Meet NOWADAYS, a new K-pop group that wants to be the revelation of the year

There are years of training in dance, vocals and rap – among other skills – before a K-pop group debuts in the music industry. And HYEONBIN, YOON, YEONWOO, JINHYUK and SIYUN's turn finally arrived on April 2nd, when they introduced themselves to the world as NOWADAYS, with the album of the same name and the title track “OoWee”.

And this is just the beginning, the members acknowledged in an interview with CNN Brazil . Released by K-pop agency Cube Entertainment, the same house as the successful girl group (G)-IDLE, the quintet said they want to create lasting memories with their fans and said they will try even harder to show their charms to the public .

But it's worth saying that, even as a newcomer, the group is already surprising. The clip for the bubblegum song “OoWee”, with energetic choreography, colorful sets and fun storytelling, has already received more than 5 million views in two days. In the comments, there are several compliments to the vocals, raps, dancing and the production of the video.

If you're already a fan or about to become one, get to know each of the members in more depth in the chat below, where they talk about this new phase of life, who's the best cook in the group, and even who's most likely to play tricks. Check out:

Firstly, congratulations on your debut. Do you remember how you felt when you found out you were going to debut?

HYEONBIN: First of all, thank you very much! I was happy when I heard the news of our debut. It also made me reflect on the seven years I spent as a trainee. On the other hand, I recognized that this was just the beginning. So I felt like I needed to improve myself more before the premiere!

YOON: Even though I was very nervous, I was also very excited. And I also really want to win the “Newcomer of the Year” award!

YEONWOO: I was very excited and grateful to be able to debut. I remember that at the same time I called my family to tell them the news.

JINHYUK: I was very happy and wanted to show what we had been preparing for a long time 🙂

SIYUN: At first, it seemed so unreal that I was debuting. I realized I was one step closer to my dream and it was just the beginning. I thought to myself that I would need to work even harder and wanted to show our fans five different charms of us.

Is there a story behind the group's name? What does he represent to you?

HYEONBIN: The name “NOWADAYS” reflects our aspiration to be connected with our fans' present (NOW) and create lasting memories in the days (DAYS) to come. We want to bring comfort and emotion to those who accompany us.

How did each of you fall in love with music and decide to pursue a career as an idol?

YEONWOO: I grew up being exposed to music a lot because of my mother's love for music. Thanks to her, I heard different musical styles and started to love them too. I remember my first performance on stage during a school festival in my first year of high school. The applause and screams from the audience made my heart beat faster. It was at that moment that I knew I wanted to pursue my dream of becoming an idol.

JINHYUK: Since elementary school, I've been interested in rap and K-Pop. In my first year of high school, I felt a strong desire to be on stage, and this led me to pursue a career as an idol.

SIYUN: I have always been interested in music since my father introduced me to various genres when I was young. In my third year of high school, I received a casting offer and started preparing for auditions. As I prepared for auditions and watched videos of various idols, I found myself inspired to become one.

What are the main inspirations behind NOWADAYS' music and how would you describe your musical style?

YOON: Our musical style is happy and upbeat hip-hop. I generally get inspired by listening to other artists' music.

YEONWOO: I believe our music is the type that people can easily identify with. This album captures our curious and free-spirited side. I often look to music for inspiration as I reflect on what I think, feel and believe.

Currently, the whole world is paying attention to K-pop. Right now, you are giving an interview to Brazil. How do you plan to create a unique connection with Brazilian fans and fans from other parts of the world?

HYEONBIN: I believe it is respectful to understand the culture and language of fans to receive their love, so I want to study their culture and language to be able to communicate more closely with international fans, including fans in Brazil!

YEONWOO: I would love to visit international fans often if I could! We will also try to interact with our fans through various fun content, so stay tuned.

JINHYUK: I would love to go on a world tour and communicate with our fans in person. I hope our fans have the opportunity to see our performances live.

HYEONBIN, you are the leader of NOWADAYS. What kind of leader do you want to be for your members, and what is the biggest challenge of this role?

HYEONBIN: I want to become a leader that my members can trust. I still think I need to work on myself mentally and talent-wise, so I want to try harder and become a leader that my members can be proud of.

Do you participate in the creative process of your songs? What is the experience like and what kind of message or feeling do you want to share with your music on this first album?

JINHYUK: I was able to participate in composing the lyrics for our single 'OoWee' and the track 'TICKET'. I was proud to be able to contribute to the album, especially after only focusing on my own music. By imagining the mood and vibe of each song, I was able to write in my own style.

SIYUN: I participated in writing the lyrics and composing 'OoWee' and 'TICKET' with JINHYUK. I was very excited when composing 'TICKET' as I imagined the situation of leaving my boring daily life behind and going on a trip.

PING PONG with NOWADAYS

The last TV series you watched and loved.

YOON: I recently watched “Sparkling Watermelon” and really liked it!

YEONWOO: I liked a drama called “Our Eternal Summer”. I love the color palette and all the songs on the soundtrack.

SIYUN: I recently rewatched “Goblin,” which is still one of my favorites.

An artist you've been listening to a lot lately.

HYEONBIN: I always try to listen to music from different artists as much as possible, but Ed Sheeran and The 1975 are two that I listen to daily!

YOON: I've been listening to Seori a lot lately.

YEONWOO: I like ZAYN's music. He has a captivating voice and the ability to draw listeners in within the first few seconds of the song.

JINHYUK: I've also been listening to Seori's music a lot.

SIYUN: I've been listening to Post Malone's music a lot lately.

Who dresses better?

HYEONBIN: All the members except me have a great sense of style, but I particularly like JINHYUK's look! I love hip-hop fashion, and since JINHYUK and I have similar fashion preferences, I am often inspired by him when it comes to fashion.

YOON: I think JINHYUK has the best sense of style among us.

YEONWOO: I'm going with JINHYUK because he tries out a variety of styles that I haven't tried, that's why I think he's the best dresser.

JINHYUK: I'll choose myself because I think I have the best fashion sense.

SIYUN: I think JINHYUK, who is more interested in clothes, dresses better!

The best cook in the group.

HYEONBIN: Um… I would say the answer to that question is me! I cook the most in our dorm, and I like cooking, so I often cook for the members as well. Even though YEONWOO and JINHYUK are also good at cooking, I think I cook more often, so I'll choose myself!

JINHYUK: I think HYEONBIN is the best cook among us.

The most likely member to be the protagonist of a K-drama.

HYEONBIN: I think SIYUN would be a good choice for the main character because he has a positive and adventurous personality!

YEONWOO: YOON would be perfect to play the youngest son of a rich family, with a cute personality who complains a lot.

JINHYUK: I think SIYUN is a good fit as a handsome protagonist in a webtoon-based K-drama [quadrinhos online]. YEONWOO would be perfect for teen movies, while HYEONBIN would be great for protagonists like the one in “Goblin”.

SIYUN: I think it depends on the character, but I can imagine YEONWOO as an innocent animated protagonist, YOON and JINHYUK as popular and handsome students at school, and HYEONBIN as a character capable of leading something.

Most likely to play a prank.

HYEONBIN: It's definitely YOON! There's never a quiet day with him. For example, he always makes loud noises before bed on purpose or simply stares without saying a word. I'm sure one day our fans will discover this while watching our content.

YOON: I think it's me! Haha ha. Even this morning, for example, while SIYUN was drying his hair, I did aegyo [ato de agir de forma fofinha] in front of the mirror to interrupt him.

YEONWOO: I usually play with JINHYUK most of the time. When one of us makes eye contact, we start to play, and that's when our play goes on for a long time. Apparently we like to tease each other.