KOOL magazine vol. 04 Winter 2011
part 1/2
20 Questions!!
C.A.P.
born November 4, 1992 / 178 cm / blood type O
1. Hobby: Reading, writing lyrics
2. Special skill: Exercise, writing lyrics
3. Weak point: Water; especially cold water
4. Favourite food: Rice. It’s gotta be rice for a Korean!
5. Disliked food: I don’t eat most seafood. I don’t like fishy smells.
6. Ideal type (of girl): A girl who can take care of herself and keeps up with working out
7. Place you’d like to go on a date: Somewhere with nice scenery
8. Person you look up to: Eminem
9. What you’re most into right now: University life
10. How do you spend days off: I spend it with friends from school
11. Favourite place: The steps in front of my house. Sitting there and listening to music makes me feel at peace.
12. A Korean artist you’d like to work with: Big Bang’s T.O.P. Dalmatian’s DayDay. Eun Jiwon. They are all powerful rappers and great seniors.
13. Personal goal: I’d like to do featurings with various artists and contribute song lyrics.
14. If you brought one member with you to a deserted island, who? Niel. I’d probably be able to rely on him for this and that (laughs)
15. Who’s the mood-maker? Ricky and Niel! If the two of them get together, it’s really noisy (laughs)
16. Who’s the most hard-working? I think everybody’s about the same
17. Who sleeps the most? Me. I sleep the most.
18. Who’s the most fashionable? Me.
19. Who gets angry the most? I don’t think any of us get that angry.
20. Who’s the most reliable/together? Everybody’s about the same
Say one thing to Niel! -> -> ->
Niel, you’re always doing your best as main vocal. I’m counting on you from here on out!
NIEL
born August 16, 1994 / 177 cm / blood type A
1. Hobby: Video games
2. Special skill: Soccer. I took soccer lessons when I was in elementary school
3. Weak point: I’m not good at talking to girls
4. Favourite food: LA 갈비 galbi (ribs), 육회 yukhoe (raw beef). I like any kind of meat
5. Disliked food: Nothing. I like eating everything
6. Ideal type (of girl): A noona who’ll be talkative with me and who has aegyo
7. Place you’d like to go on a date: Gangnam, Namsan, the COEX aquarium, 63 Building. They’re famous date spots so I’d like to go
8. Person you look up to: Michael Jackson. He’s the person who made me think of becoming a singer.
9. What you’re most into right now: the audio charts!
10. How do you spend days off: I rest up and catch up on the sleep I’m behind on
11. Favourite place: Church. My heart feels calm there
12. A Korean artist you’d like to work with: If there’s an opportunity, anybody
13. Personal goal: First I want (us) to be recognised as Teen Top
14. If you brought one member with you to a deserted island, who? I wouldn’t bring anybody. I’d be carefree by myself (laughs)
15. Who’s the mood-maker? Ricky, because he’s a prankster
16. Who’s the most hard-working? Nobody. We’re all bums
17. Who sleeps the most? C.A.P. As soon as he closes his eyes, he falls asleep
18. Who’s the most fashionable? L.Joe. He’s always checking himself in the mirror and studying his facial expressions
19. Who gets angry the most? L.Joe. Sometimes he’s scary (laughs)
20. Who’s the most reliable/together? Nobody. Niel?
Say one thing to L.Joe! -> -> ->
L.Joe hyung! Hyung’s really good-looking, so don’t look at yourself in the mirror so much~
L.JOE
born November 23, 1993 / 171 cm / blood type A
1. Hobby: Reading manhwa, online shopping
2. Special skill: Songwriting, playing the piano
3. Weak point: I’m ticklish!
4. Favourite food: 삼겹살 Samgyeopsal (pork belly)
5. Disliked food: Nothing
6. Ideal type (of girl): Someone adorable whose bare face is beautiful
7. Place you’d like to go on a date: Gangwon-do! I want to play in the water while breathing in the sweet-smelling air
8. Person you look up to: Our Shinhwa seniors. I want to learn sharp dance moves and beautiful friendship from them.
9. What you’re most into right now: Lately, I’ve gotten into wearing hats
10. How do you spend days off: I like movies, so I go to the movie theater
11. Favourite place: My bed. I feel calm there.
12. A Korean artist you’d like to work with: G.Dragon sunbae! He is my role model. It would be an honour to be able to work with him.
13. Personal goal: To become a top singer who is recognised (as such) by everybody
14. If you brought one member with you to a deserted island, who? Ricky. I’d ask him to run errands for me (laughs)
15. Who’s the mood-maker? Ricky. He’s really noisy, but he makes things fun for everybody
16. Who’s the most hard-working? L.Joe. I am the hardest worker (laughs)
17. Who sleeps the most? Niel. It’s really hard to wake him up in the morning
18. Who’s the most fashionable? C.A.P. He has a lot of clothes and puts them together well
19. Who gets angry the most? Nobody really gets that angry
20. Who’s the most reliable/together? L.Joe. I’m definitely the most reliable!
Say one thing to Chunji! -> -> ->
Chunji! I love you~~♡
CHUNJI
born October 5, 1993 / 173 cm / blood type B
1. Hobby: doing 1000 piece puzzles
2. Special skill: Singing
3. Weak point: I don’t think I have one
4. Favourite food: 꽃등심 Ggotdeungshim (a marbled roast beef)
5. Disliked food: Nothing!
6. Ideal type (of girl): Someone pure and feminine
7. Place you’d like to go on a date: An amusement park. I’d like to walk together holding hands
8. Person you look up to: My father and mother.
9. What you’re most into right now: Preparing for entrance exams
10. How do you spend days off: Watching movies. I like romance movies
11. Favourite place: My house. It’s the coziest place
12. A Korean artist you’d like to work with: Lee Hongki sunbae. I’m personally a fan of his
13. Personal goal: First place!
14. If you brought one member with you to a deserted island, who? Changjo. If it were the two of us, I think we could make it
15. Who’s the mood-maker? Ricky. No matter when it is, he makes that situation fun
16. Who’s the most hard-working? Changjo. He wakes up early in the morning
17. Who sleeps the most? C.A.P.
18. Who’s the most fashionable? Chunji. He’s cool (laughs)
19. Who gets angry the most? Everybody’s about the same
20. Who’s the most reliable/together? Chunji. He’s really together (laughs)
Say one thing to Changjo! -> -> ->
Annyeong~ Changjo, let’s do our very best ♡
CHANGJO
born November 16, 1995 / 177 cm / blood type B
1. Hobby: Coming up with choreography, listening to music, online shopping
2. Special skill: Choreography, self-defense
3. Weak point: Power. I think I don’t have enough strength when I’m dancing
4. Favourite food: Vegetables, especially lettuce
5. Disliked food: Chocolate
6. Ideal type (of girl): Someone adorable with aegyo
7. Place you’d like to go on a date: Myeongdong or an amusement park. Just an ordinary kind of date is good
8. Person you look up to: Usher. His dancing is great, so I really respect him!
9. What you’re most into right now: Songwriting. I want to try creating
(songs) making use of my own emotions
10. How do you spend days off: Meeting friends, relaxing at home
11. Favourite place: Home is best! My mood calms down when I’m at home
12. A Korean artist you’d like to work with: Taeyang (SOL) sunbae! He excels in every aspect so there are many things I’d like to learn from him.
13. Personal goal: To become a top singer by working as hard as I can
14. If you brought one member with you to a deserted island, who? Niel. if he’s at my side and always talking with me, it would never get boring
15. Who’s the mood-maker? Me and Ricky! The maknaes are the mood-makers!
16. Who’s the most hard-working? Changjo. Or at least it was that way in the past… (laughs)
17. Who sleeps the most? L.Joe. He talks in his sleep a lot
18. Who’s the most fashionable? Everybody. We’re all starting to pay attention to fashion
19. Who gets angry the most? Nobody really gets mad. Even if we quarrel about trivial things, we make up right away
20. Who’s the most reliable/together? Everybody. We help each other out!
Say one thing to Ricky! -> -> ->
Ricky! Lay off the aegyo. It’s gross~! (laughs)
RICKY
born February 27, 1995 / 172 cm / blood type AB
1. Hobby: Watching movies. No matter what the genre is, I like all movies
2. Special skill: Bullying my hyungs (laughs)
3. Weak point: I don’t think I have one
4. Favourite food: 제육볶음 Jeyukpoggeum (stir-fried spicy pork)
5. Disliked food: Cucumbers. I haven’t been able to eat them since I was little
6. Ideal type (of girl): Somebody cute and feminine
7. Place you’d like to go on a date: Gangnam. I’d like to walk together hand in hand
8. Person you look up to: Big Bang’s Taeyang (SOL) sunbae. Both his dancing and his singing are perfect
9. What you’re most into right now: Choreography videos. Changjo and I are currently studying dance together
10. How do you spend days off: Watching movies, relaxing at home
11. Favourite place: Rooftops and other high places. Places which overlook scenery
12. A Korean artist you’d like to work with: miss A. They said they’d like to perform with Teen Top, and if there’s an opportunity to do so we’d also love to go on stage together with them
13. Personal goal: To build up my skills more and so increase the group’s level of perfection as a whole
14. If you brought one member with you to a deserted island, who? Chunji. If I got hungry, it seems like he’d somehow be able to get us something to eat
15. Who’s the mood-maker? Niel. He’s always chatting and he brightens up the room
16. Who’s the most hard-working? L.Joe. He always prepares thoroughly for anything that needs to be done
17. Who sleeps the most? C.A.P. Anytime, anywhere, he sleeps a lot.
18. Who’s the most fashionable? Ricky. His (fashion) sense is so good, it can’t be expressed in words.
19. Who gets angry the most? I don’t think any of us really get angry much.
20. Who’s the most reliable/together? Ricky (laughs)
Say one thing to C.A.P.! -> -> ->
C.A.P. hyung! Don’t bully me too much~ I’m counting on you as our leader from here on out!
TEEN TOP
Adorable characters who are affectionately called “Korea’s Little Brothers” and whose outstanding dance and singing ability are in the spotlight, Teen Top are another group who will play a role in the K-Pop world’s next generation.
“We’re Coming to Japan too!”
» It’s been one year since your debut, so what kind of one-year (event) was there?
Chunji: Fans celebrated for us with flowers and rice, the most impressive being the flower garlands. The rice was donated in our name to the less fortunate. We’re very thankful.
C.A.P.: Despite that, we’re sorry that we weren’t able to hold a one-year commemorative event.
L.Joe: It’s unbelievable that a year has passed by. We’re going to keep working our hardest from here on as well so we’d like it if (our fans) would watch over us.
» Please tell us about any memorable incidents.
Niel: The number one thing I can’t forget is the time I messed up the choreography during the promotion for our second single, “Supa Luv.” There have been plenty of other incidents, but among my memories, the mistake I made that day is… how should I say it, it has the most impact.
Ricky: For me it was when I ripped my pants on stage during the promotion for our first single, “Clap.” I was really embarrassed when that happened, but when I think about it now, it was a good experience. From now on I’m going to be very thorough about checking my clothing before I go on stage (laughs)
» How did you spend the day on your one-year anniversary?
Niel: We had a schedule so we weren’t able to make any time to enjoy the day with our fans. Fans came to our practice room and we greeted each other is about all we did. If we could, we’d like to hold a fan meeting and celebrate our one-year anniversary.
» In comparison to when you debuted, is there an area in which you feel you’ve developed?
Niel: At that time we were all teenagers, but now C.A.P. hyung’s turned 20 (in Korean age).
Ricky: I think our expression on stage has changed. The way we look around and the way we move our bodies has developed little by little and has gotten more natural.
» Who has grown up the most?
Chunji: Our maknae Changjo has gotten a lot taller. I think his looks have gotten more manly too. I feel like Ricky hasn’t changed much, but maybe he’s also gotten manlier (laughs) We’ve all grown, but I think Changjo is definitely the one who has the most.
» Bang Shi-hyuk was the producer for the new mini-album “Roman,” wasn’t he. The final result is mature. Did you take a liking to any of the songs?
Ricky: I like the song “Beautiful Girl.” The lyrics are about falling in love and confessing, and both the lyrics and melody are really nice.
Chunji: For me it’s the ballad “The Backs of Our Hands Brush Together.” The lyrics are nice too, and I really like it.
Changjo: I also like “Brushing.” I like dance songs too, but this song has nice lyrics and a good melody so I like it a lot.
Niel: Of course I like our title song “No More Perfume on You,” but for me it’s the song “Tell Me Why” which was written for us by Shinhwa’s Minwoo hyung. I heard that Minwoo hyung wrote it while thinking of people who are less fortunate. There are lyrics which say “that’s right, look at me and smile,” and if by singing this song, I were able to have the chance to make people who are thinking about painful things smile, I’d be happy.
L.Joe: Personally, I like the song “First Kiss.” As it’s the first time Teen Top has tried doing a song in the rap genre, it’s an important song for me. It’s the one I listen to the most.
C.A.P.: I like all the songs, but for me it’s also “First Kiss.” It’s a song I’m in a lot and it’s deeply imbued with feelings about love, so I really like it.
» Please tell us about your future planned activities. Do you have any plans for dramas or movies?
Chunji: There are things I want to do, like dramas or solo work, but the first thing is Teen Top standing on top, and then doing various other activities after that.
Niel: If there’s an opportunity to do so I’d like to try it, but we’re working hard as Teen Top right now!
» What is something you’d like to try doing in the future?
L.Joe: We like to have fun when we’re on stage. I want to perform lots of enjoyable songs on stage like our Big Bang sunbaes.
Niel: We all think the same thing. We want to sing songs which our fans will enjoy. But right now we’re doing kalgunmu (super-synchronised sharp dance numbers) so we don’t have a chance to come in contact with fans…
» You’re now living together?
All: Yes.
» Are there rules and commitments among the group?
Chunji: We’re not supposed to make too much noise at the dorm. No running! What else… Oh, trash! Taking care of the trash and folding up the bedding. There are members who don’t do it though…. That’s about it.
» What about cooking?
Chunji: We don’t cook. We order delivery food. We haven’t ever cooked once, have we (laughs)
» If there are any things you’d like to do with the Japanese fan club or any messages for Japanese fans you’d like to give us, please do so.
Niel: We’re also planning to come to Japan. I’ll be happy if we can have lots of opportunities to interact with Japanese fans. We want to have a fan meeting format concert.
C.A.P.: Even though we haven’t visited Japan very often, we’ve gotten a lot of support which we’re very thankful for. We’d like to come to Japan more from here on and show everybody a cool performance.
Changjo: We’re coming to Japan soon and we’ll show you our changed look. In the future we’re planning to come to Japan frequently, release a CD and promote seriously. Please support us!
