative process of “Simulation” and “Epilogue,” emphasized the effort to create melodies and lyrics aligning with the album's overall concept.

“I tried to come up with the songs that match well with the overall concept our mini-album and its title track,” he recalled.

Since its debut in 2019, ONEUS has achieved steady growth with “La Dolce Vita” clocking up 300,000 pre-orders as of Monday. This is the highest number for the group so far.

However, the five members have even loftier ambitions for their future.

“In the past, when our members said they wanted to enter Billboard’s (main) charts, I thought their goal was quite unrealistic,” Hwangwoong revealed. “But many things have changed today, and now I am quite confident about our music. Making it onto the Billboard is no more a dream, but a goal for us. I hope we can also perform at the Super Bowl, one of the world’s largest sporting events.”

sunhwadong@koreatimes.co.kr