WINNER, new YG boy group crosses genres

Members of the new K-pop boy band WINNER — Song Min-ho, from front, Kim Jin-woo, Nam Tae-hyun, Kang Seung-yoon and Lee Seung-hoon— pose in this file photo. / Courtesy of YG Entertainment

Leader and lead vocal Kang Seung-yoon

Main vocal Nam Tae-hyun

Main rapper Song Min-ho

Rapper Lee Seung-hoon

Sub-vocal Kim Jin-woo

By Kim Ji-soo

Gone were the tension and anxiety they wore during their "pre-debut era" as the five members of WINNER looked snappy and at home in the YG Entertainment building in Hapjeong-dong, Seoul, Tuesday.

"It's happy days for us," said Kang Seung-yoon, leader of the new boy band introduced by YG, home to Big Bang, 2NE1 and Psy.

WINNER's five members — Kang, 20, Lee Seung-hoon, 22, Song Min-ho, 21, Nam Tae-hyun, 20, and Kim Jin-woo, 22 — are fashionable youngsters in the varying colors of yellow, fuchsia, red and grey. Kang sported a spiffy black hat, Song a beret, while Nam explained the tattoos on his arm, one which read "Jean Michel Basquiat," who influenced him.

The five have released their debut album this month. WINNER's first official performance came at the AIA Real Life: Now Festival 2014 in Seoul. The album "2014 S/S" is doing well, having topped the iTune charts in five nations and seven domestic charts since the Aug. 12 release.

There are 10 songs on the album — "Empty," "Color Ring," "Don't Flirt," "I'm Him," "Love is a Lie," "Confession," "But," "Different," "Tonight" and "Smile Again." Most of the members participated in writing the songs' lyrics, a rare feat for newcomers.

The music ranges from pop ballad to hip hop to folk and rock with the songs carrying that emotive reach.

Amid the plethora of new K-pop groups emerging and against the background of strong identities of its "senior"YGgroups like Big Bang, WINNER is aiming to make a difference by doing music of all genres that reach out to people.

"We want people to relate to our music, so they can be excited with upbeat songs or feel empathy through sad ones," said Kang. "We want our fans to relate to our songs, not only the melodies but the stories in them," he said.

"In a way, this album is a 'declaration of war' on what our music will be," said Kang.

The result: "Very satisfying," said Kim, as the four nodded along.

WINNER is the first group put forth by YG in nine years. Also, the group publicly underwent three rounds of auditions on television's "Who is Next: WIN," which aired August through October of last year, competing against six other trainees in Team B. One participant who did not make it co-wrote the song "Empty."

"On television, there were highlighted moments of competition and stiff battles, but we still share musical exchanges," Lee said of the other team.

Kang and Lee are graduates of tough but popular audition programs, the former in "Super Star K 2" and the latter in "K-Pop Star 2."

"But if you haven't experienced what we went through on ‘Who is Next? ‘You really wouldn't know," said Lee. It was several months of sheer tension and not knowing the future, but everybody endured for the dream.

Song said that he was more relieved than happy to emerge from that public competition.

"I think that period was really tough. We put our life on stage to make it through that," he said.

"We really wanted to become K-pop singers," said Nam.

They were long influenced by music of all genres since a young age.

"I remember listening to 50 Cent in elementary school while playing games. My interest in rap steadily evolved from then," said Song, who is the group's main rapper. Song, whose low tone starts out the song "Empty," wrote the music for his solo song "I'm Him"carried in the album.

Kang said he was into the British group Alter Bridge and it was One Republic that made him desire for group music. Kang debuted solo last year before joining WINNER.

"Being in a group means you can try varying range of music," said Kang.

For Lee, his musical influence was Usher; for Nam the Korean singer Park Hyo-shin; and in the case of Kim, Justin Timberlake and Rihanna. "Jin-woo's ear piece has JTH inscribed on it," other members chimed in. "He says it stands for Justin Timberlake Help!"

"I love his songs, and I feel that he motivates me when I'm on stage,"Kim said.

With these and other musical influences — in particular that of its agency — WINNER wants to be known as a group that can move from "white to black."

"The color white, it is open to new inputs," said Kang. "The color black, it's the amalgam of all colors ... ultimately we want to grow into (such) a group that is followed by other musicians."

In person, the five young men were playful and joking among themselves, asserting themselves to speak out in response to questions.

Asked on their ideal type of girl, members were eager to respond.

"Girls that look like me," said Kim, "Puppy eyes, cute and innocent looking."

Sitting next to Kim, Song said, "Attractive girls that are fun. I don't like girls that lack humor." Nam blurted out, "Pretty lips are important," leaving other members laughing.

"Girls that work out are cool," Lee said, while Kang stated, "I prefer smart girls rather than just a pretty face."

There was a palpable sense of joy despite the hectic schedule that keeps them awake from early morning to late at night.

Before their first headlining performance, WINNER opened for 2NE1's world tour early this March and also for Big Bang's concert in Japan this summer. Opening for those big names "came like a burden because we knew the fans came for Big Bang or 2NE1," said Lee. But their confidence grew as they saw more placards with their name on them among the audience.

WINNER will hold its first ever album autograph event for fans on Friday at the Grand Hilton Hotel in Seoul.

WINNER's unofficial fan club is called the Inner Circle, and will be officially launched next month along with its Japanese album release.

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