[ARTICLE] X-ENTERTAINMENT HOLDS DEBUT SHOWCASE FOR GIRL GROUP, SYMPHONi
X-Entertainment’s SYMPHONi held their debut showcase on November 15 at YES24 Live Hall in Gwangjang-dong.
SYMPHONi kicked off the showcase by performing their B-side “Moon”, an upbeat EDM song co-written by the group’s rapper, MiMi. Immediately following the performance came their introductions; the members introduced themselves individually.
EV: I’m EV of the fresh-faced group, SYMPHONi! I'm the leader who also works on our choreography. Please love and support us in the future!
Jade: Hello. I’m SYMPHONi’s lead vocalist and lyricist, Jade. Please look after us.
Mimi: Hello, SYMPHONi’s cute main rapper Mimi here! Thank you all for meeting us~
Mei: Hello, I am SYMPHONi’s visual and lead dancer, Mei! We’ve worked really hard on our debut, so please watch carefully!
Serah: Hello! SYMPHONi's sunshine maknae, Serah, here. I hold the main vocalist title and compose for the group. Look at my unnis, aren't they beautiful? Please watch us well; we have a lot to show you!
When asked about the group’s meaning, the leader described SYMPHONi as the group that’s capable of filling up an entire venue through their charisma alone; combined with their talent, the five girls can put on a powerful performance.
“Our talent will speak for itself.”
What’s unique about SYMPHONi are the members’ experiences before debut.
EV is the daughter of a famous dancer and producer, Jade was a former contestant on an MNET survival show, and Mimi and Serah were previously introduced as DALBIT. Each of the members expressed their feelings on the expectations the public has and being a member of a girl group.
EV: Before we had officially debuted, I felt overwhelmed and unsure of if I was capable of being the member that these talented girls looked up to. As the leader of an upcoming group, there’s already pressure to do well, especially in such a competitive market. I don’t feel my parents gave me any advantages here; they never even crossed my mind. My and my members talents’ will be the reason we go far, so you’ll have to watch us closely.
Jade: [Being in front of the cameras] was a little uncomfortable at first. I’ve never performed onstage before, so I wanted to make sure that I did well for our members. I focused so much on making sure I didn’t make any mistakes, that I think my expressions were a little… [She laughs.] But with the members by my side, it became comfortable and fun.
Mimi: We have a strong team of girls here, and the company does its best to give us everything that we need. I think SYMPHONi can go far in the industry, and I look forward to growing as an idol group, but as well as close friends. I hold them dear to me.
Serah: You can expect to see many colors of myself. I don’t want to be known as just cute Serah, but attractive and cool Serah, too. I want to show all aspects of myself. "LADY" will start show a cooler side, so please look out for it. I want to be as cool as MIMI and EV unni. They're so powerful on stage; maybe I could be like that some day. I also have a hand in composing more, I hope our projects lead me to showcase even more writing talents. You’ll see WRITERSEO here soon enough!
One member, Mei, didn’t have any experience before SYMPHONi. However, she didn’t have any worries about debuting.
Mei: Truthfully, I am no longer nervous about debuting. While we were getting the EP ready and practicing the choreography I would get nervous, but after expressing my feelings to the members, they calmed my worries and I now feel confident to debut.
Mimi and Serah’s relationship is particularly special; they’ve followed each other loyally since their first encounter under Royal Crown, a now-defunct company.
Mimi: Serah and I have known each other for a while and we’ve been through a lot over the years, so this debut means a lot to both of us. Debuting is always exciting, but doing it with someone who is your best friend makes it more special and meaningful. I’ll never forget it.
Serah: Mimi is the love of my life, honestly. Everyone has that person that speaks to your soul, who is not a lover romantically but platonically. She supports me-- everything I've put out or written she's supported. When dealing with boys and family issues, Mimi has always been there. She's everything to me and I cherish her so much.
Mimi: Serah isn’t only like a sister to me, but one of my closest friends. I really value the friendship she gave me. Ever since I met her, she’s always been there for me and shown how supportive she can be. She’s like a cute little baby. I feel like I have to protect and love her endlessly.
Love is the central theme of “LADY”. When asked about the meaning of “Moon”, Mimi described it as a song that describes wanting to become closer to someone.
Mimi: “Moon” is a song about wanting to get to know someone on a deeper level, but part of them is always hidden from you despite your efforts of learning more about them.
The explanation led to a similar B-side called “Goodnight Like Yesterday”. Albeit slower in tempo, Jade described a different one-sided longing.
Jade: “Goodnight Like Yesterday” is the opposite of “Lady”. It’s about someone who laments a relationship that is on the verge of falling apart. The melody is light and bittersweet, reflecting the thoughts of the person who’s in denial of losing the person they love.
Who is SYMPHONi?
After their second performance, SYMPHONi took the opportunity to acquaint themselves with their fans by playing games and answering fan questions, including showcasing their individual charms.
EV: Gymnastics! I can do the splits, backflips, and a backbend.
Jade: Acrostic poems [using the letter of each word to create a line of poetry].
Mimi: I...can do cheeseburger aegyo!
Mei: Like EV unni, I’m very flexible. I can turn my hands around in a full circle.
Serah: I can play the guitar and make unnis fall for my charms!
When Mimi showed off her cheeseburger aegyo, the fans reacted positively. The members had different responses, much to the amusement of everyone else; the older members were embarrassed, while the younger members were supportive of Mimi’s aegyo.
The next question also showcased the girls’ creativity. A fan asked each member what they’d do if given a pencil and piece of paper.
EV: I’m not much of a writer, nor am I great at drawing, but my initial thought is that I’d write a letter to my parents. Since I’ve been training, it’s hard to see them or even call them, but I want them to know that I’m doing well and that I’m thinking of them.
Jade: It depends on how I’m feeling at that moment. I’ve really been into origami lately, so I might try and make something out of it; I’d use the pencil to add details once I finished.
Mimi: I would probably do some cute little doodles. If I don’t have anything to do, I just sit and draw what ever may come to mind.
Mei: Right now? Ah…I’d write notes to the fans that came here today, and I’d fold the paper into an airplane and throw it into the crowd. [She smiles and nods, making a heart with her hands.]
Serah: I would tear it nicely and write sweet notes to each of my members with cute little drawings! They deserve cute messages. I might even give one to my older sister and brother.
Next, the girls began to choose questions that were handwritten by the audience.
Q. Which member(s) do you feel the closest with and why?
EV: I feel protective over all of them, and I don’t say this to spare anyone’s feelings. I make a conscious effort to make sure everyone’s included in our activities. They bring out an instinct in me to make sure they’re happy and healthy, even if I don’t say it forwardly. I want to take care of them.
Q. If you could switch bodies with any member for a day, who would you choose and why?
Jade: My answer might seem a little unexpected, but… [She looks at Mimi.] I’d like to switch with Mimi. Mimi is known for being our vitamin in the group. She also has a lot of aegyo. Compared to her, I have neither the energy nor the ability to act cute, so I’d like to experience it for a day.
Q. You previously starred in a rap survival show, but were eliminated rather quickly. What were your thoughts and feelings as you prepared to be on the show, and how did you deal with the elimination?
Mimi: I was only eighteen when I was cast to join [a rap survival show]. I’d never really rapped prior to this, so I didn’t know a lot since I had only ever done it when I was alone. I thought if I tried hard enough, I’d be able to last a few rounds, but sadly I lost in the first round. It was rough. I felt so disappointed in myself for it and I was a little depressed after I went home. Since then, I think my rapping has improved greatly and I look forward to showing everyone what I can do.
Q. Your Korean is really good! Do you think your Korean is the best out of all the members? Who do you think has the hardest time with foreign languages?
Mei: [She smiles awkwardly at the compliment before collecting herself.] Coming from a foreign country while knowing only a little of the language, even after learning a lot, I don’t think my Korean could ever surpass the rest of the members. Sometimes in the dorm, I mix up my languages still-- it’s a steady process and I think once you start learning a different language, you never stop. I don’t think any of the members have a harder time with foreign languages; we’re all trying our best to learn for our foreign fans and there are all parts we struggle with, but we’re getting better each day. We hope our foreign fans watch out for us, we’ll make you proud!
Q. You’re very affectionate towards the members. Who receives the most and least affection from you?
Serah: I think it's pretty obvious Mimi unni receives the most love. She's had the most time to obtain it. It's been almost seven years since we've met; that's almost half my life. I see her as a big sister, so she gets a lot of love.
That's not saying I don't love on my other members. Mei unni receives lots of love because she's so pretty, cute, and talented. EV unni receives a lot of love because she's our beautiful leader who takes care of us; if I ever need anything, I can go to EV unni. I give her love afterwards. I can learn a lot from Jade unni-- I have already. She's so smart and gorgeous. I trust her a lot and love on her differently; I enjoy sitting and talking with her, and creating with her.
Each of the members receive love in their own way. I love all of my members and I hope you will too. They're so talented and precious...please treasure them like the jewels they are.
Their final question came from the MC, who asked the girls about their thoughts on their debut EP and how they participated in “LADY”.
EV: There were late nights where all of us would stay up and write tirelessly. This EP meant the world to us, and we wanted to pour our hearts out into it. I worked hardest on our song “Don't Text Me”. While I've never properly been in a relationship, I wrote my feelings into this song with the help of Jade. Yeah… [She chuckles.]
Jade: The theme in “LADY” was unique to me because I don’t have any experience with love. While I was writing with EV, I felt a little nervous about portraying these thoughts appropriately. I received encouragement and help from the people around me, so I think the song came out well. We [the members] really came together to showcase our colors.
Mimi: I was really excited! It was nice to know that after our hard work, we were finally making it happen. I think I cried when we were told we’d debut. I wrote my own raps for the EP with the help of not only my members, but the producer too.
Mei: Ah…our debut EP was already in production when I joined SYMPHONi, so there wasn’t much left for me to do. Our members worked really hard, and I’m very proud; I think it came out very well. I want to return the favor and make everyone proud with our performances!
Serah: It was very exciting, writing with my talented members. I remember back in Royal Crown, I couldn't write very well. Mimi and I experienced a lot before our EP release, writing music we enjoy and love with other talented women. It's a dream come true. I really hope our fans really enjoy our music and listen well. We put a lot of work and heart into this release!
After the interactive segment of the showcase, the SYMPHONi members introduced the last three songs of their EP: “LADY”, “Don’t Text Me”, and “Sweet and Easy”.
EV: Our title track, “LADY”, is a cool song about being with someone who doesn’t share your feelings anymore. Even if they don’t feel the same way about you, you still want them to tell you how they truly feel. The song has a retro, nostalgic vibe that makes you want to dance and sing along.
Mei: “Don’t Text Me” is about a relationship that has ended, and wanting to move on but the other person won’t let go. It expresses frustrated feelings, but does so with a sweet melody.
Serah: “Sweet and Easy” is a callout to longing for a loving and carefree relationship, something I hope to have when I age.
“We wouldn’t be here without your love and support.”
After their final performance, SYMPHONi spent the last thirty minutes of the showcase with the audience relaying their final thoughts and expressing gratitude to everyone who came to support them.
They also thanked their family and fans in four different languages-- Korean, Mandarin, Japanese, English-- and KSL, to the surprise of many.
EV: All of us have worked especially hard to be here today-- not just on this stage, but in our lives. We have everyone here and our families to thank. I’m very grateful for all the attention we’ve garnered in such a short time, and the amount of love our fans gave us without falter. I couldn’t be more thankful. I wish to bring you more great music in the future. Please continue to watch us.
Jade: “LADY” is not only our first EP, but our first work as SYMPHONi. Though we’re still lacking, we hope that you enjoy our songs and continue looking after us. I’m extremely thankful that I get to debut with five members who’ve become like family to me; let’s continue working hard and moving forward together.
Mimi: First, I’d like to say thank you to everyone who has helped not only myself, but my other members over the years. I’ve had a rough journey to become a member of SYMPHONi. I also have to prove my spot among these talented ladies. My family has always supported me and I want to make them proud. Thank you to everyone who joined us today.
Mei: I want to thank my family for encouraging me to travel all this way and continue my dreams. It helped me grow out of my shell more. My fans are so supportive...you're a pillar of strength for me, and I’ve found light and support in you all, including the members. I’m so happy to be a part of SYMPHONi, and wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my friends, family, and fans. I hope you enjoy our first EP, and that you’ll watch out and be excited for more.
Serah: My whole family is here today, on and offstage. I'd like to thank everyone who helped me get this far. The road was hard and painful, and there were moments when I thought of giving up. I had a few heroes during those times. My big brother Jung-min supported me through my hardships and really believed in me. He supported me financially and emotionally through so much. [She starts to tear up.] Even now, he's here watching this showcase to support. I know now that wherever I go I have my own personal cheerleader and hero. Thank you for helping me get to this point. I hope all our fans, family, and friends enjoy this EP. We've worked so hard, look after us well. The music always speaks what the heart cannot.
Please continue to show love and support for SYMPHONi as they embark on their new journey!