We’ve witnessed pineapple hair, wolf howls, and crazier; with K-Pop, there’s no limit to how weird and wonderful things can get. Newest kids on the block NEWBEAT have decided to spark their debut with something very fitting to their name: real hiccups recorded on their predebut release of the same name. At a recent press roundtable ahead of their debut, the boys dished about their fabulously daring concept. Rapper Choi Seohyun explained: “For HICCUPS, there’s an actual hiccup sound in the song’s intro part, which I recorded, and the directors complimented me a lot, so I was delighted and proud.”

We asked the boys if they felt a little nervous about introducing themselves to the world in such an unconventional way. “[I] can be a little worrisome and hesitant to use unique sounds and beats”, singer Jeon Yeoyeojeong admitted. “However, since we’re rookies and our album’s theme is all about challenging ourselves with passion and determination, we thought it could also be an opportunity to show who we are and bring out our charms even more.” It seems the boys fully embody their lyrics: “Now keep your cool / It’s just a hiccup, baby.”

RAW AND RAD, the full album the boys have now officially brought to the world, is a rare feat for a debuting group, as most these days drop a four-track EP and call it a day. NEWBEAT were determined to make their mark however, and it shows. Park Minseok, the group’s official leader, told us: ‘RAW AND RAD represents pure, raw passion and the spirit of challenge. While we acknowledge the imperfections and flaws within our rawness, I believe it is also a result that fully captures our dreams, passion, and mindset.’ 

The album is the brainchild of a band of sworn old hip-hop lovers, featuring Flip the Coin as the main promoted track, imbued with confident vocals and hard electric strumming in its latter end to drive home the point that NEWBEAT, indeed, intend to shake up the industry. It’s arguably more difficult for debuting boy groups to stand out these days, but it’s obvious NEWBEAT have got something cooking. The B-sides offer softer bites between the power-packed promoted songs: the aforementioned Flip the Coin, HICCUPS, and JeLLo(Sleepers). Wonder mellows out the pace as the record nears its end, and We Are Young wraps it all up with anthemic cheer. 

The septet have had quite the unconventional pre-debut life. Park Minseok, Hong Minsung, Jeon Yeoyeojeong, Choi Seohyun, Kim Taeyang, Jo Yunhu, and Kim Riwoo trained themselves up by diving in at the deep end: busking across the U.S. amongst other dance crews, and doing a fair amount of backup dancing for A.C.E, which included sharing a huge stage in Los Angeles. The still-going strong princes amongst 3rd-Gen K-Pop seemed to impart a lot of influence and wisdom on their juniors, which Jo Yunhu shared a small nugget of: “Jun from A.C.E. gave me advice on taking care of mental health. He said that it’s important to remind yourself that you are going to do well, so trust yourself and enjoy the process. This is something I try to remember whenever I feel challenged and want to recover my mental well-being.”

For such a young group, they have so much unexpected lore. From their apparent hornless unicorn mascot to anecdotes of the time they walked 100km across the country, the boys held nothing back when spilling excitedly about their time together. It would seem each and every moment of that journey has been cherished – something to spot in all true artists – demonstrated in crystal clear recounts of moments such as the time they joined with the dance troupes in Central Park to cover Jungkook’s Standing Next to You. 

Their admiration isn’t just reserved for their seniors, either. The boys were playing hot potato with compliments toward one another throughout. Serving as a pillar of support for your bandmates is a solid way of accelerating your progress as a team. “We learned how to turn that pressure into confidence”, Jeon Yeoyeojeong commented on the anxieties that come with the buildup toward such a milestone. In the short-term, NEWBEAT are hoping to snag a Rookie of the Year Award at the Korean Music Awards. It’s no small feat mind you, but the boys have got their eyes on attaining major recognition in the future. For nothing less than being a group that ever-evolves, hand in hand, with the truest of sincerity on and off stage. That’s what real artistry is all about.

Feature written by Maddie Armstrong

The interview was conducted by Maddie Armstrong during a roundtable media session.

Featured image courtesy of Beat Interactive

Thank you Helix Publicity, Beat Interactive & NEWBEAT for having us.

_{View of the Arts is an online publication dedicated to films, music, and arts, with a strong focus on the Asian entertainment industry. With rich content already available to our readers, we aim to expand our reach and grow alongside our audience by delving deeper into emerging platforms such as K-pop and Asian music more broadly. At the same time, we remain committed to exploring the vibrant and ever-evolving global landscape of film, music, and the arts, celebrating the immense talent and creativity that define these industries worldwide.}