Singles Korea August 2021 Interview with Younghoon & Hyunjae

Interview with Younghoon & Hyunjae

 

 

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A Friend Like No Other (둘도 없는 친구)

 

Two young boys with fair skin and sparkling eyes give their greetings. They are The Boyz’s Hyunjae and Younghoon, who seem similar but are different from each other. It’s normal for them to monitor each other’s photos in each other’s stead. These two, who act in sync and boast a fantastic chemistry together, are already well-known best friends. Within that, they also have the common denominator of both being born in 1997 and being from Songdo.

 

After finishing the filming, Hyunjae says, “I think that amongst the outfits Younghoon wore, the yellow and black knit is memorable. The knit suits him especially well. And normally when you mix together multiple colors, (most) attention will go to those clothes – but for Younghoon, all you can see is his face”. With this, Hyunjae chose the best outfit of today.

 

Even outside of work-time, these two spend most of their time together. Like ordinary people in their twenties, they go shopping, watch movies, and play games. Their fashion style is similar as well. They share their clothes with each other, and if one of them likes an outfit the other bought first, they will follow them and also buy that same outfit. This is how they share their preferences as well. Now, these two are more than just members of the same group. They are best friends who can meet comfortably and spend their daily lives together anytime. Even when they have individual schedules, Hyunjae and Younghoon will take care of each other meticulously.

 

Hyunjae readily becomes an acting partner for Younghoon, who will appear in a drama that will be broadcasted in the second half of the year. “He really practices a lot. Oftentimes, I won’t be able to differentiate and tell whether these are lines or something he’s (actually) saying to me. You could say it’s at the level of method acting? So I will also naturally respond with lines myself.” Hyunjae applauds for Younghoon, who is steadily walking towards the path of an actor.

 

Younghoon is the same as well. When Hyunjae is doing vocal practice, he will listen to his singing from afar. Although the music genres each of them likes is different, Younghoon says that he will listen to what Hyunjae sings and become immersed in those songs. When he sees himself doing that, he thinks, “This is why our code fits with each other well”. Seeing these two who have exchanged generous praise with each other for quite a long time, it seems like Younghoon has come to identify with Hyunjae, and that Hyunjae has also come to identify with Younghoon.

 

 

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The Boyz’s Challenge (더보이즈의 도전)

 

The Younghoon and Hyunjae shown within this picture look comfortable, as if they are enjoying their brief break. However, this also contains the burdens they will have experienced for the past year, as well as the expectations they feel towards their new album. The Boyz participated consecutively in <Road to Kingdom> and <Kingdom> for the long timespan of 440 days, during which they prepared a total of 14 performances.

 

Wouldn’t there have been pressure regarding the rankings and some occasions when they felt shaken by disappointing results? At this question, both shook their heads. It would be a lie to say that they had no worries at all due to being the team that came up (to Kingdom) from <Road to Kingdom>. However, while The Boyz went through the competition again, they chose to stick closer together with the members, rather than obsessing over scores. They resolved to not get caught up over rankings, and instead focused on creating stages they could feel satisfied in themselves, while showing this image of themselves to their fans. After making this resolution, their minds felt more comfortable.

 

“I was shocked once again by The Boyz’s teamwork. On the day I couldn’t participate in a performance because I was injured, I watched over the members only through a video, and I thought the members had really become strong”. Younghoon says he realized The Boyz’s growth through this program.

 

The result was the final ranking of 2nd place in <Kingdom>. The two express their gratitude rather than satisfaction. Whenever they prepared their performances, the staff would all gather together with them and share opinions about the concept, and they would have plenty of communication. And behind them was also Deobis’ infinite love. The performances for this time are the product made by The Boyz’s members, their staff, and their fans who all came together.

 

Throughout the interview, Younghoon and Hyunjae share their stories while continuing to stroke The Boyz’s friendship rings on their left ring fingers, with which they show their infinite trust and faith in each other.

 

 

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A Tomorrow That is Dedicated to Deobis (더비를 위한 내일)

 

As much as a brief hiatus is taken for granted, it was a long journey for them. Even so, they are already about to release their next album. The Boyz’s album was a choice made for Deobis, their fandom who must have waited for a long time. “We weren’t able to do a refreshing or bright song once while doing the competition. That’s why we’re anticipating this comeback even more. It’s refreshing music that perfectly suits the summer, so you will be able to see a side to us that is different from everything else up to now”. Hyunjae says that it will be difficult to give more hints than this, and only used the keywords ‘energy’ and ‘party’ to explain about the song’s mood.

 

It will be 4 years past The Boyz’s debut this year, and they are already about to release their 6th album. It is their first time releasing new music in the span of eleven months, with a short preparation period, but it was possible because of their training. The members’ extraordinary passion went particularly into the making of (this album). “Before starting to practice the choreography, the teacher in charge of instructing us would always yell, ‘Let’s do it’. Then the members would also naturally follow and respond with ‘Let’s do it!’, and we would fill the practice room with cheerful energy.”

 

Hyunjae says he wants to quickly show fans their song with a high level of completion, for the first time in a while (since they’ve released a new song). On the other hand, Younghoon recollects the time spent for the past three years. It may be because there are many things to remember from their memories, so it can seem like a long period of time. But he says that because of their busy schedules, that time seems to have passed by quickly. As much as (this comeback) is a special day to look forward to, he finds it regrettable that the reality is that they can’t come together in the same space with Deobis while performing, even though they want to.

 

Hyunjae talks about the meaning of their fans with a clear voice. “They’re like guardian spirits. Because they protect us. They’re people we can rely on, I think that’s what Deobis are like.”

 

After the end of the program, in the midst of filming photoshoots and the closely-packed future plans they’ve been preparing, their fans are the driving force that give them the strength to not become tired. It’s evident that the reason The Boyz are racing forward while working hard today as well are the Deobis who are silently giving support to them from behind them.

 

Younghoon says, “We’re working hard to be able to keep showing them something. There will be more surprises unfolding in the future that we will surprise fans with, so please look forward to them”. With this, he reveals his strong ambitions.

 

They also add on, “Let’s meet while being healthy”. This moment where it is difficult to meet freely like before – to all of us, this trivial but nontrivial thing may be our goal, as well as our desire. While wrapping up the rest of the year well, Hyunjae and Younghoon want to make sure to and look forward to meeting with their fans before the year ends.

 

 

 

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(translated by @dearhyunjaes)
scans cr. @ 913x808

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https://twitter.com/dearhyunjaes/status/1417816371723866118

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