'Sky blue is the defining color of TREASURE'
K-pop boy band TREASURE's first studio album “THE FIRST STEP : TREASURE EFFECT” will hit multiple streaming sites at 6 p.m. on Monday. Courtesy of YG Entertainment
By Dong Sun-hwa
When rookie K-pop boy band TREASURE had its first media interview with many reporters in August, band leader Choi Hyun-suk said the group does not have its own unique color yet. But after five months, the 12-piece act has apparently figured out which color suits it best ― sky blue.
“When you are going through tough times, you can look up in the sky for some encouragement,” Japanese member Mashiho said during an online press conference Monday. “So I think sky blue is the color for TREASURE ― I hope people get some energy through us.”
TREASURE's first full-length album “THE FIRST STEP : TREASURE EFFECT” is set to hit multiple streaming sites at 6 p.m. on Monday. The album features nine tracks from its previous releases and three new ones ― “BE WITH ME,” “SLOW MOTION” and the lead single “MY TREASURE.”
“MY TREASURE” is a bright and uplifting pop song that aims to give hope and solace to listeners. It is the first time for the group ― which has been mostly showcasing its power and hipness in previous releases ― to bring such a vibrant track to the fore.
“The track is quite distinctive from our previous songs,” Doyoung said. “We felt like we were gaining energy while recording it. I wish our good vibes could be passed on to listeners.”
Junkyu said, “The music video will remind people of a fantastical fairy tale or musical ― it has a lot of beautiful scenes.”
TREASURE clinched Rookie of the Year Award at the Golden Disc Awards, Saturday. Courtesy of YG Entertainment.
The TREASURE members revealed they participated in the making of the album. Choi said they always strive to work on their music despite their hectic schedule.
“We have a lot of tracks that we have not yet unveiled,” he said.
Member Yoon Jae-hyuk picked “SLOW MOTION” as one of his favorites. Lee Chan-hyuk of brother-sister duo Akdong Musician (AKMU), who is renowned for his genius in music, took part in making the song.
“Lee got hold of us and said he would make a song for us,” Bang Ye-dam said. “While recording the track, I was wowed by his flexible and detailed directing.”
TREASURE's members ― Bang Ye-dam, Haruto, Doyoung, Choi Hyun-suk, Jihoon, So Jung-hwan, Park Jung-woo, Yoshi, Junkyu, Mashiho, Yoon Jae-hyuk and Asahi ― were selected through JTBC's audition program "YG Jewel Box" which ran in 2018 and 2019.
The band is YG's first K-pop idol group since 2016, the year the company debuted girl group BLACKPINK. TREASURE rose to instant stardom soon after its debut in August. It unleashed three singles ― “BOY,” “I LOVE YOU” and “MMM” ― selling more than 700,000 physical albums in total. It also reigned atop multiple streaming charts in Japan even before its official debut there. On Saturday, the band took home the Rookie of the Year Award at the Golden Disc Awards.
“We were so surprised by all the good news,” Jihoon said. “We will do our best to repay the love we received by making good music.”
Yoshi said: “We hope our situation gets better soon so that we can meet our fans face-to-face as soon as possible. We want to go on a world tour.”