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HISTORY Talks Teamwork & Upcoming Releases [INTERVIEW]

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interview with history kpop band k pop korean group

K-pop boy band HISTORY wowed British fans at their concert in London on February 21. But even before the show began, KultScene caught up with the Loen Entertainment quintet. Despite their tight schedule the members sat down with us and, with the help of an interpreter, opened up about their career, upcoming releases, and their European concert tour.

KultScene: Thank you so much for sitting down with me and welcome to England! What aspect of meeting your European fans are you most looking forward to?

Jae Ho: We have only been to Finland so far and just arrived in the UK. We had the chance to meet a few of the fans in Helsinki, though. It seems like the European supporters are quite vocal, so we are looking forward to hearing more of their enthusiasm for our performances on the other stops of our European tour.

KS: Let’s talk about your career a little bit. What qualities does HISTORY feel they have as a group which make them unique in the K-Pop world?

Do Kyun: All K-pop idols work very hard on stage, but I believe that HISTORY’s main strength as a group is the teamwork among our five members. This is what allows us to produce a very powerful performance on stage for our fans.

Also on KultScene: Fans Go ‘Psycho’ At HISTORY’s London Concert

KS: How does the experience of performing for your fans in Europe differ to that in South Korea?

Si Hyoung: The Korean fans just like to listen and watch us on stage, whereas the European fans we’ve met so far preferred to interact with us. They danced and sang along loudly in unison to our performances.

KS: A lot of your music videos, including the Hitchcock inspired “Psycho” and drug- related “What Am I To You,” have intense concepts with graphic storylines. How much of a role do History’s members have in this creative process?

Kyungil: We don’t have any input into our music video concepts, but our personal influence with regards to songwriting is increasing with every album. Our next release, which is coming out soon, will have a lot of our influence and thoughts put into it.

KS: My next question is for Yi Jeong. Even though you’re the youngest member you’ve showcased a lot of talent writing songs for HISTORY, such as the group’s latest Korean single “Might Just Die.“ However your solo track, “1Century,” was geared more towards hip hop. What made you go in that direction?

Yi Jeong: HISTORY as a team usually has a gentler image, but I personally really love hip hop and wanted to try out a different sound for my solo track, mostly to challenge myself.

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KS: What can we look forward to from HISTORY in 2016?

Do Kyun: In 2016 we plan, as a group, to find more ways to communicate with our fans through broadcasting activities. We don’t have any specific plans for solo projects at the present time.

Kyungil: HISTORY is working on an album right now as a group, so the fans can expect to hear that very soon.

KS:Do you have a final message for your fans at KultScene?

Kyungil: Please give HISTORY a lot of love and support from Europe and we will return soon with more activities and surprises for you!

What do you think of HISTORY? Are you a fan? Share your thoughts and what you’d like to ask HISTORY in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

[Picture by: Sophie Tang]

Get Excited For History’s Live Tour In Europe

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History

Following a slew of K-Pop groups that embarked on European tours in 2015 comes Loen Entertainment’s five member boy band, History. Comprised of Kyungil, Dokyun, Sihyung, Jaeho and Yi Jeong, History debuted in April 2013 with the critically acclaimed “Dreamer.” A supremely talented quintet, History’s unconventional sound and bold concepts make them stand out in the highly competitive boyband market and will undoubtedly make their tour an unforgettable experience for all STORIAs, History’s fans.

Arpeggios Entertainment organized three shows for Helsinki, Finland on Feb. 20, London, UK on Feb. 21, and Paris, France on Feb. 24. Meanwhile, a final show has been set for Bucharest, Romania on Feb. 27, organized by Kompas Events. 

Their Musical Style

History has consistently switched up their sound with every comeback, giving them an element of surprise with which to delight their fans. The boys have also introduced many genres into their music to showcase their incredible versatility. For example, the concept for “Dreamer” could have come straight from a Broadway musical, while follow-up song “Tell Me Love” is a 90s style techno dance song. Each song is diverse: “What Am I To You” incorporates Latin influences, “Psycho” was a throwback to 80s electronica, and the band’s latest single, “Might Just Die,” mixes both classical and hip hop influences. All of this, plus History’s exemplary vocals and rapping, add up to a truly unique style that we can’t wait to hear performed live.

Also on Kultscene: Artist Spotlight: History

Their Technically Demanding Choreography

History’s first music video, “Dreamer,” features carefree dance moves highly reminiscent of Fred Astaire, while they make a stark 360 degree turn in “Psycho” and “Might Just Die,” both of which involve sexually suggestive choreography. The latter has all the classic boyband staples of body rolling, ab flashing and raunchy choreography, but it is executed with such amazing finesse that when the members throw themselves on the floor towards the song’s conclusion the viewer is sure to be bowled over! Be sure to keep an eye on Kyungil during “Might Just Die”- his choreography had to be altered for broadcast performances in South Korea.

Their Daring Music Video Concepts

With “What I Am To You” and “Psycho,” History ventured into bold new territory. The music video for “What Am I To You” was shot in Germany and features scenes of Kyungil drinking heavily, downing pills and smoking marijuana, while Yi Jeong is beaten up by thugs. “Psycho” gave all the members a chance to show their acting abilities, with each representing a facet of Yi Jeong’s multiple personality disorder. He obsessively stalks a woman and an evil facet of his character, represented by Kyung Il, tries to harm the girl, only for Yi Jeong to fight back. History’s youngest member replicates the mannerisms of Norman Bates from Hitchcock’s eponymous thriller “Psycho” and by the conclusion intends to murder the woman who torments him. While the music videos may play before the show, here’s to hoping that their concepts will be carried over into History’s performances!

Also on Kultscene: Artist Spotlight: Jang Yi Jeong

Fanservice

The idea of members sending hearts into the audience will surely make stomachs fill with butterflies, but any STORIAs in the audience are sure to keep an eye out for interaction between Kyungil and Yi Jeong. The two members have the most adorable father-son/brotherly relationship that’s filled with hugs, silly interactions, and far more. Meanwhile, don’t forget about the other three. Just because they’re in the middle of the group age-wise doesn’t mean that Sihyung, Jaeho, and Dokyun will be annoyed. No, there’s going to be a lot of fun interactions from History at these shows so be prepared!

Yi Jeong’s Creative Input

Youngest member Yi Jeong proves his musical dexterity on the group’s latest mini album, “Beyond The History.” He showed off his talent by composing the title track “Might Just Die,” a feat relatively rare in K-Pop. Yi Jeong also wrote the electronic hip hop song “Ghost,” as well as his own solo rap track “1Century,” which showed a much edgier side to his usual persona as a main vocalist. The youngest member’s solo stage will surely wow the crowd.

History’s forthcoming European dates promise to be outstanding and will surely garner them even more acclaim, while increasing their fanbase significantly.

Tickets for the London show at the O2 Academy Islington are £95 for VIP tickets, including a meet and greet and early entry, or £35 for the normal tickets. They’re on sale now through Weeze Events.

Tickets for the Paris show at the Divan Du Monde and the Helsinki show at the Gloria are €99 for VIP or €39 for the standard. Tickets are also available through Weeze Events (Paris tickets , Helsinki tickets).

The final show in Bucharest will be held at the Palatul National al Copiilor, and tickets are on sale for 300-150 RON. They can be purchased through Bilete.
What do you love about History? Are you going to their tour? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

Artist Spotlight: HISTORY’s Jang Yi Jeong

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Jang Yi Jeong history profile bio artist spotlight

As a group with relatively little fanfare in the Korean music world, Loen Tree’s male K-pop quintet HISTORY has shown off its talent time and time again. The group’s latest release, the May mini-album “Beyond The History,” showcased their talent once again, and particularly highlighted the skill of the group’s youngest member, Jang Yi Jeong.

Jang gained fame prior to joining HISTORY as a contestant on “Birth Of A Great Star 2”. Although he didn’t win the competition, Jang’s powerful vocals and likeable personality led to him gaining a spot in HISTORY. In the group, Jang was not only the youngest member, but also the center vocalist of a group filled with talent.

After HISTORY’s debut, Jang’s highest profile solo work was being featured on IU’s “Friday.” The soft ballad about going on a date was extremely popular in South Korea, but it’s Jang’s latest work that is the most exciting.

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The latest album gave Jang another chance to shine; he wrote the group’s title track, “Just Might Die” and released his own solo song, “1CENTURY.” While many K-pop idols nowadays are known for their compositional skills, it’s rare that a rookie group would go with a title song written by a member unless they had absolute confidence in the song. Jang spoke about the responsibility that went along with it in an interview with Loen’s 1theK YouTube channel, where he admitted that he felt the pressure from the members to make a good song. The result was “Just Might Die.”

Not only did Jang have a role in every aspect of “Just Might Die,” including directing the recording, he also was involved in the songs “Ghost” and “1Century” on the same album.

If “Just Might Die” wasn’t enough of a surprise to turn our attention to HISTORY’s youngest member, Jang’s solo rap “1Century” did that.

Yes, a rap song. Just like “Just Might Die,” Jang also wrote “1Century.” HISTORY has other members who rap, but Jang Yi Jeong’s debut as a rapper is one of the best rap songs we’ve heard from a Korean idol that wasn’t originally an underground rapper. The emotion is there, the different rap styles; it’s all there. Jang isn’t as talented as people who make their careers as rappers, such as San-E or Mad Clown, but there’s no doubt that there is basic, raw skill there.

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Matching his singing skills with his composing talent and newly revealed aptitude for rap shows how well rounded Jang Yi Jeong is not as a general K-pop but as a musician in general. It is honestly confounding when thinking about how one of the most promising talents in the Korean music world is going unrecognized.

What do you think about Jang Yi Jeong? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.