EXCLUSIVE | K-pop group LUMINOUS reveals candid moments from ‘Self N Ego’ comeback
(- Written by Nandini Iyengar)
LUMINOUS is a 4-member boy group under WIP Entertainment. The group debuted on September 9, 2021, with the mini-album ‘Youth’ featuring the title track ‘RUN’. The K-pop group made their comeback with their second mini-album ‘Between Light and Darkness: Self N Ego’ featuring the title track ‘All Eyes Down’ on January 24, 2022.
The ‘Self N Ego’ album is the second in the ‘LUMINOUS’ series. It speaks about the struggles of youth as they attempt to find the difference between their real and masked selves. MEAWW got a chance to talk to the K-pop group about the comeback, style and scary behind-the-scenes stories. In an exclusive interview with MEAWW, LUMINOUS got candid about their journey so far, their album-making process and their inspirations.
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MEAWW: Let’s start with the leader. Youngbin, since your debut until now, how have things been for you as a leader? What has changed in your approach or your experiences so far?
YOUNGBIN: There hasn’t been any special change so far. Being a leader, I have to look after the members and carry out my tasks, and this has been the same since our debut.
MEAWW: Suil, as a rapper, whom do you look up to in the music industry? Which rapper is your inspiration?
SUIL: I look up to BIGBANG’s G-Dragon and Blackpink’s Jennie for inspiration.
MEAWW: Woobin as an artist which genre do you like to work with? Which musical style would you like to experiment with?
WOOBIN: I would like to work with pop and ballad.
MEAWW: Steven, you along with Suil are rappers in the group. If given a chance, would you like to try out vocals for a song? Which song would like to pick?
STEVEN: Oh! That is interesting! If I were to pick, then I would like to perform IU’s song ‘Through the Night’.
MEAWW: Please share a funny incident or memory that you remember during filming for the music video of 'All Eyes Down'.
SUIL: This one is rather a scary one. While we were filming for the music video, we were shooting in an abandoned building. While filming, the crew came to us and said that they heard us calling. In fact, we hadn’t called for the crew! To date, we don’t know who called the crew or where the noise came from. The mystery still remains!
MEAWW: What has been a challenging aspect in this comeback?
STEVEN: A challenging aspect, in my opinion, would be recording the tracks, and at the same time taking care of different activities on our schedule. It was a little hectic to manage several things at once.
MEAWW: Which song took less time and which one took a long time to record?
YOUNGBIN: ‘MATRYOSHKA’, the opening track was the quickest to record, whereas ‘Scintillating (Blind)’ took the longest. But looking back, I think each track took about the same time, give or take.
MEAWW: What aspect of the recording process do you enjoy the most?
STEVEN: While recording, I like to engage in wordplay. Pronouncing certain words or lyrics in new styles is always fun!
MEAWW: How would you describe your group’s artistic style in a word?
SUIL: Shining!
YOUNGBIN: Soft!
MEAWW: LUMINOUS has worked in genres like hip-hop, R&B and ballad. Which new genre are you excited to try next?
SUIL: We would like to try out Moombahton style.
MEAWW: In ‘VISION’ each member had a solo track, how was working on that like? Was there any difference between recording as a group and as a soloist?
YOUNGBIN: In a solo track, there is the freedom to add your style and colors to the track. Whereas when recording with the group, we need to make sure we match with the group’s vibe and complement each other. That’s the only difference I feel there is.
MEAWW: Is there any artist you would like to collaborate with?
SUIL: The Boyz! I think it will be really cool to perform with them. Q and Juyeon are known for their powerful stage performances, so I think it will be great to share the same stage with them.
MEAWW: For the next comeback, what are your goals or plans as a group?
YOUNGBIN: Next comeback is quite far in the future since we just had a comeback with our 2nd mini-album ‘Between Light and Darkness: Self n Ego’. But one thing I would like to say is, we plan to make such music that will give comfort to the listener.
MEAWW: Do you have any message for your fans worldwide? Please share a few words.
STEVEN: Our second mini-album is out now, and I am grateful to everyone who waited for us and gave their love. Once the pandemic situation is cleared for good, it will be great to meet you all in person.
SUIL: We made a comeback with new music in just four months, and I am grateful to all who gave us their support.
YOUNGBIN: My heartfelt thanks for all the love and support we have been receiving. We will work hard in the future as well to bring the best for you.
WOOBIN: We have made a comeback with our 2nd mini-album. Us, and also our company staff has put in a lot of effort towards it, so please give us your support and love! I hope that as artists and as fans we can continue to grow together.
(Co-translator: Neel)
Watch the music video of 'All Eyes Down' below.