[HT Interview] ONEUS Returns as Full Group After a Year and a Half…“Now It Is Our Turn to Give Back the Love We Received” (Comprehensive)

[Hanteo News = Reporter KANG SUYOUNG] ONEUS, which was born seven years ago through the light shone by its fans, has now returned to give that light back.

ONEUS met with Hanteo News at a cafe in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on the 21st and talked about its 12th mini album ‘FIRST LIGHT : 井.’ It is the group’s first full-group comeback in a year and a half, and its first full-group album under its new agency. Throughout the stories shared by the five members standing at a new starting line, one consistent feeling was deeply embedded: the desire to give back the love they have received.

That feeling begins with the album’s title. ONEUS debuted in 2019 with an album titled ‘LIGHT US.’ It carried the meaning that they were born because their fans shone on them. Now, seven years later, they have put their ambition to return that light into their new album.

“When we return as a full group after seven years, if the love we have received from TOMOON, our fandom, all this time was the moonlight shone by our fans, TOMOON’s moonlight, this album contains our ambition to return it just as it is. It is an album that carries the meaning of, ‘We will illuminate your dark sides with our sun.’ I think it contains a lot of the time and stories ONEUS has shared until now, so I believe it may become a gift for fans.” (KEONHEE)

The title track ‘Don’t Look Away (Say Yes!)’ also stands on the same message. The title contains the direct message of “Please always look at us,” but the core that runs through the song lies in the subtitle, ‘Say Yes!’

“There are many lyrics that carry the message running through the song, ‘I’ll be the sunrise,’ meaning that I will become your sunlight. Just as fans have always shone on us, we also wanted to illuminate the darkness of our fans, so we expressed those positive feelings through the condensed lyric ‘Say Yes.’ With its addictive, hooking sound and warm lyrics, I think you will be able to feel a lot of positive energy.” (KEONHEE)

This desire to return the love they have received did not suddenly appear one day. About two years ago, ONEUS appeared on the survival program ‘Road to Kingdom : Ace of Ace.’ It was a place where rankings were decided cruelly, and for a team going through a slump, it was a major gamble.

“I think there was a slight slump for our team and the people at the company. As we kept working hard to release albums and go on tours, there were also parts of our activities that had become fixed, and we thought a lot about how we could find a breakthrough. Since it was a place where we had to put our career so far on the line and compete with junior artists, we had a lot of worries. We spoke frankly, saying, ‘This could become a good stepping stone, but it could also become a blade that comes back to us.’ But all the members thought that taking on a challenge rather than staying complacent would be a good stimulus for both the team and the fans. We really went back to our original mindset, held meetings through the night one by one, and I think it became a major event that allowed our fans to also return to that original mindset with us and keep moving forward. The fierce determination to create a better future with TOMOON somehow has continued from then until now.” (HWANWOONG)

At the root of that determination was gratitude. During the interview, while talking about the good adults around them and their fans, KEONHEE suddenly became unable to continue speaking and teared up. In front of the surprised reporters, LEE DO asked, “Do you have tissues?” and HWANWOONG brought him tissues. KEONHEE shyly said he was the only F in the team, but still opened up about the reason for his tears.

“I felt grateful. When dreaming about the future, I felt thankful because I realized, ‘Ah, ONEUS is a team that can receive this much love.’ Seeing the fans who have supported us for a long time, I strongly felt that I wanted to make sure this love does not go to waste for them. The support and love we have received are never small, so I thought the way I can repay that gratitude is by doing what I am good at and staying by their side for a long, long time. That is what I am trying hard to do.” (KEONHEE)

If the way to repay the love they received is “staying by fans’ side for a long, long time,” then their contract renewal and transfer were the realization of that promise. Although their discussions about contract renewal began later than those of other teams, they easily came together on the desire to continue ONEUS.

“To be honest, for me, it had just become so familiar. I had seen them more than my family and more than my friends, so there was that familiarity, and while watching them, I also felt that they were good people. We were already doing this together, so did we really have to do it separately? Rather, I do not think I had ever thought about not doing it together.” (LEE DO)

“I think all five of us think of the occupation of being singers, this dream, and ONEUS as one complex whole. Since we were young, we had vaguely kept saying, ‘No matter what situation comes, we will probably do it as ONEUS.’ Within the social framework of contract renewal, we had thought of it as something obvious, but the timing came closer than expected, and as we tried to resolve realistic matters, I realized, ‘Ah, this is society, and this is what it means to be an adult.’ Last year was difficult, but I think it was actually a good time because it allowed us to draw a more concrete future together.” (HWANWOONG)

The five members naturally came together again, but becoming a full group required one person’s intense effort. Main vocalist SEOHO had only recently been discharged from the military. Starting the day after his discharge, SEOHO began learning choreography and recording. It was so they could return to the fans who had waited for the full group even one day sooner. During his military service, he also lost 8kg in preparation for activities.

“It was great that everything was already set up, but I was not prepared. (Laughs) I worked hard to quickly awaken the rusty parts, and in order to catch up with the members who had been working hard for a year and a half, I divided up my time as much as possible and focused on practice and album preparations.” (SEOHO)

The members watched SEOHO with affection. KEONHEE said, “When he came out on leave, he kept showing off his body, saying his muscles had gotten bigger, but when he was discharged, he appeared with the weight all slimmed down so that he could start promoting right away, looking very idol-like,” adding, “I felt that he had prepared hard and come out ready, so I was grateful.” XION expressed confidence, saying, “Once we make our comeback, I think fans will not even be able to tell, to the point where they will say, ‘Wait, did SEOHO really come back from the military?’”

All these feelings ultimately come together as one: staying by fans’ side for a long time and returning the light they have received. XION’s simple goal spoke for that feeling. The character 井 in the album title ‘FIRST LIGHT : 井’ is often read as “sharp” or “#.”

“I heard generations are divided by whether they read # as the Korean character ‘井’ or as a hashtag. Now, when people see the sharp sign, I hope we can become a group that immediately makes them think, ‘Oh, this is ONEUS’ album. ONEUS’ songs are good. ONEUS sings well.’” (XION)

ONEUS’ 12th mini album ‘FIRST LIGHT : 井’ will be released today, the 21st, at 6 PM. ONEUS’ new chapter, in which they hope to repay the love they received as moonlight with sunlight, now begins.

grace@hanteo.com

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