[Exclusive Interview] ”New And B,” the group that includes former ”BIG” members Jayhoon and Jinseok, talks about their upcoming Japan event and future goals

A three-member boy band consisting of former "BIG" members J-HOON and JINSEOK, plus new member Joyjun.
"New And B" came to Japan for the first time in about three months and held two events. We asked them about their upcoming events and their future goals. Q. First of all, "New
Please introduce the group "New And B". J-HOON: The former "New And B" is made up of some of the existing members of the group "BIG" and new members.
With the addition of Joyjun, we have started with the idea of a new kind of "BIG". We have created a new look by combining the charm of the existing "BIG" with our own unique charm.
I'm hoping to present it to the fans in a good way. Q. I heard that you have a new song coming out, is there anything you can reveal about it?
J-HOON: Actually, this is New And B's first digital single album. We finished recording the Korean version, and we also recorded the Arabic version, which is rare.
We will release it in Japan. Later, we would like to record a Japanese version. The members also created the choreography for this song. We are planning to shoot a music video for it soon.
, so please look forward to it. The overall sound atmosphere is bright and refreshing. It's similar to the existing "Flashback" sound.
JINSEOK: All the members participated in writing the lyrics. Although we did participate, the lyrics that J-HOON hyung and I wrote did not make it into the album.
(Tears). Instead, it contains a lot of lyrics written by Joyjun hyung. The composer who wrote this song,
He knows a lot about us, so he thinks it would be a good song for us.
Q. This Japan tour is made up of live performances and free events, but was there anything special planned for this stage?
Did you prepare anything else? Please tell us about the appeal of the live performance that you can't see at the free event! Joyjun: What is the appeal of the live performance that you can't see at the free event?
I think this is the first duet I prepared with JINSEOK. I'm in the rapper position, so I think the fact that a vocalist and a rapper will sing a duet together is something that fans have been looking forward to.
JINSEOK: We have been working together with J-HOON on ballads and preparing many duets, but this is the first time we have done a duet.
I prepared a duet with Oyjun. And one of the charms of "New And B" is that the talk time is very interesting. Our live events are
The stage is great, but I think the appeal is being able to see some interesting talk time. I definitely recommend you come and see our show and enjoy it for yourself! Q. "New
The group "And B" has been together for a long time since "BIG", but what is the reason that you are able to continue to deepen your bond?
J-HOON: I came here with a member called Gongmin who is in the military, and JINSEOK and Joyjun have just joined us.
For these four to continue together, I think they need to have a passion for the job of being an idol and a desire to perform on stage more.
I think everyone has a strong desire to keep this team going and to create better goals. The reason for the free event in Japan this time is that we have a new
I wanted to meet more fans and I had a passion to go higher. All the members are good friends, so we've been able to continue until now.
JINSEOK: Actually, the members are really close! We always hang out together and hang out on our days off.
I think we spend a lot of time together even when we're not on stage. J-HOON: I don't want to see you anymore~ (joking)
Joyjun: When we don't have work, even on our days off in Korea, we always get together and do nothing in particular.
We are so close that we talk over meals or coffee, or even go to someone's house and stay over together.
JINSEOK: I guess we'll have to stop seeing each other (laughs) Q. How did you first become close with new member Joyjun?
Joyjun: When I passed the audition and came to Seoul with the dream of becoming an idol, I met J-HO while I was a trainee at the first company.
It was ON hyung. J-HOON: I met JINSEOK and Gongmin before that. Joyjun: We got along well from the first time we met and stayed in each other's rooms together.
We had a lot of time to chill and got to know each other a lot, which is why I think we've remained close up to now.
JINSEOK: I became close with Joyjun after he joined us. But to be honest, my first impression of him was not good.
(laughs) I felt like he was scary if he didn't laugh. But as we spent time together, I realized he was a very warm-hearted person, and I was drawn to him more than anyone else.
I think we got along pretty quickly. Joyjun and I have similar personalities. Q. Do you have any memorable stories about the differences in culture and language between Japan and Korea?
Please tell us if there are any things that you find strange or cultural customs that you would like to emulate. J-HOON: (As soon as he hears the question) JINSEOK is a very bad guy (laughs).
When K first came to Japan for a concert, she didn't understand Japanese very well, so I taught her some words that she could say to her fans. These two words are "kawaii" and "kirei".
But Jinseok remembered it wrong and said, "I hate you, ___-chan." The pronunciation of "I hate you" and "pretty" are similar to Koreans, so it was a mistake.
Apparently, when I heard this, I thought, "Oh no! This is bad!" and panicked, so I told the fans, "Wait a minute!" and quickly corrected them. "I hate you."
I was really surprised! Joyjun: I want to talk about something that I found strange culturally. I came to Japan for the first time for a performance in Japan recently.
But one thing I still can't get used to is the traffic direction. Cars are driving in the opposite direction and people are walking in the opposite direction. J-HOON: That's something I still can't get used to, even though I've been going back and forth to Japan for 8 years now.
The other day, I was looking to the left at a place where there were no traffic lights and thought there would be no cars coming, so I tried to cross, but suddenly a car came running from the right and it was dangerous. Since I was going in the opposite direction, I ended up bumping into someone.
I've also been standing in the wrong place. Especially when I'm standing on the right side of an escalator and I see someone walking towards me, I think, "Oh no! I was standing in the wrong place."
I noticed and moved to the left. JINSEOK: For me it's chopsticks. In Japan, we use chopsticks more than spoons. And we eat by holding the bowl.
In Japan, it is polite to hold the bowl when eating, but in Korea, it is considered rude. When I returned to Korea from Japan without thinking about it, I unconsciously held the bowl when eating, and I was in Korea, and I was annoyed by people.
Q. You have been active in Japan for so long that you can be called a veteran. What foods have you eaten in Japan, what activities have you tried, and where have you been? Are there any places that tourists don't easily encounter?
J-HOON: I often go back and forth to Japan, so I think I've been to almost every place in Tokyo.
When Koreans come to Japan for sightseeing, they go to many tourist spots like Harajuku and Shibuya, right? But that's too ordinary. I recommend Shimokitazawa!
There are a lot of vintage shops selling cute clothes, so I recommend shopping there.
Also, when I want to see the ocean, I go to a station called Zushi. Japanese people don't know Zushi Station as well as I thought.
It takes about 1.5 to 2 hours from Shinjuku to get there, but if you get off at Zushi Station and walk for about 10 minutes, you'll see the ocean. You can see a big mountain like Mt. Fuji in the distance, and when the sun sets, it's really beautiful.
It's really beautiful. I once got bitten by a jellyfish at the beach and it left me red and swollen, but the sea itself is really beautiful.
Joyjun: J-HOON took me to an okonomiyaki restaurant in Osaka.
The restaurant was so delicious that I remember it well. But I can't remember the name of the restaurant (tears). I haven't been to many places in Japan yet, so it's hard to recommend it,
The food at convenience stores was delicious, and everything I ate in Japan was delicious. JINSEOK: There are two places that I remember fondly. When I first came to Japan,
J-HOON hyung took me to a lot of places. I remember going to a steak sandwich shop in Shimokitazawa, which had a lot of meat and was really delicious.
There is. I think it was about 1800 to 2000 yen including the coke. The other place was Odaiba, and the Gundam was really big and beautiful.
J-HOON: Odaiba is a very famous place, so it's a bit misleading to call it a famous spot just for us. There are places in Odaiba where you can eat hamburgers while looking at the seaside.
There is a hamburger restaurant there. The scenery is really nice and the hamburgers are delicious, so I recommend it. I don't know Joyjun very well yet, so I'll have to find out more about it.
I'm planning to take them there! Q. Please tell us about the direction and goals that "New And B" will be heading in from now on.
J-HOON: Our goal in Japan is to perform in a 300-seat venue next year when Gongmin comes back.
Also, the year after next, I would like to perform at a big venue like Zepp. Our goal is to fill a big venue like Zepp with our fans.
Although not all of our members' Japanese language ability is at the level of Japanese people, we hope that we can improve to a level where we can have a conversation smoothly with our fans.
Joyjun: I want to study Japanese really hard and be able to communicate smoothly with my fans. JINSEOK: That's a very realistic goal for me, but J-HOON hyung has been doing that for 8 years.
I have fans that I've been seeing for the last 3-4 years. I want to continue seeing those fans for the next 10-15 years. I want to show my fans how I've grown older.
I would like our fans to show us that same side of ourselves, and I would like to see us grow old together.