#rkmga5audition3

[rkmason]

         ▰▰▰▰▰▰ MNET GLOBAL AUDITIONS, SEASON 5 ˟ INTERVIEW ▰▰▰▰▰▰

it’s only been months since he had make-up applied like this and it feels weirder than it used to. but he thinks he could easily narrow down the reason: he was more familiar with the sphere make-up artists. if only he got to say something before he left. minho says thank you and talks to them (until he’s scolded not to for the sake of proper application) as he normally does but it’s another situation where he thinks he could’ve done more, said more. so now he takes that chance, understands how much more he needs to treasure every interaction with someone, smiling more. compliments and small talk, a longer bow than he usually does, anything he can do to mind his manners and hopefully make them smile.

this is when he manages to catch up to dabin, who’s fitting in naturally and when he does spot minho, he’s the one that feels strangely out-of-place. he’s had his chances, gotten his opportunities, but dabin? dabin’s younger, just starting out. the excitement and energy is vibrant on his face to the point that it could be blinding. it gets him to wondering, what doeshe look like?

listening to dabin talk on and on about how the day’s been going, how he met someone from the same hometown as him and seik, how he thinks his song went over well, and how he’s worrying over the questions, he realizes he’s been here before. literally too, as if he didn’t realize it. he takes the role seik normally has for the both of them and maybe that’s it— because seik isn’t there and there’s a moment of clarity, a moment of “ah this must be how they felt when i wasn’t around either.” calming dabin down, he laughs as he gives his friend an idea of what’ll come up. the standard they might ask this or they might ask that and when he’s about to talk about random things that could come up, his name is called first.

his mind goes blank and it feels like he’s been jolted into auto-pilot mode when he bows again and introduces himself with a bright grin. “choi minho. you might know me as bboybyu. this is bboybyu telling you to be you.” there’s a few questions he should’ve been worried about himself and he hopes they don’t come. he ends up feeling safe when the first question is—

why do you want to become an idol?

it’s easy. it’s the same thing he wrote baek jiyoung years ago— that he wants to give people hope that they can do more. that dancing, performing isn’t a hopeless dream to have.

“i didn’t always have my father’s support to be an idol… not a lot of people know this and i didn’t talk about it in the past because it… y’no it’s a little sad, every kid wants to make their parent proud, right? that’s one reason i do anything. at the end of the day, i’d love to make my ma and pa proud. but for the other kids who don’t have a support system, for kids that doubt themselves because people don’t think being an idol is a serious career or anything in the arts, like painting, writing— i want ‘em to see someone like me making it and think ‘hey if he can, so can i.’ that’s why i want to be an idol.”

PROFILE / SKILLS / ARRIVAL / 1ST SKILL / INTERVIEW / BONUS SKILL / 2ND SKILL

[rkxsungwoon-blog]

☆ mga5 auditions ; june 14 ; hanlim multi art school ! — part three; interview

the interview portion of the auditions is something sungwoon is actually looking forward to. talking, especially in front of a camera or a big audience, has never been much of a challenge for him. for the most part, he feels comfortable speaking to a crowd and rarely ever trips over his words (practiced or otherwise) when he feels like he's in his element. getting the opportunity to elaborate on himself and his musical goals definitely qualifies as 'his element' this time around. sungwoon thinks he's in a better place to articulate what he wants out of this whole process than he was previously. if he'd been uncertain about what path to take in the future, he isn't anymore.

the interview is also his one chance to plug empty enigma's new album. it's part of the reason why the rest of the band decided to do the mgas, after all, so sungwoon definitely cannot afford to forget about it. but on a more personal note, this will also be his first time acknowledging his alternate identity and his band as part of him. sure, he listed it on his entry form the same as everyone else, but saying it out loud makes it real and concrete. and to do so in this room makes it a truth he can't run away from. there's no going back after this, and part of him questions if it's the right thing to do. will it do more harm than good? but it's too late for doubts—the information is already in mnet's hands.

when he arrives at the interview area, the staff members quickly touch up the make kenta applied earlier in the day (one of the stylists looks impressed, and sungwoon happily tells her his friend was responsible for his look) and offer him a bottle of water before leading him to a chair. sungwoon polishes off half the bottle and sets it down next to the chair before turning to the interviewer and giving her a thumbs up, indicating he's ready to begin. his posture is relaxed, open, his body language inviting as he looks at the interviewer in anticipation of the questions.

“please go ahead and introduce yourself to the viewers.”

sungwoon blinks, the corners of his mouth curving into a smile. this really feels like deja vu. "yeah, of course." he clears his throat before launching into a standard introduction. "my name is ha sungwoon. i'm a twenty two year old student in my final year at seoul national university." he pauses, momentarily startled by his own words. final year. he's really almost at the end of his academic career here. it's strange to think about, but the interviewer is waiting for him to continue, so he pulls himself out of his thoughts and grins.

"my major is in crop science and biotechnology—i grew up on a farm, so it makes sense for me, even if music is my first love." science is a third love, maybe, but a love nonetheless. "i work as a research assistant in my department, and also part time time at a cute little french bakery in itaewon called eclaire de lune." and finally, the big one. he sucks in a breath and adds, "aside from that, i'm the frontman and keyboardist of a band called empty enigma."

“you were a contestant on the last season of the mgas. what brings you back to the show this year?”

his mouth forms a small 'o' of surprise. sungwoon didn't think people would remember him from his ill-fated stunt in the mgas last year. his tenure on the show loomed large over most of 2018 for sungwoon, but he always thought he failed to make much of an impression on anyone else. "i got eliminated?" he tries, holding back a laugh, then falls silent as he ponders the question. it's not like sungwoon can admit the mgas made him question whether he should be a musician or not, and this is his opportunity to show that he's found his answer—he should be here. he deserves to.

"no, but i really do mean that," sungwoon continues finally. "i got eliminated in episode seven last season. it was a really humbling experience for me.” he doesn’t fight to keep vulnerability out of his voice. doesn’t know if he can, to be honest, when the memory is still a little raw. “i think what i regret the most is that i didn’t get the opportunity to show the full extent of my talents, and i’m hoping to fix that this year.”

"what do you aim to accomplish during season five of the mgas, then?"

“i want to show much i’ve grown as an artist,” sungwoon says honestly. not only vocally, but in other areas of his artistry as well. working on the empty enigma album, writing songs and working with producers pushed his creative skills to their limit. unbeknownst to most of his friends, sungwoon has also been taking dance lessons for the past year, and the thought of performing choreography no longer fills him with dread. the push to develop those skills came from the mgas last year, when he’d been mortified to be the weak link performance wise in every single team he was on. sungwoon didn’t want to care, but he hated not being able to keep up with his teammates. so he learned and he pushed himself to a point where he feels comfortable with choreography now. he doesn’t think he’ll ever be an amazing dancer, but he’s no longer awful. and part of him is excited to show that he can dance.

“and i suppose i want to see how far i can go in this show. i mean, i don’t have any aspirations of winning, but in many ways, this is my last chance to pursue a legitimate career in this industry.” he runs his tongue over his teeth, unsure of whether he should admit to this or not. no one else knows his future goals, not even the people closest to him. “if i don’t get anywhere, i intend to enlist next year after graduation.” the words fall easily from his lips, and he sends a silent sorry to the band for not telling them in advance. “when i say this is my final and only shot—it really is.” and he’s alright with that. sungwoon wishes he could be one of those people who can say they’ll keep pursuing music till the end, but he’s too much of a realist to cling onto a pipe dream past its prime.

"you said you're part of a band called empty enigma. where does the group fit into your goals? what makes you want to pursue the path of an idol instead of continuing onwards with your band?”

sungwoon sits up a little straighter, his hands folded on his lap. “i’ve been part of empty enigma since 2016 and it means the world to me,” he says carefully. “being up on stage as a part of the band… taught me to really love performing, and introduced me to some of the best friends i’ve made in my life.” he counts them out on his fingers. “daniel—he was on the mgas last year with me—woojin, kenta, and minhyun. they’re all auditioning for the show this year since this is something we want to do together.” well, he thinks privately, he’s not totally sure if that’s true. daniel spearheaded the campaign to get them all here, but sungwoon assumes the others agreed because they wanted to give it a try too. “we’ve been through a lot—we just released an album called between fear and faith—and this seems like a natural challenge for us to attempt, especially since daniel and i already participated last year.” he’s proud of himself for the not-so-subtle album plug there.

he hums a little under his breath before continuing. “i don’t think any of us want to be an idol instead of being in a band, you know? but all of my bandmates are talented in their own ways and deserve their own moment to shine. you can’t always share the spotlight equally in a band.” it’s his fault, in large part. sungwoon’s role and alter ego tend to want to dominate their stages. “in an ideal world, we could do both the idol thing and the band thing—or the ‘band as idols’ thing, like n.flying or day6.” sungwoon selfishly hopes they’ll get signed together, if that’s what they want. debut together, because he can’t imagine being separated from empty enigma. “i just know i personally don’t want to be boxed into one catagory, because i and the rest of my bandmates have a lot more to show.”

“have your musical influences changed in any way, or are they still primarily bands? what kind of music would like to make in the future?”

finally, a less weighted question. sungwoon shifts in his seat and rubs his chin in thought. “yeah, of course. i definitely still lean towards nell, royal pirates, jaurim, the koxx, so on as musical inspirations and influences. overseas bands too, like muse and aerosmith.” a chunk of his heart will always belong to the kinds of artists he would listen to late at night during his middle and high school years, tucked under the covers with his discman. “but i’ve diversified in the past year too; i like listening to artists like crush, dean, sik-k, paul kim, bolbbalgan4. some foreign pop artists like lauv, troye sivan, and bazzi as well.” the truth is, his taste has become a lot more eclectic, which makes it more difficult to answer a question like this one. “there are also a few idol groups i like. convex, for one, and also luxe. i dunno.” he lets his hand fall to his sides. “i’d like to make rock music, really, but i’m not opposed to branching out and trying new things.”

“last year you listed nova and sphere as dream companies, but this year you have nova and royal. what changed for you and what didn’t?”  

“nova’s the dream company for the rest of my bandmates too,” he admits. “we just feel like our best chances of getting signed would be to a company that isn’t afraid to invest in non-typical artists—and they have nell.” the fanboy in him is still alive and well. “our second choices are all different, though. i put down royal because i do enjoy their releases, and i’m a fan of luxe. i’d love to meet them someday.” sungwoon throws the interviewer a cheeky grin before breaking off and shaking his head. “i couldn’t really tell you what appealed to me about royal this time around. i think i just respect so jisub and wouldn’t mind being a part of his company.”

“thank you for your time.”

“thank you.” sungwoon grabs the half-empty water bottle as he stands and bows to the interviewer and the rest of the staff. “you’ve worked hard!” so has he—though his inability to shut up should probably not be called hard work. massaging his throat with his free hand, sungwoon finishes off the rest of the water and tosses the empty bottle into the recycling bin before moving on to the next part of the audition. he’s almost to the end. well, to the break, but it could for something.

[rkchoutzuyu]

MGA 5; auditions; interview

Her eyes are closed, and face tilted slightly upward as the make-up artists applies her make up. She wasn’t barefaced when she arrived, but she only had bb cream and a little bit of eyeliner. It seems she had to be made up for the recorded interview. Tzuyu is a bit nervous about it, hopefully she’s well liked even if it shows that she’s nervous. The make-up artist seems to really know what she’s doing, and it really doesn’t take long before she’s done. Tzuyu doesn’t look bat at all. In fact, they accentuated all the best features of her face. There’s one thing Tzuyu will never doubt or feel self-conscious about and that’s her appearance. She knows well that she’s pretty. She also doesn’t feel the need to be prettier than others or the prettiest. She’s very happy with what she’s gotten in this life. She grins at the interviewer once she’s done looking at herself in the mirror. “What do you think?” she asks. Staff members, of course, were all business as this audition had to be tapped and edited and they had a lot of work to do. Tzuyu understood that so she didn’t feel bad when she only received a nod as an answer.

They were moving on to the questions and she answered them quickly and truthfully during the mock interview. It wasn’t a big deal to her as this is actually how she felt. Still when she saw that the camera had been turned on, her position changed. It was easy enough for her to open up to strangers on the streets. This, on the other hand, was very different and very impersonal, given that it is on TV and she’d be talking to thousands of people rather than just one. If she couldn’t gauge whether people liked her or were annoyed in real life, this was even harder because she couldn’t even look at the faces of the people listening. She takes a few deep breaths and nods to signal that she’s ready to begin. The interviewer wastes no time (as Tzuyu probably wasted all there was to waste) and asks her the first question. What company would she like to join?

“My dream company is Nova.” She says. She almost adds for her reasoning that she’d like to be with her big sister Solji but she reconsiders, knowing that the other girl recently received a lot of attention because of SN project. It wouldn’t be right to name drop. Instead she just smiles and gives the rest of her reasons, sans having someone there. “I think Nova trainees have amazing discipline and talent. I think I would fit in well. Though, I have a dream that is to be an idol overall, and because of that, I don’t think I would turn down any other opportunities given to me by any company.” If any do give her an opportunity. She doesn’t add that last bit because she’s trying to be appealing and self-pity definitely doesn’t gain much sympathy from an audience.

“Why do you want to become an idol so badly that you’d go to any company?”

There’s a pause where Tzuyu considers the best way to explain how she’s feeling honestly. “I just want to sing. I want to sing and make it my job.” She says “more than that though, I really want to make someone happy. I know the way fans work and I really want to have that. Not in a selfish way but I want them to love me and I want to love them too. I know that kind of connection is something only people in the spotlight can achieve. Being a big fan of someone and giving that love and support is something I’ve experienced. I want to be on the other side, too. I hope my talent and hard work will be enough to get me there.”  That was it. The hard raw truth of it. Maybe it isn’t the best answer to the people who were interviewing her. She did have a passion for performing but more than that, she knew how special a relationship with fans could be. She wanted that.

One last question, she knew what was coming. “My musical influences are big voices. There’s a lot of broadway influence because the voices coming from musicals are always so grand and amazing. I mostly admire people who can sing really well. People like Idina Menzel, Sarah Brightman, Emmy Rossum, Kristin Chenoweth. My favorite type of music is more pop than anything so Pop divas are some of my favorite voices like Mariah Carey and in Kpop IU and Lee Hi.” She nods a bit before remembering something important that she felt like she absolutely had to add. “Above anyone else, I’m a really big fan of convex. I don’t know if they influence what I do but anything they do, I love.”

Tzuyu bows a bit to the camera and waves, ending the interview that seemed like it went on for a long time, though the process couldn’t have been longer than 30 minutes.

[xrkeunji-blog]

the makeup artist gushes about how smooth and unblemished eunji's skin is and the woman can't help but smile. "thanks," she says to the girl, who's probably closer in age to her than any of her fellow auditionees. eunji feels more like a friend to her than anyone else she's seen here so far (gosh, she misses her boys.. and girls; if only sujeong or joohyun were here with her). "i sell skincare products on the side, it's good to know my marketing strategy is working." the both of them laugh as the stylist dips a brush into some loose powder. can't look too shiny on camera, especially after sweating so after her dance.

she had only put on a little makeup herself before coming out here this morning; a little bb cream, a little mascara. the stylist doesn't add much more to what she already has, though she shades around her eyes just a little, adds a little more definition to her nose and jaw so she doesn't blur into one pale blob on camera. eunji's grateful for the artist's help, and sad to part ways when she's dragged instead to practice some questions before the real deal.

eunji's experience with interviews is limited, even recalling her years as an idol. no one had cared for their group then, too small to be in any demand. they hadn't even made it onto music shows, and the few interviews they had done were less than professional and did next to nothing to get their names out there. she's hardly even had a real job interview; working for her mother's store never required such a thing of her. so naturally, she's nervous as she takes a seat, a camera staring her down menacingly, unblinkingly.

thank god for the few minutes of practice before they start the real deal.

the little red light blinks on far too soon though, and eunji can feel the cold sweat on her back and in the palms of her hands, politely clasped in her lap, as a staff member asks her their scripted questions in a bored-sounding voice.

"who are your musical influences?"

"i have a bunch," she answers, putting her best smile on her face. speak as if to a friend, she tells herself, be personable for the camera. "i like listening to a lot of pop artists like taylor swift and ed sheeran, and it's inspiring that they write their own music too. i also like shawn mendes. when it comes to korean artists, i really admire a lot of girl groups. when i was a girl, chi chi made me want to be an idol too." that much is true, though it's been close to ages since she's thought about that innocent time. how life has changed her.

she takes a little pause to consider a little further. "i also really admire some newer groups. luxe, and my cousin is in eclipse. i'm proud of her." she doesn't intend to name-drop like that, not thinking that a celebrity family member might give her an advantage. eunji just says the truth. "i have dance inspirations too, like mina myoung. beyonce too, as a performer, but who doesn't look up to her?"

"why do you want to be an idol?"

i don't. not anymore.

eunji can't say that to the camera though, not without hearing jeonghan and junhee berate her for bombing her own chances like that. instead she forces her lips to stay smiling, pretending that she's unbothered by the question. "i said chi chi inspired me, and i meant it. i used to try to mimic their dances and i wanted to be on stage like them. and then.. when i was a teenager.. i did debut. but it didn't go well."

that's the understatement of the century, though eunji forces herself to laugh as if the memories don't bother her. "you probably haven't even heard of the group's name, it was so bad. we never made it on music shows. i thought it was over after that, but a friend from that company convinced me to give it another shot. so here i am." she shrugs a little helplessly. if not for junhee, she wouldn't have tried this at all.

[rkdaehwi]

AUDITION PART III : INTERVIEW

Seoul Arts High School June 13, 2019 Outfit

“ If you know me based on who I was a year ago, you don’t know me at all ”

With the completion of his performance, Eric could feel the heat starting to get to him. With the time progressing the sun was also getting higher and higher in the sky, and with it came the heat of summer. Right about now the teen was starting to regret not having any breakfast as it made focusing hard, but it was for a greater good. At least that was what he had to convince himself of to not lose his motivation due to hunger. He was a growing boy and food was a very important thing during such occasions, that was what all the professionals said, but to Eric minding his body was more important than listening to the professionals.

As he got another chance to sit down while his makeup was getting done, he found yet another thing to battle other than the hunger and that was the yawns that kept pushing forward. His make up artist kept scolding him for simply letting it out a couple of times before Eric instead had to take to pulling faces to suppress them. It wasn't his fault he was tired -- it was theirs for holding this whole thing so early in the morning.

Soon enough it was done and looking at his own face in the mirror it was satisfaction that filled the young teen. These guys really knew how to handle stuff like this better than he himself did, obviously as it was their job and not his. But he supposed that if becoming an idol failed he could always just try to have a career inside makeup. Or maybe he should just keep on pursuing modelling. He guessed he had better options within that considering his new contract with a teenage clothes brand.

Following suit Eric was led into an interview room -- if nothing else at least the auditioning process was consistent from last year, and that mean he already had a pretty good guess at how everything was going to go down from here on. In that aspect he supposed it was pretty nice to have an advantage over some of his peers who hadn't joined before and didn't know the workings of the show. But it also meant that there was probably more expectations on him to do better than last time so there was also the pressure from that. Instead of dwelling too much on it however, Eric took his spot in the chair and faced the camera with a bright smile and a nod in greeting.

First of all, please introduce yourself.

So far exactly as it had been last year he was pretty sure. Placing his palms on the chair in between his legs, Eric started rocking back and forth a bit. "My name is Sohn Youngjae but I usually go by Eric. That's what all my friends call me and I want to change my name too." Not that it was going to make a change in how they addressed him, he very much doubted that, but he also believed that it was better to just get it out so they knew what was up if he accidentally called himself by a different name. It was shortly after the MGAs last year that he started using his English name more than his Korean. "I'm currently 17 years old and a freshman in high school!"

We saw you last year as well. What's your reasoning for coming back again?

As expected they would ask him something like this. It wasn't like he had some kind of regret or wanted revenge or any other story like that -- Eric understood why he got eliminated at the time more or less, and honestly he had too much on his plate with what was going on with his brother at the time to also be able to focus on being in a survival program. But hopefully there would be no uncomfortable surprises this time. "Last year my brother was really sick and I feel like I couldn't get to show much of who I really was because I was worried about him-- ah, not that it's Dowoonie hyung's fault or anything! I could have just focused more. But I'm here to show everything I didn't get to show last year. You're all going to see a new and improved me!"

So you think you've improved since last year? In which ways?

Without missing a beat, Eric answered completely honestly: "I've gotten taller!" Realising straight afterwards that that was a stupid answer he laughed a bit at himself. "Well, obviously that," he said, "but I haven't just been slacking in the past year. I've been practicing a lot and honing my skills." With a self assured nod, he let his index finger and thumb rest upon his chin and smirked. "Beside that you can say I've gone through some self reflection, so I'm totally ready to make up for my lacking last time!"

Why do you want to be an idol?

For the longest of time Eric would have answered such a question with 'because my brother wants to be one'. Maybe one could say that he was just a young innocent child trying to copy his older brother and looking up to him, but Eric's reasoning had been very different. "Until recently I thought I wanted to do it just in case my older brother wouldn't be able to. But I guess if you dream someone else's dream in the end it becomes your own, right? I can't deny that I love standing on stage. I love performing. Stars are the ones who shine the brightest so wouldn't it be simple and make sense to want to be one?"

Perhaps. If you were to get signed by a company which would you want the most?

"Royal!" he stated the moment the interviewer had asked the question and at the follow up 'why?' he didn't need much time to think either. "LUXE is from Royal! They're my favourite group! I want to meet them one day and tell Ella noona how much of an inspiration she is to me!" It was a very typical teenager's dream but Eric was dead serious in his words. "Of course I know they're busy and everything, so I'm not very likely to actually meet them so it might sound like a silly reason to want to get signed there, but it's all I want. But if you want another reason... I guess because my brother is signed there? It could be kind of fun to train together with him. I'm not gonna lose!"

Well, good luck with that. That's all for now.

"Thank you!"

[rkharuto]

watanabe haruto’s mga5 adventure part III - the interview

he was being given literally no time to get over anything before he was sent off to the next stage. 

next he found himself in a room by himself with a couple of people who were now planning on prepping him with a little bit of makeup before he would be sat down in front of an interviewer and a camera and asked some questions. 

it was at this point of the whole thing that haruto remembered he would actually have to say more than his name and ‘thank you’. he was starting to panic all over again, barely hearing anything some woman was trying to ask him while they were putting make-up on him. words were just fumbling out of his mouth, simple confusion at everything he was being asked written clearly across his face. he couldn’t concentrate like this. sure, he had done some prepping himself at home, getting hohyeon to help with some mock questions and answers just so he could rely on something instead of just going in there and winging it. but most of that was out of his head by now, the panic taking back over again. 

what he needed was to listen to his music again, but he wasn’t getting the chance, having to rely on what limited korean he could remember and hoping that he was actually understanding the questions he was being asked correctly. because dear lord it would be embarrassing if he managed to answer a question completely off topic because he hadn’t understood properly. maybe they could get an in ear translator, but he supposed it was just a little late to be asking something like that as they sat him down in front of a camera pointed right at his face to be asked some questions. 

‘introduce yourself, idiot,’ was all the teen heard in his head, fumbling a little with his hands as he swallowed uncomfortably, almost squirming in his seat. “ah, hello, my name is watanabe haruto and i’m fifteen and i’m from japan,” he did somehow manage to get out of his mouth without completely flubbing it up, awkwardly bowing forward in his seat, careful not to go over too far unless he wanted to face plant the floor. (and he almost did, having to quickly catch the side of his seat with his hands and sit up again before anyone noticed.  knowing his luck, someone noticed.)

the first question, quite surprisingly, was asking how long he had been in korea for. haruto just blinked a little, swallowing another lump in his throat before having to count on his fingers. “one.. two... three. three months.” how embarrassing was that, having to count to try and remember in korean. lord it was obvious he was foreign, wasn’t it. he was pretty sure his ears were starting to turn red for the second time that day. 

the next question, (he thought), was about his musical tastes. or something along those lines, so he was planning on asking that question and simply hoping for the best. that was, if he could actually get over the blinding stage fright he was currently experiencing and open his mouth to get out anything comprehensive enough to be an answer to the question. there was also the struggle with trying to come up with a good answer in japanese in his head and then having to translate it into shoddy korean from whatever he remembered from his textbooks and prep lessons before all of this. 

it wasn’t easy being a new foreigner, you know. 

“i really like japanese rock music,” ‘really like’ was probably a little bit of an understatement, that was what most of his playlists on his ipod were made up of, but he didn’t know any better korean words to describe it, “my favourite band is one ok rock.” and he was almost considering singing just a little bit to make sure everyone was on the same page, but he decided not to do that. “i also like korean bands like day6,” he felt as though he had to add with a shaky smile, desperately hoping all of this was actually coming out in proper sentences and he wasn’t just speaking complete rubbish. “and my mother,” he couldn’t go talking about his influences and favourite music without mentioning her, “she’s a trot singer and taught me everything i know.” 

the interviewer really wasn’t letting much off, simply moving onto the next question. but the question went right over haru’s poor head, eyes widening just a little as he blinked like a deer caught in the headlights. “can you repeat the question?” his voice was rather quiet, clearly quite embarrassed that he was even having to ask such a thing in the first place. and it was also clear the person interviewing him wasn’t all too impressed, either as they repeated what they had just asked him. 

thankfully, this time haruto managed to get the most of it, slowly thinking about it before giving a small nod of his head of understanding when he had translated it back into japanese. why he wanted to be an idol. and at least he knew how to answer this question - in japanese. the real problem was trying to translate what he really wanted to say into korean. 

“i just really like dancing,” it was a super pathetic answer and he could have probably been a little more eloquent in a language he actually knew properly, “dancing... performing... it’s my world.” he was clearly struggling know, the words coming out with a rather terrible accent and he was sure everyone could work out that he was a complete foreigner. but that was hardly his fault, he was trying his best and they would just have to deal with it. “without dancing and performing... i can’t live.” 

finally it was the last question, and haru only managed to pick up on one word ‘companies’. so, he just went and assumed that he was most likely being asked which company he would like to get into. an easy question and one that didn’t require much thought on his part and something which had been filled out on his form quickly. however, there was a pause because he now had to sit there and try and translate what he wanted to say. 

“kt,” that part came out quickly, giving a small nod of affirmation and a slight smile, hurriedly trying to properly translate what he wanted to say next before sticking both his thumbs up awkwardly, “their dances... amazing.” 

you might think that having to perform was hard, but oh no, that interview was actually the hardest part of this whole process and haruto was just thankful he had managed to get through it all. but he just hoped he had actually made sense and not just sat there and babbled complete and utter rubbish. maybe he should actually consider paying more attention to his korean language lessons instead of being stubborn about it and pretending he didn’t need them. it was something to think about. 

[rkjibeom]

MGA audition ! Phase III Kim Seungmin tackles an interview !

He’s trying his best to quell the vigorous beating of his heart but the adrenaline was too much after his performance. It didn’t scare him - maybe just a tad - but it was so exciting and gave him a rush that he didn’t need to help him get through the rest of the audition. Seungmin tried to keep the grin off his face but he was so happy to be here.

After finishing up here, he’d been heralded into another room where he was told that they’d prep him up in a bit of makeup. Seungmin nodded dumbly, of course, and just let whomever touch him up. Hopefully, it did the trick and he’d look good on camera. Finally, his heartbeat went back to normal and he felt calmer after being able to catch his breath and let his mind cool down as well.

Apparently, this was the part where they’d shoot an interview and Seungmin smiled and sat up properly as he got ready. The interviewer prepared themselves as well and he couldn’t help but feel just a tad anxious. Questions - rather the answers - could really make or break a person, especially in any kind of interview.

“First question, who are your musical influences?”

Seungmin brightens up at the question asked and he practically beams at the interviewer. “I’m glad you asked that. I’m a huge huge fan of Shawn Mendes. I absolutely love his song Stitches.” He pauses for a second before continuing. “This is my favorite line - you watched me bleed until I can’t breathe~ Shaking, falling onto my knees~”

He sings a quick snippet of his favorite song from his favorite artist as he wraps up the rest of the question to answer. “Otherwise, I also really enjoy Charlie Puth, Sam Smith, Gallant, and Billie Eilish. Pretty much Western artists. I used to live in the states actually, so I speak english and cover english songs a lot of the time.”

The Interviewer hums and nods. “Next question, why do you want to become an idol?”

Seungmin purses his lips together in thoughts. Why did he exactly? “If I told you I somewhat have stage fright, would you believe me?” He chuckles before shaking his head. “I was like really bad when I was younger - well 18 is still young but you get my point - anyways there was a talent show and beforehand I had a music teacher who just really hated me for some reason. She told me that I was terrible at music and that it didn’t matter how much I tried or did, I wouldn’t amount to a career in music.”

He sighs as he smiles sadly. “Sometimes, you just believe things like that. So for a long while, I would just practice in secret in the safety of my own room, of course. I practiced guitar, I did song covers, all that. I posted it onto Youtube but without showing my face. I was afraid of the judgment and backlash, you know? What if people hated me and told me I sucked?”

He starts twiddling his thumbs as a nervous habit and sucks in a breath to continue speaking. “But I’ve gotten so much better. Do you know TRC’s Triple Threat Challenge? I managed to tackle that! Even if I didn’t get signed… so pretty much, I’m just trying to regain my confidence in myself and my skills because music should be something enjoyable and shared, right? Being an idol would be soooo fun!”

The Interviewer just nods their head. “Final question, what companies are you interested in getting into?”

Seungmin tilts his head as he ponders an answer. When he finally settles on something, he thinks that it couldn’t hurt to be honest, right?

“To be honest, on the form I had put TRC and KT as my two choices. I’m not that well-versed in companies. I only know TRC because of the challenge I participated in. I uh don’t know if I’d fit well with the image of the company but oh well. As for KT, I’ve been following their company only because of the KTRookies! I think that’s like so cool and maybe one day, I could also join? Hopefully? Eventually? Hehe. Wishful thinking, I suppose.”

[jkookrk]

『 Nothing But The Truth ( not ) 』

⇢ RK MGA 5 Audition Part III ⇢ Jhope learning how to dodge questions again

“ Well- they can’t say I lied. ”

And so the long day continues. With his new found focus in mind the audition seemed like a piece of cake. Once again he could use his brain to get away with the biggest mischief and wiggle his way through tricky situations with his charms and wits and the photographer was looking forward to it. Perhaps it wouldn't be quite like leading a double life like it was back in the days but it was close enough for the immature male to feel excited about.

He gladly took a seat after greeting his interviewers thus, ready to face any tricky question that may be tossed his way. Leaning back in his seat he folds his hands across his knee, legs crossed and posture relaxed. It was clear he had an attitude but with that charming smile on his lips it was a fine line between making him look like a stand-off kind of guy or just that classic bad boy that could be sweet and derpy as well.

A look the photographer missed pulling off.

"Alright, your name is Jung Hoseok, 23 years old, correct?"

"That's correct," he confirms and nods his head with a smile.

"You wrote here that you already attended a lot of auditions and castings before. You are a photographer, aren't you? So why do you try out for so many auditions and why are you here today?"

"To be fair the first auditions I attended weren't always all in a serious manner. I went to support friends or be there for someone who was too afraid to do it alone. I only got more serious about actually considering the idea of becoming an idol recently."

"So now you are signing up for the MGAS with the goal to win?"

With a certain nod he smiled, confidence and determination in his gaze. "That is correct."

"Then you would choose this path above your career as a photographer?"

Hoseok thought for a second longer before answering this question. With a hum he tilted his head, arms folding across his chest as he leaned back in the chair. Only when he was satisfied with his answer did he sit straight again, letting a grin edge back onto his lips as he responded certainly. "Well I'm here now, so I'm going to make it my priority of course."

With a nod the interviewers went further down the list. "One more question- you recently tried out for the triple thread challenge by TRC, yet you don't have trc listed as your desired companies. Why is that?"

"Honestly- attending the challenge has made me realize how hard working TRC trainees must be and I'm not sure I can match up to that. I respect them a lot for their dedication but since i'm still new to everything, I feel like I would never be able to keep up with them." It was only partly a lie. The fact he was too lazy to power through their schedule was something he smartly didn't mention.

"Further more I have more friends in KT or Sphere and I think they would fit my image more in terms of what I'm aiming to become as an artist if that makes sense?"

With a nod confirmed Hoseok himself nods and is ready for more questioning but one of the interviewers places their pen down and smiles back at him expectantly instead.

"Well then, we'd love to see what kind of special skill you can show us."

[rkjeno]

〈♫〉MGAS SEASON 5 → 03. your first interview.

this was weird. if he recalls correctly and hasn’t forgotten about any instances, jeno is pretty sure this is the first time that he’s had makeup applied. it’s not bad and he doesn’t really care, it just not something that he’s used to. plus, the bright lighting makes him feel very far from his usual scene and he isn’t entirely sure what to do with himself. clearly he was preparing for the dreaded interview, and he already had a fairly good feeling that it wasn’t going to go smoothly. god, he sure did hope that he was wrong. this isn’t something he thinks he could be prepared for unless he was given each question at least a day in advance and he had been allowed to create his own speech cards that he could read off of instead of doing everything on the spot.

could you tell us a little about yourself?

suddenly jeno doesn’t even remember his own name ( okay, so that is an exaggeration, but he still had no idea what they wanted to hear from him ). instinctively, he grins really big as he usually does when he’s unsure of what else to do. it takes him several moments before he finally begins speaking. “sure, i can do that.” he bites his lip for a moment, letting out a soft, nervous laugh. “well, first of all, my name is lee jeno and i’m nineteen. i’m, uh... a university student. i really enjoy playing games and listening to music. but, i like making music, too. except... i don’t create, i just typically re-create. i sing, rap, play guitar, play piano, all usually doing covers to songs. i have a channel where i upload things sometimes... and... i suck at interviews.” he laughs a little louder once he finishes the first question, playing with the sleeve of his hoodie as he waits to be hit with the next one. hopefully it’s not too bad.

who are some of your musical influences?

unfortunately, it could have been a better one. he still didn’t immediately know what to say since he wasn’t sure what they meant. “like... people who inspired me to do things with music, or people in the music industry who i look up to? because i’m a big fan of a lot of bands mostly. i like fall out boy, especially patrick stump since i think he’s an incredible vocalist, and i also like the rose a lot. plus panic at the disco... and for solo artists, i enjoy charlie puth, nick jonas... i like listening to people who do things with their voices that blow me away. brendon urie and sam smith are some more good ones... i listen to a lot of western music, clearly.” he pauses, smiling shyly. “if you mean who inspired me or pushed me to be so much more involved in music, it was my mother. she is the one that always told me i was talented and encouraged me to get even better. she signed me up for a lot of different lessons when i was younger.”

why is it that you want to become an idol?

this... was the toughest one so far. what was he supposed to say to that? his first thought was to reply with ‘i don’t’ but he doesn’t think that they would take too kindly to that one. he definitely needs to bullshit something and fast... otherwise, he will probably ruin this thing for himself before he has even properly had the chance to begin. “well... that’s an interesting question. i don’t think... that i particularly want to be an idol. but i don’t not want to be one, either. the truth is, i don’t really know what i want. one of the main reasons i am here is because i’m hoping to figure that out. i know that i love to sing and i’m extremely passionate about music, so i thought it would be important to me to see if that is something i would like to pursue. i think it would be a lot of fun to be in a band or something.” he laughs again, purely and happily. “i don’t think that i could dance to save my life so i certainly have a wild ride coming.”

tell us what company you’d like to get into and why.

"oh, uh...” he pauses, completely taken off guard by this question. truthfully, he hasn’t put much thought into it. since he isn’t sure that this is his big dream, he hasn’t tried to hope or wish to be scouted by a particular company. “i think that they all probably have good aspects. maybe... sphere entertainment? i don’t know. maybe they would consider debuting a band or something.” he smiles, soon continuing, “or trc. i’m pretty good at rapping, too, so maybe they could make use of me without me having to break all of my bones and my spirit trying to whip myself up into the next best dancer in all of south korea.”

[rkseola-blog]

〈♡〉 MGAS SEASON 5 → 03. your first interview.

what she believed to be the most difficult part was over and now she got to enjoy something slightly more relaxing. she felt comfortable as she had makeup applied by what she assumed to be professionals to help her look less of a mess. well, not that she believed herself to look disheveled in the first place, but a little perfecting never hurts. this part she felt would come easy at her since she doesn’t tend to be an extremely secretive or introverted person. all she had to do was answer a few questions honestly and she would be golden.

could you tell us a little about yourself?

a bright, red painted smile played at her lips as she thought for a moment, figuring out the place place for her to begin. “my name is kim hyunjung and i’m twenty-one years old. although, i actually prefer to go by ‘seola’ rather than my birth name. also, i was born on christmas eve! i don’t always know if that is a good or bad thing, but it’s a fun fact to share with people.” softly, she laughs, eyes bright and full on happiness as she continues. “i’m a really passionate dancer and i have been dancing for as long as i can remember. it’s been important to me for a really long time and i’m not sure where i’d be without having it as my main creative outlet. i lived in los angeles, usa, for a few months and now i work as a part-time dance instructor.” once she finishes, she nods as a way of indicating that she’s finished answering this question, pleased with her answer so far, and ready to move on to the next thing.

who are some of your musical influences?

"oh, this is an easy question. i have a handful of musical influences that are really, really important to me and pretty much all that i ever listen to. i love nicki minaj, beyonce, rihanna... a lot of really popular and powerful women. they inspire me because they break a lot of boundaries and have done such a wonderful job of making a name for themselves and climbing the ranks because of their motivation and talent. they all work so, so hard and they’re fun to listen to. what they’ve managed to accomplish for themselves is unreal and that’s what i want to be like. i don’t want to give up, or let criticism stop me from doing what i want to do. they know their worth and keep working to get everything that they know they deserve. that’s so incredible to me.”

why is it that you want to become an idol?

her smile widens and she briefly looks away for a couple of seconds before returning her focus with a fraction of an answer planned and the rest she’s prepared to wing. “i don’t think that my dream is to specifically become an idol, but i do think that it would work best for what i want. i just want to do something with my life where i can enjoy the things that i love, such as dancing and rapping, and i want to be able to inspire people the way that i have been inspired. i know that it seems like such a far-fetched aspiration, but it seems like... it’d be the perfect way for me to end up becoming the exact person that i want to be. it consists of all of the things that i love the most and i feel like it’s a job that i would thrive in. my cousin was an idol for a very short time, and i think seeing that she could do it and achieve what she wanted to, that i have that same chance. i just can’t allow myself to give up until i make it. i think it’d make me really happy and that’s one of the most important things to me. i think i really need that.”

tell us what company you’d like to get into and why.

"trc is my very first choice. the concepts they usually go for and the things that they are known to be on the lookout for just fit... me and my set of skills, i think. i don’t think i would work well with a really cute or immature concept. i want to be in a group where i can dance seriously and show off everything that i have spent most of my life learning to do. with that being said, i also believe that nova would be a great place and choice for me, too. i just don’t want to be a footnote in the group that i’m in, i want to be someplace where i can thrive.”

[siyeonrk]

MGA SEASON FIVE !      EP. 0 → PART THREE: INTERVIEW

this is the part that should really scare her. it scarcely matters how talented you are if you don’t have either the personality to match or to cover where you lack. some idols have both and still don’t make it, still go on shows like this and get pushed to the sidelines but siyeon knows it’s still the best way to make sure she’s liked by the staff enough to go through, and, if she makes it, the viewers so their support can keep her in the competition. she doesn’t know if this year will have viewer voting, but regardless, popularity can make or break a contestant, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. but she isn’t scared, really. it’s just talking, right? and she’s so good at that. 

she wouldn’t say she has the most pleasant personality all the time. she’s not mean, she doesn’t think, but she is competitive when it comes to the things she holds closest. it’s this side of her that makes baking her best strength and weakness. the force of her love and passion for the hobby means she constantly improves but even the slightest threat from others has her body quaking with anger and her foot stomping in a tantrum. maybe she’s spoilt ( she is ) or maybe she’s just too confident ( she is ), but a girl who has grown up always surrounded by praise— it’s hard to take criticism on the things she believes herself to be the ‘best’ at. 

thankfully, she knows she isn’t the next chichi’s nara or really any of the legendary group’s members, but she isn’t bad either. she’s not going to throw her toys out of the pram if someone can hit a higher note than she can, or move more smoothly to the melody than she can. disheartened, maybe, but not bitter. 

point is, whilst she isn’t a monster, she isn’t a perfectly polite, picture-perfect idol type either. closer to that, she hopes, than the former, though. her parents ( or her grandparents for a lot of the time, really ) didn’t raise her to be needlessly cruel. outspoken, yes, but not cruel. all she has to do is think about her words before she opens her big mouth — not say anything that can be misconstrued. surely it’s got to be ridiculously hard to screw up answering simple questions. it’s not like they’re going to ask her for her political views or for an in-depth analysis of the industry... right? 

she shuffles on the seat to ensure she’s comfortable before they start. the worst thing for a setting like this would be to fidget. she’d only look nervous and uncomfortable. boarding school had taught her this, at least, in all their etiquette lessons to force the rebellion out of teenage students. she’d done so many fake university and job interviews over the years that she’d honestly be disappointed in herself if she fucked this up. 

“introduce yourself briefly.” the interviewer, an intimidating man probably in his late-thirties, asks her. she grins, a bright and happy smile because easy! an easy start is likely only to make her complacent for the rest of the questions, but at the very least, she can get this right. 

“hello!” she waves to the camera, her movements fast but small. “my name is park siyeon! I’m nineteen and my favourite drink is a rich strawberry milkshake.” her eyes sparkle as she laughs airily. she wants to say more, talk about her baking, about how she lived abroad for almost three years, but he’s already moving on to the next question before she gets chance to suck in another breath. 

the interviewer shuffles his papers after pointing out, “you listed mostly soloists for your favourite musicians.” an attempt to prompt her to somehow slander groups, she imagines. “tell us about your musical inspirations.” 

she breathes in deeply through her nose but masks it with a hum quickly after. if she really wanted to overdo it, she’d tap her fingertip against her chin but she isn’t in a drama nor a cartoon, so she just smiles. “I really enjoy soft acoustic music! you know, the stuff you can put on your headphones and look out the car window and pretend you’re the lead in a drama. personally, I turn to music to relax so tunes that are gentler are perfect for that and there are so many great soloists out there for this vibe. but, I enjoy music across lots of genres! I really love k.arma and convex’s music so far! no playboy is definitely going to be in the top three of my ‘most played’ playlist at the end of the year.” she laughs louder this time, enough for its unusual side to shine through. “I like singing ballads because I love the emotions you can convey and feel listening and singing to them. I feel like the connection formed is so strong when you can feel the vocalist’s pain or joy through their voice.” 

the interviewer waves a hand, nods to let her know she’s said enough for this question. they must have a set amount to get through. she waits patiently as the interviewer scans over her papers again. 

“so why do you want to be an idol?” 

she knew the question would come even if she didn’t fully accept it. they were bound to ask why she’s here in some way, shape or form, right? so why is she here? to try something new? to see if she can make it? to test a career she’d always considered in the deepest corners of her mind but pushed away? to just plainly see if success here would satisfy the empty, uncertain feeling about her future brewing in her stomach? 

can she even say any of these to the interviewer? 

quiet for a few beats too long, he prompts her once again to hurry. hastily, she laughs again, a little more nervous than anything but she hopes it’s infectious enough that no one really takes any notice to its deeper implications. “I really want to see if I can do it,” is all she says at first, biting on her bottom lip. “I’d always had a nagging thought in the back of my head watching idols on television and listening to music when I was younger— that maybe music was something I should consider for my future. when I went abroad for school, I kind of gave up on the possibility, pushed it to the back of my mind. but you never know unless you try, right? so I’m here to try my best and see what happens! if all else fails, at least I can say I tried and hopefully, made some lifelong friends along the way. I won’t go down without a fight, but I won’t allow anything or anyone but me to define me. you know?” 

the interviewer seems happy enough, moving on to what he claims is the last question. 

“you chose kt as your top company, but you didn’t list any of their artists as your favourite musicians. why did you choose kt?” 

she beams. an easy question to finish on, too! she’s come full circle as she grins just as brightly, thankfully forgoing the wave. “I think I’d be a good fit for kt! I definitely enjoy their artists’ music, but I think kt overall has a typical image for its idols that matches well with me. kt artists are always vibrant and likeable as if you’re watching clips of your friends rather than celebrities. not to mention talented, too. I might only be the first two, that’s up to you to decide, but that’s the kind of image I’d like to have as an idol — someone who is really approachable and a 'happy virus’, but also professional and skilled.” plus, isn’t it kind of embarrassing to want to get into the companies your favourite artists are at just because of that? “I listed trc ent as my second company, though, because I think they’d help shape me to be really unique as a performer even if I think I’d be a bit of a black sheep amongst all that coolness.” she giggles one last time, each of her ‘ha’s coming out clearer than the last. 

“and we’re done with the interview.” he indicates, her ears perking up as she realises she’ll be moving on to the next portion of the audition process. ( not that she can remember what it is, but regardless. )

“great! thank you!” curiously, she tilts her head and asks, “so, what’s next on the agenda?” 

[rkxmyungsoo]

KIM MYUNGSOO // MGA5: The Interview

Myungsoo was whisked away as quickly as his audition had started, feeling existential dread fill him as he entered the private room and had a stylist begin to slap makeup on his face at a rapid speed. 

He closed his eyes, hating the way that the foundation settled on his skin, but assuring himself that this would only be temporary. These stylists had tons of people to prepare and Myungsoo was no star. Once he was settled in front of a camera, he smiled nervously at the person asking the questions, not wanting to make direct eye-contact with the camera straight away. She asked him if he was ready and he shook his head at first.

(No he would never be ready)

However, after a few seconds, Myungsoo nodded and when the red light of the camera was turned on he tried his hardest to will all of his anxiety away. 

Please introduce yourself!

Myungsoo waved at the camera, bowing his head, “Hello! My name is Kim Myungsoo and I’m a 26 year old photographer for the Seoul City Newspaper! This is my first time ever auditioning for the MGAs!”

Why do you want to be an idol?

Myungsoo looked directly into the camera after letting out a small chuckle, “Kind of a cliche question, I’m sure you’ve heard tons of cliche answers already.” He scratched the back of his neck, a cute pout etched on his face, “Actually, I don’t really have a moment that I remember exactly when I decided ‘Ah, I want to do this’ but I know that I am getting tired of my everyday, boring, office life.”

Wanting to appeal to the audience a bit, he pointed at the camera, “If you’re watching this and are a worker, you know how mundane and boring that life is! I have some talents that I want to share and I’ve been told that I’m not awful looking, I thought being an idol would be a nice change of pace.”

Who are your musical influences?

A smile that could have blinded somebody took over Myungsoo’s face, he clapped his hands together as an artist came to mind, “Ah! I’m really into playing guitar actually, so any musicians who focus on acoustics always win my heart! I am also a pretty big fan of pop music. I really like Bolbbalgan4′s vocals and their song Travel always puts me in a good mood. This is the kind of music I want to produce!”

It was a short response, but it was his honest response.

What company would you like to join?

Myungsoo tried to will any blush away from his face as he thought about the man he desperately wanted to spend more time with. “Nova!” Myungsoo grinned, raising an eyebrow at the camera, “You’re probably curious why I’d want to join a company that focused more on dancing when I’m more into playing instruments and singing, right? I’m just so curious of all the potential and mystery that Nova holds! I feel that their company is a lot like me, I’m also pretty mysterious and full of potential!”

He bowed at the camera and thanked the person who recorded his interview, letting out a sigh of relief as he left the confined space. Myungsoo figured that actually most of his interview would get edited and even if it was shown on TV, it wouldn’t be for more than a few seconds. Nonetheless, he felt satisfied with his responses.

[rkminhyun]

          MGA SEASON FIVE AUDITIONS     ∙     june fourteen,  hanlim multi art school

                                       𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲    :     𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄

                                                                       ↺

       he slides his hands up and down his knees as he anticipates the start of the interview.  time’s been rushing by since the process of audition day began,  but it’s the moments in between that slow down to a snail’s pace,  when he feels an impatient tick crawl up his spine.  however,  with a blink,  the interviewer is there and the new segment begins.

let’s jump right into it  --  WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE AN IDOL?

      he blinks at that.  it’s a straight-forward question,  one completely valid considering what the purpose of the whole audition was,  yet minhyun finds himself at a loss for words.

      idol?  well,  he can’t entirely say it’s been his life goal to be an idol,  on stage and performing,  but he supposes it’s not too far off from his hopeful aspirations in high school.  “i love singing,”  he starts slowly and simply,  a pondering look ever present on his features,  “maybe it sounds typical,  i know it’s been said time and time again but it’s been my aspiration for as long as i can remember.  singing is apart of who i am and i’ve always looked up to idols that endure through the most in order to achieve their dreams.”

we noticed you listed empty enigma here as part of your musical experience.  so let us ask you this  --  WHAT IS EMPTY ENIGMA?

      ah yes,  the prized question itself.  a hint of pride welcomes itself into the forefront of his smile,  and minhyun can’t help but relax a little as he speaks.  “empty enigma is a band that can be classified under the metalcore genre. currently,  it has four other members  --   HA  SUNGWOON,  KANG  DANIEL  --  both of which appeared at the mgas last year,  as well as new additions like me,  TAKADA  KENTA  and  PARK  WOOJIN.”

the interviewer nods along,  before tacking on,  AND  HOW  DOES  THE  BAND  FIT  IN WITH  YOUR  FUTURE  PLANS?

      “well,  we’ve actually just released our first studio album,  named  BETWEEN  FEAR  AND  FAITH and it’s been an interesting time.  that being said,  we collectively made the decision to give the mgas a shot this year and encouraged one another to have a go at something that will at the very least be an important learning opportunity  --  it’s rather exciting.”  he pauses,  hesitance flickering over his expression.  “other than that,  though?  i don’t know,  i guess we’ll see where life takes us.”

WHAT ARE YOUR MUSICAL INSPIRATIONS?

      “there’s a lot,  really.  i usually find myself lost in the beat when i’m listening to dpr live and sik-k,  but i like a different variety of things.  currently finding myself listening to a lot of the jonas brother’s classics,  but others such as ariana grande,  zayn,  troye sivan too... music is just really amazing.”  he’s practically gushing at this point,  hand gestures getting bigger the more he talks  --   the topic gets him going in so many ways.  “though, would it be too boastful of me to mention empty enigma here?”  he chuckles a little,  eyes falling into a smile of their own,  tone tainted with a hint of embarrassment,  but prideful nevertheless.  “the boys have taught me a lot,  which is why i have to mention checking out the new album again,  the passion everyone has really shines through.”

last question for the day,  but an important one nevertheless.  tell us,  WHAT IS YOUR DREAM COMPANY?

      “that’s a good question,”  he says,  nodding,  as if he’s put thought into the answer.  he expected the question ever since he wrote down his choices on the application,  but to explain his number one derived out of a group decision  --  it didn’t feel like the brightest idea, and so --  “music is fun and enjoyable because you make it as such,  and i feel that’s exactly what nova has to offer,  and it would be amazing to see this dream of mine fold out within nova.”

      minhyun catches himself,  reaching up to scratch his cheek in embarrassment as he continues,  tone a little bashful.  “i’ve also had my eyes on kt since i’ve been told i might fit in well there,  but honestly?  i think the real honour would be getting offered a spot anywhere,  especially when there’s a wide variety of talent throughout each company.  being recognized and wanted by any one of them would be that dream come true,  and that’s not really up to me.”

thank you for your time,  and good luck out there!

minhyun smiles at that,  bowing as he stands.  “thank you.”

[rkjulia]

MGA: SEASON FIVE, ‘19! episode zero ⇢ the audition part three: the big interview

it is safe to say that this day wasn’t going as kokoro had expected, after all, she had found herself sitting in a chair with a make-up artist touching up her face and a hair stylist fixing the hair on her head. honestly speaking though, after all of that dancing, she probably needed it. but what was their motive exactly, and why did they need to touch up her make-up and her hair? kokoro had more or less just finished dancing, stepping outside of the audition room only to be swept up by a staff member who was directing her off to another part of the school building she had yet to go to. turns out, that she was going to be sitting in front of a camera for an interview. an interview, that was probably going to be in korean. and kokoro being japanese, would probably have no language support. the questions would probably be in korean and kokoro would probably end up stumbling over her words, without having any time to practice or think up her answers. there were bound to be other foreign contestants, she couldn’t possibly be the only one. kokoro continues to smile throughout the experience, with the make-up artist and hair stylist talking to her, although deep down, she finds herself internally panicking a bit, unsure of how she’s going to prepare.

relief washes over her though when she’s presented with some mock questions, at least now she knows what to expect in the real interview. the questions are pretty basic, stereotypical; audition show themed. what’s your name? where are you from? why do you want to be a star and so on. kokoro makes the effort to ask the staff member questions, just in case. about any other things she may ask and what she might do if she doesn’t understand the question due to the obvious language barrier. in her experience, it’s better to ask about things then to go head first into the real thing and make mistakes. not that kokoro asking questions helps, because the staff member brushes over things rather quickly. she soon finds herself sitting alone, waiting for the real thing.

kokoro pulls at the hem of her skirt, hands laced together in her lap. she finds this portion of her audition to be much more intimidating than the dancing process. her fear of the korean language and embarrassing herself would rear it’s head and reveal itself, and kokoro didn’t want to become a laughing stock on national television. not if it was going to be aired, not if her mother was going to see this and find out. she looks forward towards the camera and smiles, bowing her head. she could introduce herself in korean like a native, it had been practised and practised, said again and again. “hello everyone,” kokoro says brightly, her signature smile and eye-smile gracing the camera. “my name is kato kokoro and i am seventeen years old! it is nice to meet you!” the interviewer smiles, warmed by her infectious enthusiasm. now she has revealed her name, it’s evident that she isn’t korean. and that alone is a roadblock she has to overcome on the path to meeting her wildest dreams. 

“and kokoro, where are you from exactly?” the interviewer then asks, looking down at their notes before looking back up at kokoro. where are you from? she could say she’s from gangnam. that’s where she has been living since the start of the year; six months almost. gangnam was slowly but surely becoming home to her but kokoro knows that isn’t the answer they are looking for. they want the juice, the tea. "i was born and raised in tokyo, japan, but i moved to south korea early this year, in january.” kokoro explains. the interviewer nods, reviewing their notes once again. so far, so good. this wasn’t challenging kokoro too much. she had explained herself enough these past six months. these were things she understood and could talk about effortlessly.

"okay, kokoro-ssi, musically, who influences you?” boop. here goes nothing. kokoro knows that she had filled this out on her audition paperwork; there were a slew of artists and groups that kokoro looked up to, japanese, korean and western; she had a rather global music taste and now would probably be a good opportunity to express that. but how? it was probably evident that she was nervous. she subtly takes in a deep breath. word this correctly, kokoro, for the love of all things good. “i have a lot of musical influences!” kokoro expresses up front. rather than going out of her way to sound cool or well-spoken, kokoro would rather go ahead and be herself. “but i’m going to say my main musical influence is akb48, who are a japanese girl group. they’re sort of our national girl group, i guess!” kokoro then explains. looking back, what would of happened if kokoro actually ended up auditioning for akb48 and making it into the group? would she still be a kenkyuusei or would she be a full-fledged member by now? she figures she should mention some of the other groups she listed, rather than gushing about her favourite group back home.

"this year, i started listening to k-pop more. i like eclipse and k.arma right now. listening to k-pop has actually helped me with learning korean and i’ve also been able to make new friends through listening to k-pop!” there are some dips in her explanation, moments where she has paused for a second to think of what she has to say next and kokoro finds herself quietly apologising to the interviewer inbetween questions. but she speaks the truth, although she knew about k-pop back home, she had never really had the need to listen. she had her akb48 and her e-girls, why did she need another type of music? although now, kokoro found herself using the music to her own advantage, to communicate with others. it opened up conversation and helped kokoro learn to how to read. it was everywhere, k-pop idols were just as influential as j-pop idols.

and the interviewer returns to their notes, as kokoro sits tight and waits for the next question to be thrown at her. she looks down at her hands that are still laced together in her lap. “why do you want to be an idol, kokoro-ssi?” kokoro is a little startled by how hard-hitting the question is, they seem to be very upfront with their questions and what they want their contestants to share. but kokoro knows, deep down, way down, the answer to this question. she’s known it since she was a kid, back to when she looked up at j-pop idols in japan and dreamed of maybe standing on stage like them. back to when she aspired to audition for akb48, only to have that opportunity pulled right out from underneath her. “that’s an easy question!” kokoro beams, eyes turning into crescent moon shapes. "i want to become an idol because i want to make people happy." this question makes kokoro think though, that was one of the reasons kokoro had aspired to pursue a career as an idol in japan over doing things here in korea. the industries were vastly different. just because an idol, particularly in the likes of akb48, wasn’t the best at dancing and singing, didn’t mean she was any less of an idol. she had other redeeming qualities that made her favourable in the eyes of her fans and kokoro found that wholesome. here in korea though, talent and being the best of the best was the way things went here. it was the survival of the fittest. 

and kokoro wonders if that was an industry she would be able to survive in. “i would like to be able to spread joy around the world through music.” she continues to explain. “i want to do what i love for the rest of my life, or for as long as i could, at least.” kokoro says with a curt, cute shrug. they say that by doing something that you love, you’ll never work a day in your life and while the road to stardom was a long, difficult one, kokoro knew that if she could get herself onto it and get herself going, she would work hard until the very end. the interviewer smiles at kokoro and she finds herself smiling back. so, this interview wasn’t going as bad as she had thought. it seemed as though she found herself stumbling over her words when she overthought things. maybe she wasn’t as bad at korean as she though she was. “okay, kokoro-ssi, one more question before you go; what company are you aspiring to end up at?” the interviewer asks. kokoro too had put this down on her audition paperwork. coming to korea, kokoro hadn’t known too much about the big five companies in seoul and the roles they played, the groups that they housed. so kokoro had gone into this all rather blindly, picking based on where her new favourite girl groups were from.

“kt entertainment is my first choice,” kokoro says simply. “i personally really like the aesthetic of the company and i enjoy the music that has come from that company thus far.” that, and katie lee seemed like a pretty cool ceo, but kokoro wasn’t too sure how she should address the likes of katie lee in an interview, so she kept her name out of it. “my second choice is trc entertainment. it is, uh, a very different vibe to kt entertainment, for sure!” she chuckles a little, brushing her twin tails back over her shoulders. “trc seems to be a very cool, but challenging company to be under.” kokoro shrugs, not really sure how else to explain herself. kokoro liked kt entertainment because she could realistically see herself under the label, whereas trc entertainment was more so for the artists already there. that, and her potential to grow into an artist rather than an idol seemed to be a bit more evident, but that wasn’t the sort of thing kokoro wanted to admit in an interview. it wasn’t the time nor the place. the interview as far as kokoro knew had come to and end, and while she was relieved that she wouldn’t have to think of anything else to say, she was also a bit sad. kokoro wondered if she had said enough for what they were looking for.

the interview as far as kokoro believes, is now over. and while she is partially relieved that she is no longer required to think of anything else witty to say, she’s also wondering if she said enough. to kokoro’s surprise though, the interview isn’t over just yet. what else was she to say or do?

[woojinrk-blog]

Who are you?

“Mm… I’m Kim Woojin. I’m 21, and I have a passion for singing. I always loved to listen to music, but it wasn’t until I saw someone play guitar for the first time that I truly fell in love. My first guitar was something I cherished greatly, and by my first year of owning it I had learned countless songs, and started making my own acoustic covers. Eventually I started singing in order to further what I could do, and that paired with my guitar… It was harmony. There’s something about hitting a note that matches a chord so well that makes me very happy; it’s the best feeling in the world.”

Woojin smiles, fingers gripping the strap of his guitar bag slung across his torso and over his chest.

“I’m also a student at Seoul National University majoring in chemical and biological engineering, while also minoring in music theory. My first semester ends tomorrow, so I’m ready to be a part of this season of the MGAs!”

Who are your musical influences?

“I really enjoy bands! I wish I could get my hands on an electric guitar, but it’s out of my budget for now. My acoustic is perfect anyways, and I adore it. Bands like Day6 and Royal Pirates are among my favorites, for sure. Oh, and The Rose! Again, singing or rapping paired with instruments is such a beautiful connection. All of these bands have amazing live performances too, and the energy that comes from them doing what they love… I’ll never get enough of it.

Also, I watched the fourth season of the MGAs last year. There’s someone in particular who just… inspired me to come today. He placed fourteenth, and he continuously overcame obstacles and continued to push forward. I really admire him. I’m sure his name is well known, since he’s also a KT Rookie now.” Woojin smiles fondly, thinking about the memories he has of himself watching the finalist for months, and seeing how he grew.

Why do you want to be an idol?

“To be honest… I don’t know. I guess I want to be able to pursue my passion while making money for it. I’m currently at SNU to hopefully make money to help out my parents after I graduate. I’m very grateful for them, and they struggle a lot, so engineering is the place to be if I want money.” Woojin hums thoughtfully, before shrugging. “I can’t make money while pursuing music alone. I’d get to live out my dream since I was a 7 year old boy, while giving back to the ones who raised me so well, and have given me nothing but love and support.”

What companies would you like to get into?

He knows specifics on his application form. Specifically, his first two choices were KT and Royal, respectively. However, Woojin is slightly ashamed of saying either of them, but especially KT. That’s where Hyunjin went, and he doesn’t want to seem that obsessive over the finalist.

“Any company would be nice! I’d be very appreciative, no matter where I go.”

“Thank you, and again, I’m Kim Woojin. The Kim Woojin we all know and love!” “우리가 진짜 좋아한 = 우진“

[rkxkikwang]

// ( ★ ) MNET GLOBAL AUDITIONS S5 Audition Round 3 - Interview

Breathing heavy, but with a happy smile he finished the performance. Even though it had been just a small panel of judges, being watched as he danced, already felt incredible. Happiness spread through his whole body, as he was sent to an individual room. He sat down at a chair, prepared for him and waited. Some staff member approached him and told him to hold still for a moment. Perplexed about being touched up slightly with some light make-up, Kikwang held his breath. This was really happening right now.

Fidgeting around on his chair, the male waited for the next part of the audition to begin. Someone entered the room and asked him some trivial mock questions before telling him that they were about to record the interview now. With a nod he tried to swallow down his nervousness and prepare himself mentally. Compared to his sister or his cousin he wasn’t as elaborate when it came to wordings, all he could rely on was his sincerity.

The first question was - to his surprise - easy to answer and caused his lips to shoot a bright smile towards the interviewer. “My musical influence? Since I was younger I have always looked up to the King of Pop, Rain Bi-sunbaenim, Raehwan-sunbaenim, Chris Brown, Neyo…." He listed a few of his favorite singer-dancers and his role models before he paused. "One of the reasons for them to be my role models is their passion to dance. The kind of dance Rain Bi for example shows is filled with power and energy, it is brimming with stage presence and even if he is standing alone on stage, he fills the stage with his shining personality.”

While he told the interviewer all these things, his eyes sparkled and it was obvious that he could fill hours with that kind of topic, so the interviewer urged him to move forward and to tell about his aspirations in becoming an idol. "I've tested some things before, I did sports and played instruments and while I all like and love those hobbies, dancing is the only thing that grows me wings. dancing means freedom to me and that's what i want to share with those who watch me on stage." His coy smile brightened up the room as he watched the interviewer take notes. "And that is also why I decided on Nova as my dream company. I want a company that supports dancers like me."