Photo = Pinnacle Entertainment

 

Eight honest and confident boys have taken their first step into the music industry. The group is YUHZ, which debuted on the 7th. On the 26th, YUHZ met with Hanteo News at Whosfan Studio in Seoul and shared stories about the team and their debut activities.

 

As a team formed through the SBS survival program B:MY BOYZ, all eight members vividly remember the moment their debut was announced. SECHAN said, "I was so grateful to be included among the eight members, and I thought about wanting to show everyone a great side of myself as a singer in the future." KAI shared, "It was such an exciting moment when the final eight members were finally decided, and I realized we would be performing and promoting together as this team from now on." BOHYEON said, "Rather than feeling purely happy, I felt a great sense of relief," adding, "It was an audition program I joined without telling even my family or the people around me, so I felt relieved that it ended with a good result." HYO said, "More than anything, I felt grateful to the people who came to the final and to those around the world who voted for us," adding, "I kept thinking that once we debuted, I wanted to quickly show everyone a great side of ourselves to repay that gratitude."

 

HARUTO said, "My name was called in eighth place, so honestly, I didn't think I was going to make it," adding, "I felt that I needed to show a better side of myself to the fans who voted for me." JUNSUNG shared, "I was grateful to be among the final eight at the end of such a hectic program, but what makes that day even more memorable is that it felt like the day I proved to my parents and others that I could truly start something." YEONTAE said, "I had already prepared myself mentally, thinking, 'I guess I'm not going to make it,' so I was surprised when my name was called," adding, "All the missions from the program flashed before my eyes, and it felt like all the difficult moments had finally been rewarded." JAEIL said, "I was already grateful just to have the opportunity to stand on stage through the program, and it was an honor to be able to debut thanks to so many people."

 

The group also made the most of the approximately eight months between formation and debut. JUNSUNG explained, "After the group was formed, we held fan concerts in Japan, appeared on music shows, and were thankfully invited to various award ceremonies. After wrapping up those activities, we slowly prepared for our debut in greater detail, which is why we're only debuting now." YEONTAE added, "Some members had been on the same teams during the survival show while others hadn't, so we spent a lot of time practicing together as a group to build chemistry among all eight members." The members also honestly admitted that there were some awkward relationships right after the group was formed. BOHYEON said, "During the audition program, some of us had been on the same team while others had never worked together, so I think we needed more time to get close in the beginning." Their efforts to strengthen teamwork were equally notable. YEONTAE shared, "While preparing for the fan concerts, we practiced cover stages together, ate meals together, and spent time talking with each other," while BOHYEON added, "We exercised together, practiced the basics together, spent all day in the practice room, and even aligned our personal daily routines, which helped us become close."

 

The members also shared the moments when they truly felt they had debuted. BOHYEON said, "On our debut day, we held a release event in front of our fans. Not only did we perform our title track and the B-side track 'Supalove,' but it was also a place where we could take photos and talk with fans." He added, "The afterglow lasted for a long time, and the next day I spent the entire day reading the letters our fans had given us." KAI said, "While promoting on music shows, it felt so surreal that I kept wondering whether the moments I had always dreamed of were actually real." He continued, "Meeting senior artists and watching their performances in person made it all feel very real." JUNSUNG shared, "I ran into a high school friend who had debuted before me on a music show. It made me think, 'Have I really debuted now?' It felt so strange and amazing that we were both there together." He added with a smile, "I ended up messaging him to say thank you, and that friend is DOHOON from TWS."

 

Some aspects of promotions also turned out to be different from what they had expected. JAEIL said, "At first, I was nervous during the fan sign event because it was my first time meeting fans from such a close distance. But when I actually met them face-to-face, I could feel how much they liked and supported us, so I was able to enjoy it." KAI added, "Since we were formed through an audition program, I thought I was already used to cameras. But during camera rehearsals for music shows, I realized that every broadcast uses different cameras, and I needed to study much more about how to look my best on screen." He continued, "After monitoring my performances, there were many things I felt I needed to improve."

 

There were also heartwarming episodes between the members. When asked which member they turn to first when they have concerns, the members' attention immediately shifted to leader HYO. JUNSUNG explained, "There was a brief period when my self-esteem was dropping. I was worried about my own individuality and color, wondering, 'Am I too ordinary?' When I talked to HYO about it, he told me, 'No, you're like the color white,' and gave me a lot of encouraging words that comforted me." HYO elaborated, "JUNSUNG is someone who can adapt to any situation. Sometimes white stands out the most, and at other times it can blend with different colors for the sake of those colors. I wanted to tell him that it's a color that can transform in any way while still retaining its own identity."

 

They also admitted that there had been a disagreement during group practice right before their debut. BOHYEON shared, "Some members wanted mistakes to be corrected quickly, while others also wanted to fix them quickly but couldn't make it happen the way they wanted, so everyone had very different thoughts." He added, "As we talked, our voices got louder, but in the end, we all gathered together and honestly shared what we couldn't understand about each other, and we resolved it." JUNSUNG hinted, "Once we said everything we had been holding in, we realized that each person had their reasons, so it was eventually resolved well. It was a disagreement between me and BOHYEON."

 

The members also revealed the names they saved each other under in their phones. YEONTAE said, "I've known JAEIL for quite a long time, and I think he's someone I have a lot to learn from in terms of dance, so I wanted to express that differently and saved him as 'JAEIL-i Eonga.'" JAEIL said, "I kept it clean and saved him as YUHZ LEE YEONTAE," adding, "I saved all the members that way." HYO explained, "The names I saved them under aren't anything special, but I add an emoji that suits each member at the end." He added, "SECHAN likes ice cream, so I added an ice cream emoji, and JAEIL is cool, so I added a sunglasses emoji." JUNSUNG drew laughter by saying, "I like the Japanese actor MICHIEDA SHUNSUKE, and HARUTO saved me under that name."

 

They also offered a glimpse into the atmosphere of their group chat. YEONTAE said, "I think our leader HYO sends a lot of announcement messages." JAEIL, JUNSUNG, and SECHAN were named as the members who send the most casual chatter. SECHAN drew laughter as he said, "Yesterday, I was passing by Gangnam Station and saw content we appeared in playing, so I filmed it and sent it to the chat. Only HYO replied, 'Wow,' and the other members didn't react." YEONTAE explained, "I saw it after our schedule ended, so I missed the timing."

 

There were plenty of dorm life stories as well. HARUTO, who shares a room with HYO, revealed, "He often closes the door, turns off the lights, and spends time alone, so I wondered what he was doing, and it turned out he was eating snacks." HYO confessed, drawing laughter, "I'm on a diet and all, so I secretly saved snacks from the waiting room and ate them with the door closed while the members were in the living room." BOHYEON said, "I share a room with SECHAN and KAI, and SECHAN can't hear his alarms." He added, "He sets several alarms with different sounds, but he still can't wake up, so KAI and I wake him up." SECHAN explained, "Since we're only getting two to three hours of sleep during promotions, if I set all my alarms to the same sound, my brain gets used to it and I can't hear them." JAEIL said, "JUNSUNG's sleeping habit is sitting up in the middle of his sleep and sleeping while seated." He drew laughter by adding, "Yesterday, YEONTAE suddenly sat up while sleeping, and today I did the same thing, so I think it's contagious." When JUNSUNG, who tries to keep the dorm clean, nagged SECHAN for spilling water on the floor after washing his face, SECHAN reportedly calmly cleaned it up while saying, "I can just clean it."

 

Toward the end of the interview, YUHZ each left a message for themselves five years from now. SECHAN said, "Let's promote without any shame and become YUHZ's SECHAN, whom everyone can recognize." KAI shared, "I hope that five years from now, I will have become a KAI who can enjoy the stage with 100%, or even 150%, ease." BOHYEON said, "When the movie called YUHZ is released, I want to always remain humble and grateful to the many people whose names will appear in the ending credits, and I want to make Season 2 even better." HYO said, "I have a strong desire to do well as a rapper, so I hope that five years from now, I will definitely have reached that position, and I want to be helpful to the team." HARUTO shared, "Even five years from now, when asked whether my idol career was something I was satisfied with and had no regrets about, I want to be able to answer yes." JUNSUNG said, "The experiences I'm enjoying right now are a great happiness, and I hope that five years from now, KANG JUNSUNG will not lose sight of the small joys in life." YEONTAE said, "I hope I will have become an artist who knows how to enjoy the stage with ease, and I want to become an artist whom juniors can choose as their role model." JAEIL concluded, "I believe my effort and passion are growing from this moment on, so I hope that five years from now, I will still be maintaining an even greater passion."

 

YUHZ's first single, Orange Record, was released through various music streaming platforms on May 7. Having now sent out its very first frequency to connect with the world, YUHZ is drawing attention to what kind of music it will use to connect with listeners in the future.