[ RELEASE ] NINEBANG (나인뱅) - GOLDEN (DIGITAL SINGLE)
Sonhwa Entertainment’s ‘Golden Child’ makes his return with what some would consider a self-titled double single, showcasing his many charms and talents once more in ways that capture fans as easily as flies to honey. With collaborative writing, composing, and production work by well-known and respected producers MAESTAR and KKUMA, ‘Golden’ emits a strong and confident energy between its two tracks, despite their subject material being worlds apart. ‘Snapping’, co-written, produced, and composed by KKUMA, discusses NINEBANG confidently walking away from a toxic relationship before he gets too attached, effectively ‘snapping’ himself out of it before he falls under his partner’s hazy spell. The track is primarily a suave R&B song with dance pop and hip-hop elements, which tie in effectively with its theme. ‘Betcha’, on the other hand, is a pure hip-hop/R&B hybrid jam, concerning the certainty of NINEBANG that he and the object of his affections are more than meant to be. Primarily written, composed, and produced by MAESTAR (and featuring backing vocals from KKUMA), ‘Betcha’ spins a sweet, almost innocent take on the start of a new relationship, again emphasizing NINEBANG’s confidence in himself and his feelings. The two songs combine to form a unique experience, once again showing the singer’s versatility in an extravagant manner.
[ RELEASE ] NINEBANG (나인뱅) - DUSK V. DAWN (황혼 대 새벽): THE REPACKAGE ALBUM
Almost exactly two months after the release of his second mini-album, Eclipse, NINEBANG returns with a full-repackage album featuring seven new songs and one new music video. The idol rides the critical success of Eclipse’s dark concept and themes by expanding upon its story with Dusk V. Dawn (황혼 대 새벽), as the imagery of two different sides of NINEBANG battling for dominance again takes precedence, and songs cover mature topics like morality, sexuality, and societal expectations. Much of the work was produced by Sonhwa Ent CEO Yoo Seungyeon and in-house writers and producers Jang Hyolin and Noh Minhee. Several guest writers and producers also appear within the album’s new material, like GEMINI’s June and reBOL’s DJ, who also feature on tracks. Dusk V. Dawn (황혼 대 새벽) seems to not only serve as solidification of this darker image, but as a turning point in his career as he approaches his first anniversary of his debut in May 2018.
STATISTICS
TITLE: DUSK V. DAWN (황혼 대 새벽)
ARTIST: NINEBANG (나인뱅)
DATE OF RELEASE: 03 May 2019
TYPE OF RELEASE: Reissue, Studio Album
NUMBER OF TRACKS: 14
GENRE(S): R&B
AGE WARNING: 17+
PRODUCER(S): YEONI (연이), Jang Hyolin (장효린), Noh Minhee (노민희), JUNE (준), KKUMA (꿈아), Penny (펜니), TAINY
COMPOSER(S): NINEBANG (나인뱅), YEONI (연이), Jang Hyolin (장효린), Noh Minhee (노민희), DJ (디재), JUNE (준), Cola (콜라), KKUMA (꿈아), Penny (펜니), Faust (파우스트)
WRITER(S)/LYRICIST(S): NINEBANG (나인뱅), YEONI (연이), Jang Hyolin (장효린), Noh Minhee (노민희), DJ (디재), JUNE (준), Cola (콜라), KKUMA (꿈아), Penny (펜니), Lauren (로렌), Faust (파우스트)
LANGUAGE(S): Korean, English, Spanish
RECORDED: 2019
LENGTH: 50 minutes 14 seconds
TRACKLIST
[ FULL PLAYLIST ]
01. RISE (이카루스) | LYRICS
LISTEN: 3:32
PRODUCER: 준 (GEMINI)
LYRICS: 나인뱅, 파우스트
COMPOSER: 연이, 나인뱅
02. PINOCCHIO (피노키오) feat. DJ of reBOL | LINE DISTRIBUTION
LISTEN: 3:05
PRODUCER: 장효린
LYRICS: 노민희, 나인뱅, 디재
COMPOSER: 나인뱅, 디재, 장효린
03. WANT < TITLE #1 > | LYRICS
WATCH: 3:25
LISTEN: 3:30
PRODUCER: 장효린, 노민희
LYRICS: 나인뱅, 노민희
COMPOSER: 나인뱅, 노민희
04. Artistic Groove | LYRICS
LISTEN: 3:39
PRODUCER: 연이
LYRICS: 노민희, 나인뱅, 연이
COMPOSER: 나인뱅, 연이
05. SUNSET | LYRICS
LISTEN: 3:30
PRODUCER: 준 (GEMINI)
LYRICS: 나인뱅, 로렌
COMPOSER: 연이, 나인뱅
06. PRESS YOUR NUMBER < TITLE #2 > | LYRICS
WATCH: 4:48
LISTEN: 3:46
PRODUCER: 준 (GEMINI)
LYRICS: 나인뱅
COMPOSER: 나인뱅
07. WHAT IS LOVE? feat. FAUST of eSPIRIT | LINE DISTRIBUTION
LISTEN: 4:43
PRODUCER: 연이
LYRICS: 나인뱅, 파우스트
COMPOSER: 나인뱅, 파우스트
08. YOU/YOU/ME (너 너 나) feat. JUN of eSPIRIT | LINE DISTRIBUTION
LISTEN: 3:43
PRODUCER: 장효린
LYRICS: 노민희, 나인뱅, 장효린
COMPOSER: 나인뱅, 장효린
09. TEQUILA feat. ADELIE of QUEENZ | LINE DISTRIBUTION
LISTEN: 3:23
PRODUCER: 꿈아
LYRICS: 나인뱅, 꿈아
COMPOSER: 나인뱅, 꿈아
10. TRACIONERA | LYRICS
LISTEN: 3:48
PRODUCER: TAINY
LYRICS: 나인뱅, TAINY, 콜라
COMPOSER: TAINY
11. NIGHTDRIVE feat. JUNE of GEMINI | LINE DISTRIBUTION
LISTEN: 3:09
PRODUCER: 준 (GEMINI)
LYRICS: 노민희, 나인뱅, 준 (GEMINI)
COMPOSER: 나인뱅, 준 (GEMINI)
12. PRETTY BOY feat. CHEN of BEAU | LINE DISTRIBUTION
Following his record-breaking debut and classy subunit with eSPIRIT’s Faust, many eyes have long since been on NINEBANG in anticipation for his next project. “Eclipse” is the vocalist’s second mini album, consisting of 7 tracks, two of which feature other artists -- Adelie of Sonhwa’s upcoming girl group, Sakhmet, and Ulli of NINEBANG’s former group, GEMINI. Despite the few features, this was largely a collaborative project for NINEBANG, who is known to write a lot of his own music; Chapel Records’ in-house producer, KKUMA, stepped out of the Chapel to lend both her writing and producing skills toward the track “Tequila”, 5OGUE’s Penny did the same for “Thirsty”, BRAT’s Lauren helped with “Sunset”, soloist and creative director Cola, with whom NINEBANG is known to be very close friends, assisted with writing the Spanish-reggaeton track “Traicionera”, just to name a few. The Mini even includes the work of Puerto-Rican Reggaeton producer, Tainy, from NINEBANG’s time in Los Angeles filming for “Press Your Number” and working on “Traicionera.” “Eclipse” shows a different side of NINEBANG than fans are used to -- a darker, more dangerous side. With his powerful vocals, he experiments with this new image between different genres and styles.
STATISTICS
TITLE: ECLIPSE (이클립스)
ARTIST: NINEBANG (나인뱅)
DATE OF RELEASE: 2 February 2019
TYPE OF RELEASE: Extended Play (Mini Album), Digital Download
NUMBER OF TRACKS: 7
GENRE(S): R&B
AGE WARNING: N/A
PRODUCER(S): Bang Juwon (방주원), KKUMA (꿈아), Penny (펜니), TAINY
[ RELEASE ] FAUSTBANG! (파우스트뱅!) - R&P (RHYTHM AND POWER): THE PERFECT TWO
R&P (Rhythm and Power): The Perfect Two is the debut mini album of superduo FAUSTBANG, a unit comprised of soloist NINEBANG and five-piece group eSPIRIT’s leader and main vocalist, Faust. The album expresses a very classy, confident, and empowering concept as the two vocalists boast their unique and versatile voices with songs that flaunt not only their vocal ability, but their strengths as lyricists. NINEBANG and Faust wrote and composed every track on the album, which shows in how well-tailored they are to their voices - Faust capturing a perfect melody, and NINEBANG showing an immense power. The first title track, “Catch Me!” is about a man being frustrated with his lover’s lack of emotional investment in their relationship as he threatens to leave her if she doesn’t treat him with greater care. Its counterpart, “Where You At?” (featuring reBØL’s maknae and lead rapper, DJ) details a tumultuous point in a relationship where a man is hopelessly in love with someone who only loosely returns his feelings, as he endlessly searches for them. The mini-album also includes a bonus track entitled “Just Do It (거침없이)” (featuring Jun of eSPIRIT), which portrays an endless sense of bravado and confidence as the protagonists take control of their lives. All in all, the album was greatly anticipated as it is common knowledge that NINEBANG and Faust are very close friends in real life, and have collaborated in the past, as Faust helped NINEBANG write the title track for the latter’s massively successful debut. The harmony and versatility of this duo shines proudly as they prove to listeners that they indeed are The Perfect Two.
STATISTICS
TITLE: R&P (Rhythm and Power): The Perfect Two
ARTIST: FAUSTBANG! (파우스트뱅!)
DATE OF RELEASE: 13 October 2018
TYPE OF RELEASE: Extended Play (Mini Album), Digital Download
His attendance at the charity event had been rumoured since it’s announcement in late July, especially as the selected charity of cancer research had been announced just two days later, but NINEBANG did not confirm his status as both an attendee and performer until the beginning of this month. Fans were excited to see him again for the first time after his debut promotions had ended in June, as the idol is said to have a captivating charisma and powerful stage presence that leaves his audience both in awe and wanting more. Of course, cancer is a touchy subject for the young superstar, as he’d lost his mother to the disease back in the summer of 2015; and he’s been noted to have donated significantly to its cause after Cloud9 sold one million copies.
NINEBANG finally made his appearance near the end of the concert, where he opened with his ballad “Your Star,” known to have been written for his late mother, which pulled the crowd in with intense emotion. Once the song had come to a close, in typical Bang Kyujo fashion, the bass-heavy beat of “Sexuality” pounded through the arena and he was joined by a mix of male and female dancers, shedding the angelic white overshirt he wore to reveal the silken blue buttondown underneath, accented with silver chains draped from the collar and across the shoulder. The atmosphere changed immediately, from one of vulnerability and nostalgia to a more powerful and energetic unity. Following suit, the idol’s biggest hit, “Move” closed out his performance with chic and regal energy. Many were impressed by his stable vocals while doing complicated choreography, though others suspected he was lip-syncing.
As per usual, at the end of his performance, NINEBANG blew a kiss toward the sky, and placed his hand over his heart. many have suspected this is a gesture toward his mother, though he has yet to publicly address this speculation. Once his performance had closed and he exited the stage, he sat with the members of eSPIRIT, seemingly very comfortable beside leader and main vocalist, Faust. Many fans claimed to have seen him earlier on in the concert, crying as Pandora member and freshly debuted soloist, Rian, gave a touching speech about her experience with Cancer - and many photos circulating of him with watery and reddened eyes support these claims. He later made an Instagram story where he posted a screenshot of Rian giving her speech with several sparkling heart emojis, and a short caption expressing his admiration toward her.
All in all, it was NINEBANG’s second time performing in a concert hosted by other idols, and his ability to keep the crowd dangling on a chain seems to only be improving. No future plans have been alluded to at this point in time, but we are excited to see what NINEBANG does next, as many fans hope for his first comeback very soon!
COMMENTS
[ +3.5k, -0876 ] voice of a god, face of a god, body of a god, heart of an angel. when is he just gonna come out and say he’s not human already?
[ +3.0k, -0945 ] he never ceases to amaze me. and he’s so strong!! fighting!!
[ +2.8k, -2.5k ] he’s not even that great lmao why is everyone freaking out about everything he does??
[ +2.5k, -0701 ] the way he bounced right back after performing your star was really artistic. i think it symbolizes that you can still be strong, even after losing someone you love so much.
[ +2.3k, -0906 ] his friendship with wren is so cute!! you can just tell how close they are, and he looked so proud when espirit was performing ,,, i think he’s close with jun also??
[ +2.0k, -0098 ] Where Is The Comeback ?
[ +1.8k, -0980 ] everyone say thanks kyujo for teaching everyone how to sing
[ +1.7k, -0056 ] so incredibly proud of him. he’s come so far. i can’t even imagine how some people thought he wouldn’t go anywhere after the gemini fiasco.
[ NEWS ] SPECULATIONS ARISE THAT SONHWA ENT HAS SIGNED ANOTHER EX-GEMINI MEMBER.
📝 POSTED: 58 MINS AGO 👁 VIEWS: 100.0K 💬 COMMENTS: 28.9K 🔁 SHARES: 39.8K
It’s been an interesting year for Sonhwa Entertainment; the rookie company beginning what seems to be a “rags to riches” tale after the hugely successful debut of its first act, NINEBANG. In light of the second-to-debut act, Amber, leaving the company, however, worry rose that funds would become scarce and as popular as NINEBANG, real name Bang Kyujo, became in such a short amount of time, it’s common knowledge that without financial stability, he won’t get very far.
Not long after Amber’s split with the label, however, Bang began to update his public SNS accounts with photos beside a fellow ex-member of the Legion Entertainment group, GEMINI. This originally seemed to be nothing out of the norm, as it’s no secret that all twelve members of the original lineup are still close friends, but when the Bang and Park Yohan, GEMINI’s former main rapper and sub vocalist, were spotted together outside the Sonhwa Ent headquarters on three separate occasions, suspicions rose that they are not only still friends, but once again labelmates.
Sonhwa CEO Yoo Seungyeon addressed the rumours this afternoon, saying “we are not in a position to address [Yohan’s] involvement with Sonhwa at this time. We do not confirm nor deny that he has signed with the company, but we can verify that his contract with Legion Entertainment has been terminated since July of 2015, and there is no conflict there.”
Yoo’s statement surprised the public, who were generally unsure of Park’s status with his former label after his elimination on the survival show Coliseum, and his enlistment in the military.
NINEBANG also spoke publicly about the matter, as he was asked via Instagram Live broadcast by several curious fans. “I can’t talk about that,” said Bang, “but it’s nothing scandalous. A lot of people assume that [Yoo] is attempting to upstage [Legion] by taking artists that leave the label, but it’s nothing like that at all. She takes a chance on who she sees potential in, and it’s a big chance since [Sonhwa] is still a very small company, and we’ve lost Minyoung.” Bang’s statement caused several eyebrows to raise, as he did not address Amber, real name Lee Minyoung, with honorifics. She is more than a year his senior, and Bang has been criticized in the past for not using proper honorifics when referring to his peers.
As far as Park Yohan’s status with the company goes, nothing can be said for certain. Many assumed he would join his younger sister, Adelie, real name park Yorae, at DM Records, so this possibility has placed an unexpected twist on the soloist’s future.
One thing is for sure: he and NINEBANG look very cute together in their selcas!
BANGING IN THE WEST: NINEBANG PERFORMS IN THE U.S. DURING COLA’S “TWINK PEAKS” TOUR.
We know that NINEBANG made one of the biggest debuts of 2018 with the massive success of “Cloud9″, but the soloist himself was quite surprised of his international reach when he was personally chosen to perform alongside industry veteran and reported close friend, Cola, on his global adventure dubbed “The Twink Peaks Tour.”
NINEBANG, real name Bang Kyujo, had publicly shown his support for the tour many times, but had kept secret that he would be performing there for quite a while. Many fans were quite surprised to see photos of he and Cola at the airport together, as word had not risen that the “Move” singer would be performing on the American Leg of the tour until days before the performance itself. Despite this, the response Bang received from the crowd and from fans streaming worldwide astonished him. Among loyal fanchants and the American crowd singing along to the lyrics of “Move”, “Sexuality”, and “Drip Drop”, the arena was brimming with energy.
“I felt like Beyonce, for a moment,” Bang jokingly said about the experience, “I was worried they thought I was someone else for a moment. They were cheering my name, and I thought maybe I was just imagining it, or mishearing - you know, it’s hard to hear the crowd with earpieces in, anyway. But I saw them dancing and singing along to my songs, and I knew it wasn’t a mistake. I was thinking to myself, ‘how do they know these songs?!’ but they did, and even if they didn’t, they were still dancing. It was like something I dreamed of.
Not many rookies get the chance to perform overseas, especially not in the United States, so I didn’t come in expecting a lot. But I guess I didn’t realize how many fans I had in America, and how many of Cola’s fans are my fans, too. It was absolutely incredible. I’ll remember it forever.”
Bang also spoke about how he wishes to continue growing in the States, and how he hopes his performances in Los Angeles and New York City have garnered him some Western recognition.
“I love the West. Many great and inspiring artists have come from there. I’ve never been of the mindset that a Western presence sets some Korean idols above others, but it’s definitely a unique sign of success, and a goal to strive toward. I’m thankful to Cola for this experience, and to all of my fans who support me, no matter where you are.”
On May 19, 2018, the former member of GEMINI ranked sixth total, and first of the half of the group that was eliminated, made his highly-anticipated debut under a new label and a new name. Bang Kyujo, formerly known as Kyuu and K-Bang, and now known as “NINEBANG,” was always praised for strong, unique, and melodic vocals, yet many were curious as to whether or not he was good enough to stand alone. He’s proved himself after twenty-nine days of promotions, twenty-one music show performances, twenty-five million YouTube views, and two hundred fifty thousand copies sold in his first month.
NINEBANG’s very first and very last debut stage were perhaps the most noteworthy of all his performances - several other idols and celebrities came forward to support him, including those he’d been with as a trainee in GEMINI. Many of his close friends attended as well, and though he didn’t win until his last show, he set a trend for coming in second place - as of the twenty-one shows he performed, he ranked second for sixteen of them, and third for three. In an amazing moment, he won for his final show, in the company of many of his friends and fellow idols, and struggled not to shed tears as he accepted the trophy and performed an encore of “Move.” To witness this win among many supportive faces in the crowd were reBOL’s DJ, eSPIRIT’s Faust and Jun, fellow CHANNEL BLUE crew members Ang and Overzone, and fellow GEMINI members Lu, Teddy, and Min. NINEBANG was also seen backstage with a very close friend who he referred to as Jaehyuk, though requested that any other information concerning him be kept private.
In light of a widely successful debut, the artist shared his thoughts in a heartfelt letter, which is translated below:
“Hello, NINEBaes! This is Kyujo, writing to you from the heart.
Firstly, I want to thank you all for the incredible support you’ve shown me. Whether you’ve followed me since my trainee days or are just finding out about me now, my gratitude is indescribable. Any records I broke or awards I won, or anything yet to happen in the future, is made possible through the strength of the love and support you give me. No matter who you are or what you’ve done to show your support, I’m undeserving of such incredible fans and I will never take you for granted!
Cloud9 was really special and personal to me, and honestly, as excited as I was to share it with you, I was nervous, too. I really can’t even find the words to tell you how much it means to me that you’ve liked it so much, enough to see to it that I can receive the recognition you so generously think I deserve. My goal is not only to artistically and shamelessly express myself, but to entertain you and give you a meaningful message while doing that, and if something I’ve made can touch you at all, that’s what means the most to me.
Thank you for making my debut such an incredible time in my life. I’ll never forget it. Thank you for sharing this journey with me, and I hope you’ll stay around and continue to take what I have to offer you. The love I feel for you is above anything I can write, but just know that I do love you, that I appreciate you, and that you mean everything to me. I can’t wait to see what the future will bring all of us, together! This is only the start of something incredible.
[ HQ + INTERVIEW ] NINEBANG FEATURES IN PICTORIALS FOR ELLE MAGAZINE AND JOINS THEM FOR HIS FIRST INTERVIEW AS A SOLOIST!
As promotions for his debut mini, ″Cloud9″ come to an end, soloist NINEBANG looks elegant and approachable for an outdoor shoot with photographer Shin Sunhye, and his own personal stylist. Afterward, the vocalist sat down to talk candidly and openly about this fresh start to his career, as well as his time as a trainee and as a member of a boy group under a massive label.
Read the full interview below!
So it’s finally happened! You’ve debuted. This is an exciting time for you, right? How does it feel to be in the spotlight, after training with eleven other boys?
NB: To be honest, it feels strange. When you train with a group, you’re sort of conditioned to take on a mentality that it’s not just about you - it’s what you can offer to make the others shine. We were always encouraged to give one-hundred percent and to never rely too much on the other members. There was a saying - if we all gave one-hundred, we really gave twelve-hundred as a whole. If anyone fell short, our manager would always tease us about giving eleven-hundred ninety-nine, or something. [ Laughs lightly. ] But as things developed the way that they did, and I ended up leaving the group, training on my own was actually a difficult adjustment. I had to learn to not feel guilty to have all the attention on me, and to instead strive for and embrace that. It took a while, but once I was ready - well, now I don’t want any attention off me at all. [ Laughs heartily. ]
You brought up choosing to leave Gemini, as opposed to being eliminated on the survival show like the other members. Can you explain your choice?
[ Sighs. ] I was heavily criticized for asking to be eliminated. To the public eye, it looked like I was giving up, or being ungrateful. On the show, I explained that I needed to go home and take care of my mother, who was dying of lung cancer at the time. She didn’t ask me to come back, but I felt like I had to. She was struggling a lot on her own and as her son, since she struggled so much to take care of me growing up, I owed it to her. That was the primary factor in my choice. I thought about it for days, and in that time, I had to watch people who had become brothers to me be ruthlessly eliminated and embarrassed in front of the entire world. All twelve of us worked hard, all twelve of us were promised something together and it felt wrong to chase after it incomplete. At least to me, it did. I know a lot of the other members felt the same way. A lot of them were depressed. Some of them cried every night I was there. I couldn’t take that ... I didn’t want to be a part of something that painful. I gave up my spot in the group for Malakai because he was a lot stronger than I was. He wanted it more.
A lot of the members, both present and former, came to your debut showcase. How did that make you feel? Do you still have a bond with them?
I do! [ Grins. ] It felt really nice to see all of them in the crowd. I knew most of them were coming beforehand, but to have them there to support me meant a lot. A lot of them came backstage afterward and we hung out and took a lot of selfies. It felt a lot like our predebut promotions, almost ... bittersweet, but mostly sweet. I still talk to almost all of them on a daily basis, to be honest - Teddy-hyung and I are still just as close as we were as trainees, maybe even a little closer. Juwon-hyung produced most of the songs on Cloud9, actually - I feel comfortable working with him, and I felt like we produced my best possible work for that project. I’m still friends with all of the members of the Original Gemini, though of course as time goes on we don’t spend as much time together, and we grow naturally apart. It’s hard to go from being with eleven other people twenty-four-seven to being by yourself a lot of the time.
Now, let’s talk about Cloud9 itself. You surprised a lot of your following with very mature and sexy concepts and lyrics. What did you want to achieve with this mini-album, and these concepts?
I wanted Cloud9 to be an artistic and very personal experience. Most of my fans knew me as a member of Gemini, so they already knew that I was complex, and versatile - but I wanted to break out of the almost boyish image I had developed in the group. I wanted it to feel like a conversation. Me saying “This is who I am,” being open but also a little vulnerable. [ Chuckles. ] The title, “Move”, may not make it seem that way. It’s a very powerful song, almost anthem-like. I wrote it with a very close friend of mine. It shows my stronger side. “Sexuality” shows my surety of myself, my sensual side. But “Your Star” stands out, it shows my more sensitive side. It was written after my mother passed away. I wasn’t going to include it as part of this mini at first, but I decided, in the end, that it was appropriate to offer that kind of deeply personal content because I don’t want to hold back with my career. That kind of strength comes with being sensitive sometimes. It’s realism.
You received some criticism for some of your songs, and especially your choreography, being over-sexualized, or inappropriate. Despite its success, “Sexuality” was actually banned from KBS after broadcasters saw you perform it once on SBS Inkigayo. How do you respond to that kind of criticism? Do you think it’s fair, or valid?
I can see where it comes from. My music has a brand; it’s for certain people. I don’t expect a lot of the types of people my music is tailored for, people like me, call the shots at KBS or SBS or MBC. So I wasn’t surprised. With all due respect to these individuals, there is a certain narrow-mindedness it takes to run their businesses the way that they do. Anything that lies outside of certain boundaries isn’t safe enough for them - these companies do cater to a lot of our nation’s children and younger generation, after all. So to see the title “Sexuality,” immediately, that raises a red flag - but “Sexuality” isn’t inherently about sex. In fact, not one lyric of the song explicitly alludes toward physical sexual intercourse - I would know, I wrote it. “Sexuality” is about loving and accepting yourself, and recognizing others like you and standing in solidarity with them. It;s about being able to proudly express yourself even if you’re different from what society wants or expects you to be. As for choreography, well, it’s the same concept. If you perceive the way I or my dancers move to be provocative, that’s a personal response. The most sexually-charged piece on the album is “Heaven’s Day,” which I “coincidentally” [ Using air quotes. ] chose not to promote. But sure, it’s over-sexualized. [ Rolls eyes. ]
Speaking of your choreography, many Netizens have been divided over your use of both male and female dancers while performing “Move.” You either use all-female backup dancers, or all-male - but never mix them, despite using the same choreography. Why is that?
I’m surprised they picked up on that detail. [ Laughs. ] But yes, that is intentional. “Move” is a piece about body language, and how powerful it is. I personally believe that body language is not inherently masculine or feminine. It just is, and though mentally, you may not completely comprehend it on a surface level, your body has a natural response. I think that’s amazing. I wanted to express that in my performances. It’s versatile, it doesn’t matter who you are. There’s something beautiful about visual communication. It sticks with you.
So, here’s a question you must see a lot. What does NINEBANG mean?
You’re going to be frustrated by the simplicity of this answer. It’s actually just my name! I spent a lot of my childhood in Japan, and a lot of my classmates called me “Kyū-kun,” since my name is “Kyu”jo. In Japanese, “Kyū (九)” is the way of saying the number nine (구), which is “Nine (나인)” in English. And of course, “Bang” is my surname, with a long “a” sound in an English accent. Kyu-Bang!
Many artists have special names and assigned colours for their fans. Have you decided yet on those types of things?
Yes! I have chosen the name “NineBaes” for my fanbase. It’s simple, but I think it’s cute, and it has a nice ring to it. As for a colour, my management and I have settled on Champagne Gold.
Speaking of your fans, many of them since Gemini weren’t expecting you to be making a solo debut, especially not so soon after leaving the group. Yet you’ve been massively successful, and have shown many different sides of your talent during this short month you’ve been promoting. Are you worried that you’ve shown the best of what you have to offer so early in your career, or will you continue to produce the same quality in the future?
You haven’t seen everything. No one has. My music evolves like I do - there’s so much I want to be able to show, so much I want to do, it might not even be able to fit in this lifetime alone. I’m going to continue to work hard and to give myself endlessly. I can’t run dry. I’m not even worried about that. I’m already planning my next album. [ Laughs loudly. ] Seriously, though, the best is yet to come. And it will always be yet to come, because I intend to only get better and to grow as an artist.
