[TRANS] 200705 News1 Interview

Part 1
Q. Nice to meet you. Please introduce yourselves.
▶ Hwang Hyun: I am producer Hwang Hyun from MonoTree who is becoming a meme. (laughs)
▶ Wyatt: I am brave guy Wyatt, the main rapper and the cave voice of ONF.
▶ Hyojin: I am ON team leader Hyojin, the delicate guy of ONF.

Q. You can't leave out Hwang Hyun when it comes to ONF. We are curious as to how your relationship started.
▶ Hwang Hyun: I first met ONF in the early summer of 2016. At that time, I was asked to produce for WM so I met the members. I felt like I need to know what kind of charms they had so I also participated in their monthly evaluation. When I saw them, I felt that they were split into members who were focused on vocals and members who were focused on performance. Wyatt was unique. He's a rapper but he sometimes sang during monthly evaluations.
▶ Wyatt: I liked singing. I remember singing a ballad by Kim Kwangseok and Kim Dongryul then. (laughs)
▶ Hwang Hyun: His voice was so good in that ballad that I thought I could also make him do the verse. On the other hand, when I saw MK I thought, "He's a good singer but I can also make him rap." Hyojin had the voice of a main vocal. I thought he was selected for his singing, but when I saw that his dancing is also above average I was surprised.

Q. Do you remember your first recording together?
▶ Wyatt: Hyun hyung has this aura when I saw him so I was scared. (laughs)
▶ Hwang Hyun: I was scared of you. (everyone bursts into laughter)
▶ Wyatt: We are close hyungs-dongsaengs now, but looking back, we didn't know much about the outside world then since we were only focused on training. I heard talks that the composer is really scary so I was nervous. I worried if I'll be able to do well, but when we recorded together, he treated us well.
▶ Hyojin: Our first recording at MonoTree felt really unfamiliar. I wasn't nervous during monthly evaluation performances, but when we came to record, I remember being nervous while thinking "It's my first time to let him hear my singing, would I disappoint him?" I was like that until Complete, but I loosened up afterwards. I'm relaxed now.

Q. When WM requested for songs, they asked for experimental ones. What kind of music did you make?
▶ Hwang Hyun: One thing for sure is that I avoided the usual idol songs. If I did something similar, it might not suit the voices of the members. I wanted to make them stand out with a song that hasn't been done by others. That experimental song is their debut song ON/OFF. It's the first song that I have recorded with the members.

Q. You met ONF at the time when you gained recognition at a certain extent as a composer. You must have had a greed to do well.
▶ Hwang Hyun: Rather than gaining recognition, I think there were manias. (laughs) I didn't think "I'll pour my everything into ONF" from the start. I started having that thought as we recorded together and made outputs. I thought that the members wouldn't have strength if their singing isn't doing well or their performance is weird, but they didn't give up and kept on working hard.

Q. You must have worried on how you will capture the team's color while you were producing.
▶ Hwang Hyun: On the first album, I applied all of the company's suggestions. That way I can also know the direction the company is thinking of taking. That's why there were some songs that we recorded that didn't make it in the album. Starting from 'Complete' I thought a song that has an element or vibe other teams don't do would be fun so I considered that. From then on I officially started making ONF's own color.

Q. ONF members must have had songs they wanted to try while practicing. We are curious if Hwang Hyun's song matched those.
▶ Hyojin: When we were trainees, we prepared a lot of performances that would showcase sync dances. We thought our music would also take that direction, and Hyun hyung's song is different from what I have imagined. However the song is really good. I thought that if we do this song, we can show anything so I liked it more.
▶ Wyatt: I liked strong hiphop music. When I heard ON/OFF, it's a refreshing song. It's different from my preference but I'm satisfied with it. I liked it so much that I naturally wanted to write lyrics for it.

Q. If you listen to ONF's songs, you can feel that Wyatt's rap is put into good use. He can do melodical and baritone rap.
▶ Hwang Hyun: There are people who think Wyatt is only good at raps that create mood, but he can also pull off bright and melodical raps. If you listen to WM's Winter Project Single 'Timing' you'll know that he's good at upbeat rap too.
▶ Wyatt: I have this greed to do well in rapping. Raps that look cool is nice, but exciting songs that can be enjoyed by everyone in a concert is great. Rap lyrics come out easily on exciting songs like 'All Day.'

Q. You wrote most of your rap lyrics. Since when did you start writing lyrics?
▶ Wyatt: I started writing lyrics during ON/OFF. It's our debut song and is a song that will remain forever so I worried a lot on how to write the lyrics. The lyrics was made after repeated editing while asking Hyun hyung questions.
▶ Hwang Hyun: The lyrics were edited for about 10 times, if it wasn't good I'd probably not ask him to write lyrics. Since he came up with good lyrics, I gave it an OK. He writes so well now that I gave his lyrics from 'New World' a pass on the first try. All of the composers are probably like this too but the reason why I make them edit lyrics and why the recording takes a long time is because they can do better. I've always said this but even if they are songs that I wrote, when it gets released they are ONF's songs. I thought if something went wrong, it will cause a backlash on ONF so the output should be good.

Q. ONF are praised for having good music since debut, but there are probably regrets on not getting the result you wanted.
▶ Hyojin: When we released We Must Love, a lot of people said the song is good so I thought the opportunity is finally here. Sadly, it didn't enter the charts. When we went on Road To Kingdom, a lot of people were envious that it is our song. I'm thankful for the fact alone that we sang this song. There's a time for everything. I'm looking forward to the day that a lot of people will like us.

Q. Are there parts where you influence each other in terms of music?
▶ Hwang Hyun: In terms of writing songs, ONF is a team that made me have more greed in terms of music. Even if I give them hard songs, they manage to pull it off every time so it challenges me more. They are a group that fits all my ideals from a singer.
▶ Wyatt: Hyun hyung is a person who made ONF Wyatt. He understands me well so he makes songs that suit me. I'm thankful for that part.

Part 2
Q. Road To Kingdom was a huge opportunity for ONF, but since it's a survival there must be pressure too. We are curious as to what made you decide to join.
▶ Wyatt: We were worried because we already experienced joining a survival. We were scared we might not get good results, but we will be able to hold stages with our songs and participate together so eventually we decided to take on the challenge.

Q. What was your goal after you decided to join Road To Kingdom?
▶ First off, our biggest goal was for ONF to be known, and to not be embarassed after a performance. I did say we should get 1st place while we were competing, and because of that we worked harder and earned a sense of responsibility.

Q. You were 5th place on the 90-second performance during the face-to-face. That was an unfortunate ranking.
▶ Wyatt: It's a place where we would give our first greeting so we showed a stage that showcases our songs, but the other teams came prepared with stages for an awards ceremony. The individuality of each teams was clear. When it was revealed that we placed 5th, I was so shocked that I thought "I don't need time for sleep" and devoted myself to Road To Kingdom.
▶ Hyojin: During the face-to-face, I felt motivated as I watch the other teams perform. I thought, "We're in huge trouble." We were ranked from the start so from then on I was determined.
▶ Hwang Hyun: When they told me that they are joining Road To Kingdom, I thought "It should be okay for me to arrange their songs just like how I always did" because I trust their skills. However that kind of result came out during the face-to-face. I think that was a 'warning' to how I complacently thought. After watching the face-to-face, I told Youngoh, "It's meaningless no matter how good they are. The staff needs to give support." Even if the members are really good, they won't shine if the arrangement and choreography aren't good. That's why I gritted my teeth and worked harder.

Q. After the first performance was the cover stage of SHINee's Everybody. Just like what Hyojin said, we felt everyone's determination where you acquired great results.
▶ Hyojin: While we were discussing which song to do for the 1st round, Youngoh suggested SHINee's Everybody. I think we talked for about an hour before we were able to decide on the song.
▶ Wyatt: We chose a song and prepared for Everybody before the face-to-face. At that time, we were going for the robot concept to depict the vibe of the original song. We changed the concept after the face-to-face.
▶ Hyojin: After the face-to-face, I wasn't annoyed but I was angry. The recording ended around 4AM that time, we all went back to the company and held a meeting even after the sun rose. While contemplating which vibe we should go for, E-Tion suggested "King of demons." We looked up reference videos and decided on it. That process was really long.
▶ Wyatt: A week before the 1st round, we changed the song arrangement. We stayed up all night and was determined to the point of breaking our bodies. Everyone was so fully charged of determination.
▶ Hwang Hyun: Everybody is meaningful to me, as I did the vocal directing for the original song. If I happen to re-arrange Everybody and it turns out bad, it would be embarassing for me too. That's why I worked really hard on it. I'm sure that if it wasn't for the face-to-face, this kind of arrangement wouldn't have come out.

Q. Through this song, the arranger Hwang Hyun was also given the spotlight.
▶ Hyojin: There was a lot of praise regarding the arrangement. I think it was from then that he earned the nickname Hwang-hoven. (laughs)
▶ Hwang Hyun: This is not a lie but I like that people mention the vocals more when they talk about the song.

Q. Didn't Wyatt's ab reveal gain attention on this stage too?
▶ Wyatt: That was most heartbreaking for me. At that time, I didn't work out. The company also preferred that I didn't build up my body so I lost some muscles. After the face-to-face, I wanted to show (my abs) once. I worked hard and didn't drink water for two days and didn't eat for three days. But.. I won't show my body from now on. (everyone laughs)

Q. You placed 3rd with Everybody on Round 1 'Song of King.' That was a two step climb from the face-to-face, were you satisfied?
▶ Hyojin: The arrangement for Everybody was so good that I thought we could win 1st with it. There were lots of good comments about the arrangement when we were in the set so I had confidence in the song. After our performance, I thought we'll be one of the top teams and we were given 3rd place. Though I couldn't be 100% satisfied, the fact that we climbed ranks made me feel the meaning of "Bringing honor back."

Q. The classical arrangement and spectacular instruments of The We Must Love from Round 2 gained attention.
▶ Hwang Hyun: The face-to-face was a shock, as well as the 3rd place for Everybody. Choreographer Kim Youngoh, U, and J-Us will take care of the choreography, so this time I thought I should take care of the arrangement which is what I'm good at. Actually, re-arranging your own written song is very difficult. I have to surpass a song which I think is "best" so it's not easy to come up with better output. After pondering, I went with a classical approach with tango rhythm. Koh Sangji who played the Bandoneon and Jukjae who played the guitar are my close friends so I asked them a favor. I also added strings. The We Must Love is a song that has all the following instruments: violin, bandoneon, string, guitar. There's a lot of money involved. (laughs) I told the company we should use an orchestra and they were very willing to do so.
▶ Hyojin: If you'll listen to We Must Love and The We Must Love, there's a difference. The energy is definitely different.
▶ Wyatt: The rap mood feels more dreamy.
▶ Hwang Hyun: Actually, it's possible that arranging songs in this kind of broadcast wouldn't be much of a help to my career. Also, there's no pay if I arrange my own song. Still, I focused a lot to make the song. Everyone felt the same, after I finished the arrangement, suddenly YooA's coming to help, J-US came up with the marionette concept, U and Youngoj also created an awesome choreography. In order to make a good performance, everyone worked hard so there was a good output.

Part 3
Q. On the 3rd round, you showed a cool performance of It's Raining by Rain. However, the song is filled with the original singer's own color so you must have worried a lot at first.
▶ Hyojin: It's a really good song, but when I first heard that we'll be doing this song, I didn't know what to do. What's worse is U doesn't know this song.
▶ Wyatt: It's a very difficult song to arrange. I think Hyun hyung felt that it was difficult too.
▶ Hwang Hyun: I also changed the arrangement of It's Raining in between. At first, it sounded similar to the arrangement of Everybody. E-Tion suggested to make it refreshing and Youngoh said it will be good to make it exciting so I developed the song with those in mind. I thought it would be good to have something different compared to the previous rounds and to have an exciting stage where everyone dances.
▶ Wyatt: One of the reasons why I liked this song is the rap. When Hyun hyung was writing the rap, he thought of using it to express gratitude for Rain. I look up to Rain, and it's because of him that I can be where I am right now. It's an honor to have a rap like that.

Q. The image training concept of It's Raining stage is also new.
▶ Wyatt: There's supposed to be a sexy dance part in the middle of the song, but we changed it three days before the competition.
▶ Hyojin: That's because of me. When I heard It's Raining, I thought something better will fit so I went to Youngoh and asked if we can do something different, it turns out we have the same thoughts. I felt really sorry because I took his time to share my thoughts. After pondering, I suggested the image training concept.
▶ Hwang Hyun: That change was the skill of a god.

Q. There was a part where Hwang Hyun personally did the narration, and a lot were surprised that it also made it in the studio version.
▶ Hwang Hyun: I thought about it a lot... if I remove a lot, there will be a sudden change of vibe for those who didn't watch the stage. So I included it. I sacrificed myself. (laughs) On the other hand, the reason why I didn't include Wyatt's narration in the intro of The We Must Love despite the good reactions is for people to watch the video more. I contacted Wyatt about that and he understood.

Q. It's Raining earned attention for having the composer to personally come up on stage.
▶ Hwang Hyun: I went up on stage because I was tricked by Kim Youngoh. (laughs) While preparing for It's Raining, he asked me if I can go on stage since all the hair and makeup stylists will also go. I said okay but on the day of the competition, it was just him and I who went on stage during the rehearsal. I was like, "Can I not do this?" In the end, I did it because I was tricked.

Q. Finally, you achieved the 1st place you've been dreaming of through It's Raining. You must be really proud.
▶ Hyojin: I had so much fun during the performance but I didn't have any expectation regarding the rank. I prepared for two stages for Round 3, I couldn't memorize the choreo so I felt really pressured and stressed. Also, compared to the song of the other teams, our song was released way back so I worried that a lot of young viewers wouldn't know the song. That's why I didn't expect to get 1st place but a lot of people who watched the stage liked it. When we won 1st place, I couldn't express what I was feeling into words. I was happy.
▶ Wyatt: I was wondering if we'll ever have the number 1 attached to our name... I was touched. I was really thankful to everyone who had worked hard for ONF so I teared up.
▶ Hwang Hyun: The other teams did blockbuster-like stages so I didn't expect it to get 1st place. I monitor all of their stages and I think their expressions are the best in this stage. I also felt that the dancers really worked hard. Actually, It's Raining was the easiest song I had arranged. I think this is "Simple is the best." If I put too much on the song, it may be hard for the people who are listening. I didn't put too much greed on it. When it won 1st place, a lot of people who watched the stage left comments that they liked the arrangement so I thought I wasn't wrong when I said that.

Q. After getting 1st place, the final song is New World. We're curious on how it was made.
▶ Hwang Hyun: I received stress when I was making New World. I was also tired during the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round but this time I had to make a new song. It's right after winning 1st place with It's Raining so I received more stress. The new song can't not be good. That's why I talked to the ONF members a lot on how they want me to make the new song and what we gathered was, "Anyway let's keep our sensitivity." Since it's a competition, we melted ONF's worldview in a song that would catch people's ears on the first listen.
▶ Wyatt: I really liked New World when it was completed. It feels like an OST for an animation so I think the young ones also like it.
▶ Hyojin: New World entered charts. I was sleeping when it was released but it was crazy outside. When J saw the charts I was like "Am I half awake" "Is this a dream." I'm really thankful that people liked it that much.

Q. A lot of people feel sad that you were eliminated at the last round.
▶ Hyojin: Of course it will be better if we advanced to Kingdom, but I'm happy that we were able to show our group's skills even if we were eliminated at the end. We feel sad, but we gained a lot so we were able to end it happily.

Q. Though you were eliminated, we are curious about your thoughts on successfully finishing a huge project called Road To Kingdom.
▶ Wyatt: We still have a long way to go, but I'm happy that we were called a group that can be trusted and listened to through Road To Kingdom. From now on, we have to do well. Hyun hyung did so well so we have to do well too. (laughs)
▶ Hwang Hyun: I'm happy that more people has come to know more about ONF. A composer's name isn't usually mentioned, but I'm thankful to be praised together with ONF. However I think there are more talks about me than ONF. ONF needs to rise more, which I believe is possible.
▶ Hyojin: I know that Hyun hyung's songs are good, but it's the first time I've been touched with his arrangement. I know that a lot of people are not mentioning Hwang Hyun for nothing, so I felt how precious hyung is. I want to be with him for a long time. (laughs) Everyone worked hard for us, but I don't think any of this is possible without Hyun hyung and Youngoh. I'm very thankful.
▶ Wyatt: What I felt this time is we cannot succeed just by ourselves. We are where we're at right now thanks to the help of a lot of people. Hyun hyung, Youngoh, manager hyung, they all helped us. I'm so grateful. I'm also thankful to my ONF friends. We've worked so hard, and we were able to get good results because we have shown our cool sides until the end.

Part 4
Q. Out of the songs ONF and Hwang Hyun worked on together, please pick your "Only one" favorite.
▶ Hwang Hyun: For me, it's Complete. Though I made it, I feel that I made it really well. (laughs) It's an idol-like song and I don't get tired of listening to it.
▶ Hyojin: It was originally We Must Love but after Road To Kingdom it has changed to The We Must Love. I love the emotions there.
▶ Wyatt: Mine is Moscow Moscow. It's a cool and fancy song, and even when I rap I get immersed into it. I watched the Moscow Moscow reaction video of the classical musicians and I can relate to their reaction.

Q. Moscow Moscow is not a title track but it's receiving huge love fron listeners as a gem b-side track. We're curious as to how you made it.
▶ Hwang Hyun: It's a song I made within a week. While preparing for the 4th mini album GO LIVE, there was a time where I need to quickly hand the tracklist over to the company. When I heard that ONF will film their music video in Moscow, Russia, I decided on the title Moscow Moscow. I haven't even written the song yet. (laughs) After that I wrote the song, when ONF went to film their music video I sent them the guide, and as soon as they returned we recorded the song.
▶ Hyojin: As soon as I heard the song, I thought this is crazy. We have to record the song as soon as we get back to Korea so I kept on listening to the song. I listened to it while looking at the view so I was happy beyond words.
▶ Wyatt: When we get a song, there are some where I have to write my own rap and some not. However, before I asked if I can write lyrics for Moscow Moscow, I had this greed to write my own rap. Due to our tight schedule, I wasn't able to but I'm happy anyway. Even so, while Hyun hyung was writing lyrics in Russian, he was asking me so I was of help. (smiles)
▶ Hwang Hyun: I learned a lot from Moscow Moscow. Music is first for singers, and the public also sees music as most important. I knew its influence when people spread through word of mouth that a song is good.

Q. Hwang Hyun's songs are known for their emotional lyrics. What's a favorite line or lyric of the ONF members?
▶ Hyojin: I really liked We Must Love. If you listen to the other songs about love, it usually conveys "I love you" but in this song it says "You are going to love me." The different way of thinking conveyed in the lyrics is impressive.
▶ Wyatt: Me too, I like the line of this song, "When I walked next to you, my shoelaces kept getting untied." There are fans who became a fan because of "shoelaces." (laughs) Also there are those who find "I can't explain with words" memorable.

Q. There are lots of fans and people who are curious as to who is Hwang Hyun's muse among the members?
▶ Hwang Hyun: There's none. (laughs) The vocal tone that catches my ears changes every song, and you will find that out on the song intro. For example, Hyojin sang first on Why, and MK for the emotional We Must Love. During New World, the voice that caught my ears is Wyatt. During the first chorus, he sang the part "We are going to the new world." Usually that part isn't given to rappers, but from when I was sketching this song I thought I should have Wyatt's deep voice here to give it a unique feel. In that part, all melodies stop and the octaves drop. I wanted to give it weight. J-Us' vocal tone is good in this song too. It was E-Tion during Complete. E-Tion doubted himself if he can do high notes but he eventually overcame it and earned confidence.

Q. As a composer, which member reaches expectation the most?
▶ Hwang Hyun: U. When you give him the guide, he follows it so well during the recording that I get so amused. Sometimes I do feel sorry. Sometimes I personally record the guide for U's part, if only I sang it better I think U would have sang it better too. (laughs)
▶ Wyatt: U is a machine. He's really smart, has good pitch and rhythm. He learns so fast. He worked hard om his Korean so his pronunciation and accent doesn't sound awkward. His will and hard work are amazing. I always say that if he'll study, I think he can go to Harvard.
▶ Hyojin: U is a main dancer so he dances really well, that's why he also has high understanding in terms of music. He catches the rhythm well and knows the point of a song.

Q. Do you comfortably exchange opinions while working together?
▶ Hwang Hyun: There's a difference between making albums and competitions, but as time passes by the more I ask the members what they think about something. We exchange opinions that much. Especially in Road To Kingdom, I made everything with ONF and FreeMind choreographer Kim Youngoh.

Q. When an idol group receives a song from an exclusive producer, there's a risk that the team's identity will be dependent on the producer. Is there a boundary for that part?
▶ Hwang Hyun: I'm really cautious about that part. I always talk to a close dongsaeng producer called Bumzu that simply writing a song and producing are entirely different. If I get the slightest mannerism, it could influence ONF too. That's why I collaborate with other composers and let the members participate in somg writing to change the color.

Q. Among the ONF members, is there someone who shows talent in composing and lyric writing?
▶ Hwang Hyun: My best prospect is MK. We worked on a couple of songs already. Wyatt is showing potential. He's good at writing melodical raps.
▶ Hyojin: I haven't tried composing a song yet but I do have a greed for it. I'm sure that I'm going to spend my long life doing music so I want to learn a lot of things. Once I have more experience in song and performance, I'll try composing and lyric writing too.

Q. Please give us a hint on what kind of song you'll let us hear in the future.
▶ Hwang Hyun: The fact that I will make unique songs you won't hear from other teams hasn't changed. I have a responsibility to give ONF good songs.

Q. What are the goals you want to achieve?
▶ Hyojin: I want our team to be known by a lot of people. I said this in our previous interview, I wish to be recognized by taxi drivers. That means men and women of all ages know us. (laughs)
▶ Wyatt: My goal is for ONF to be known. I want to make a good output while taking our own path. I think my ultimate goal will be decided naturally.

Translations by ai @etionman