⊰ mga 4 episode 7 interview ⊱
⊰ #4050 ; kang daniel ⊱
daniel isn’t too caught off guard when one of the mnet staff members pulls him out of practice and leads him to another room in kt’s winding halls. if anything, he’s a little relieved to get a break for something mnet mandated; his throat hurts after running through his lines so much, and his heart hurts from how much he’s lacking. he doesn’t usually watch shows like this, but aren’t interviews common? there’s always the possibility that he’s in trouble, but he doesn’t think he did anything, and once he steps inside the room and gets a good look at the table with everyone’s pictures scattered across it, he thinks he can confirm the former.
when the staff informs him that he’s picking who he thinks the best contestants are, his eyes widen. “ah, you really think i’m qualified to do something like that?” he asks, yet receives no answer. he supposes qualifications don’t really matter; on a show like this, what the viewers want is drama, and to hear the opinions of their favorites, and he at least has some of those. for as bad as daniel used to be at talking, he’s probably better in interviews than he actually is at singing, so he needs to take this time to shine if he wants to find any success this week.
he looks over the pictures spread across the table, some of the faces familiar, others he’s only seen backstage and through the tv screens provided for the teams to watch the competition. his eyes land on a picture of himself, and his lips spread into a smile, and he giggles. “this is a good picture of me, though?” he comments, making eye contact with the camera for just a moment, eyes disappearing into crescents before he turns his attention back to the pictures. “ah, really, i look so cool, people might really think i can actually win.”
the staff reminds him to get back on track, asking the question “who do you think is the best singer?” daniel nods in acknowledgement, and starts picking out pictures of contestants that stand out to him, and putting them in a separate group as he narrows his decision down. “this is hard,” he whines, but he finally makes up his mind.
“i just want to say that yongsun noona, luda, yongguk and sungyeol hyung are really good too, but-- i have a top three, and they didn’t make it,” he laughs. he looks over the pictures in his hand again, as if second guessing himself, and truly, for one contestant in particular,he isn’t sure if he wants to put her in the best vocalists category, or save her for someone he thinks could win. in the end, he supposes he can mention the same person twice.
“third, moon bin! i haven’t been in a group with him, but just from watching performances, he has a voice that’s really moving? you can tell her really enjoys singing, and i admire that.” he puts his picture down, then lifts another, smile immediately spreading across his face. “second, is jung jinsoul! her voice is really nice. she can hit high notes, but it also has a really gentle, soothing quality, in my opinion. i could listen to her sing forever,” he admits with a bashful laugh.
“the best singer in the competition, though,” he begins, and he lifts sungwoon’s picture proudly. “ha sungwoon hyung, no doubt! his voice is really powerful, and suits a variety of styles. he hits notes i didn’t know were possible for humans to hit. maybe he’s part dolphin or something,” he laughs. “i look up to hyung a lot, so even if i’m biased, i really think he’s the best, and i’m glad so many other people get to hear him sing now, too.”
“i’m excited for sungwoon hyung and jinsoulie especially to get to show off more of their singing this week,” he remarks, and he’s met with confused looks from the staff members.
“they’re on dancing teams this week though,” one of them says, and daniel’s expression darkens in realization.
“oh no,” he laughs a moment later, and he buries his face in his hands in dismay.
“dancers next,” the staff urges him, and daniel nods. he goes through the same process, gathering up pictures of the contenders as he tries to narrow down the list. “there are so many dancers,” he laments, scratching his head. finally, he comes to his decision.
“i should add a disclaimer that i don’t know much about dancing, as i’m sure you’ve seen, so this is all just based on who i’ve liked watching the most this season. honorable mentions to rosie noona, chungha noona, and somi-- it was really close! --but my pick for third best dancer in the competition is doyeon. i feel like her dancing is just...really graceful? but she can be powerful too! it’s hard to look away from her, even though i was never on a team with her.” he nods, as if in approval of his own choice. “my pick for second best dance is sua noona. her dancing just stands out, right? she could make it through the entire competition just based on dancing alone, as far as i’m concerned, but my pick for best dancer is jei noona. “
“she’s not just good at dancing, she also has a certain creativity, it makes me feel like she’s really an artist. her choreography for the first round was really cool, and her dancing throughout the entire competition has been, too. aside from that, she’s really helpful, and good at teaching those of us bad at dancing how to,” and he laughs once again.
“all that’s left are the rappers,” he observes-- and his final picks to win, of course. he once again begins gathering pictures to make his decisions, though this one comes more quickly than the others.
“shoutout to yoongi hyung and guanlinie for this category. i feel bad about not including them in my top three,” he admits, unable to meet the lens of the camera with his eyes until he lifts the picture of his third pick, kim taehyung. “i pick taehyung for my #3 rapper. he’s really good, and aside from that, an interesting character. even though i don’t know much about rap, i feel like that’s just as important as being able to rap well, right?”
he lifts up the second photo now, this time, kim mingyu. “mingyu is my second best rapper in the competition. i feel like his talent probably goes without saying, right? it’s funny, because he’s really nice and kind of quiet off-stage, but on stage he’s like-- fierce!” he chuckles to himself, then lifts up the final photo. “the best rapper in the competition is kim hyuna-ssi. i think her talent is obvious even to me and my lack of experience. she’s just leagues better than everyone else, isn’t she? her experience in the industry is obvious, not just in her rapping, but also her stage presence. didn’t she already win one season of the mgas, too? aish...her ability is seriously scary.”
next comes his final picks to win the competition, and thankfully, he’s put thought into this while narrowing down all of his other picks, and already has their photos at the ready-- two this time. “i picked two winners. aren’t there usually multiple?” he asks, but he receives no answer. “my first pick to win is seola noona! she’s really just good at everything. it’s hard to tell if she’s a better singer or dancer, because she’s so skilled in both areas-- definitely better than me at both,” he admits with a laugh. “you would think because of that, she’d be lacking in some other area, but she’s really not! her stage presence is crazy too. she could already be an idol. i think that any company would want her, for sure.”
“my final pick, and the contestant i really really think is going to win for sure, is joo haknyeon!” he announces proudly, and he beams as he holds up his friend’s photo. “haknyeon-ah is really good, i considered picking him for both the best dancers category and the best rappers category, that’s just how good he is. he’s also really charming, and looks after his friends and teammates well. i’m sad i wasn’t on a team with him yet. is there still a chance?” he asks, once again, to be left hanging.
“i think haknyeon is the standard, not just for the kind of performer you should try to be, but the kind of person, as well. he seems popular, and that’s well deserved. i’m glad korea gets to see him shine, and he deserves lots of success in his future.”
to be honest, he’s not really comfortable with this.
when the staff lead him out of the practice room to a different part of the nova building, sungwoon follows, seizing on the chance to get away from his performance-related obligations for a while. the less said about how things are going, the better, but it’s clear to everyone involved that he could use a break. the dark circles under his eyes are more prominent than ever before and his eyes are bloodshot, but he brushes away any and all concern with a shaky smile. upon entering the room the staff have got set up, however, he freezes and laughs nervously. “this isn’t going to be a ‘pick your favorite contestant’ segment, is it?”
it is, of course. he should have known. sungwoon’s pretty new to the world of survival shows, but even he expected something like this to happen eventually. he just didn’t think it would be now. he’s stressed enough as it is; the last thing he wants to do is choose between talented people who all deserve to be here. it’s too bad this interview doesn’t seem to be optional. swallowing his protests, he takes a seat and stares down at the pictures spread over the table. “i really don’t think i’m qualified to pick who’s the most talented in anything,” he shrugs, passing a hand over the pictures of his former teammates. “i hope nobody takes my opinion seriously; i’m just going with my gut here.”
the staff ask him about the most talented dancer first, and without a moment of hesitation, he picks up kim jinhee’s picture and turns it towards the camera with a smile. “listen, i know this might seem predictable seeing as we were on a team together, but i genuinely think jinhee is a fantastic performer. she’s always in complete control of the stage, and you really can’t take your eyes off her when she’s performing.” maybe sungwoon is making a general statement about a very personal feeling here, but he knows his eyes, at least, follow her the most during her stages.
“i think she’s also insanely creative too; when we were on the same team, she basically put together our whole stage on her own—the concept, the individual choreography, everything.” one of the staff members raises an eyebrow and sungwoon splutters over whatever he was going to say next, letting the picture fall from his hands. his face is the slightest bit warm, but he’ll blame it on the seoul heat if anyone asks. “she’s a pretty overlooked dancer in the competition too,” he continues after a pause, clapping his hands together. “so please pay attention to her! support kim jinhee!”
it takes him longer to settle on his rapper pick. before revealing the picture, sungwoon clears his throat. “i don’t know anything about rap,” he says frankly. “i don’t listen to it and i haven’t worked with many rappers in the competition so far either, so this isn’t really based on anything.” as he finishes, he turns the picture around to reveal kim mingyu. “i like mingyu’s tone and flow from what i’ve heard, and i think he has a lot of hidden potential. he’s also a really good kid who works hard to improve himself.”
but again, he knows nothing about rap, so his choice is entirely motivated by personal sentiment. sungwoon sets the picture down and leans forward. “i don’t think mingyu has been able to show everything he can do yet in this competition, so i hope he gets a chance to move forward and showcase his skills. mingyu, fighting!”
if his selection for most talented rapper took a while, choosing a singer takes even longer. when a staff member politely asks him to hurry up, sungwoon lets out a sheepish laugh while shuffling through a couple of pictures. “i actually do have some experience here, so i’ll be a little bit more picky. sorry.” he finally ends up with three picks and refuses to go down to a single one (“all these are important for different reasons! don’t do this to me!”). “for best singers, i think kim yongsun has a powerful voice and good control. i would listen to her sing ballads or drama osts or even rock songs. she’s versatile and can suit many genres.” he trades yongsun’s picture for lee luda’s next. “luda’s voice is just a pleasure to listen to, simple as that. i think she would do really well in a girl group with her visuals and personality too.”
his final pick for singer is koo junhoe. “i think our vocal tones are opposites, but he’s very skilled and i’ve been enjoying the way he’s utilized his falsettos during the competition.” when the staff member asks why he didn’t pick himself as one of the best singers, sungwoon blinks, then bursts into laughter. “oh man, no way. i don’t think i would put myself on that list in a million years.” he doesn’t want to say more than that on camera, but he fidgets with the rip in his pants for the rest of the interview, unable to shake off the unease that spread through him at the question.
as for who sungwoon thinks will win the competition? “i really don’t know,” he replies honestly. it changes week to week, and who he would have named last week is seeming pretty uncertain now. “i think any of the people i already mentioned could win, but if i’m being truthful, i don’t think being the most talented in any catagory will help you secure the win in the end. if you don’t have a strong balance of skills…” he shrugs, staring off at something in the distance. one of the staff have to gently nudge him to get him back on track. “ah, right.” sungwoon scans through more of the pictures and selects a few people he feels have what it takes. “i pick kim junmyeon, of course. he’s charismatic and a fair singer. i think out of everyone here, he’s probably the most solid contender for the ideal ‘idol’ type.”
next is jung jinsoul, and sungwoon holds her picture up for the camera with both hands. “jinsoul’s a really good singer, a decent dancer, and she’s got a great personality. she could really shine if given the chance, and i think she could be exactly what the ceos are looking for in a trainee.” he’s reluctant to put it down because he wants to give jinsoul as much screentime as possible. “i can’t find her picture, but i hear there’s been a lot of buzz around kim hyuna as well. she’s probably a strong contender.”
finally, sungwoon picks up one last picture with a grin and unveils it with a flourish. “and kang daniel!” he lets out a short, loud cheer for his friend before laughing at himself and turning back to the camera. “i know some people out there think he’s just lucky, but daniel is really talented and he’s more than proved himself up on stage. i hope people will keep an open mind about him and recognize his hard work. i’m looking forward to him surprising all the people who doubt him and taking the whole thing.”
after arranging the pictures into a pile, sungwoon stands up with the staff and makes for the door. “d’you think i can stop to get some water? i talked myself hoarse,” he says, just short of leaving the room. the staff member’s answer is cut off as the door swings shut behind them.
“I’m terribly indecisive - so please bear with me”. Staring down at the photos laid out before him, Hyunjin slowly sifts through them, unearthing a few photos that had been covered by others in the process. “Oh, Haknyeon-ie’s face was hidden. We can’t have that now can we?” He sets Haknyeon’s photo on an empty part of the table, giving the photo’s cheek a few gentle taps before returning to looking through the contestants.
“I’ll admit now, it’s likely that my choices won’t be completely neutral. Everyone here is really, very talented. But I do tend to be more influenced by those I meet in person. There’s a lot of factors that go into making a ‘talented’ artist, and being able to witness those qualities in person really appeals to me”.
“The best singer? Lee Luda”. Hyunjin holds up the photo, wiggling it back and forth in front of the camera with a smile, “I’ve had the opportunity to perform with Luda several times, and I’ve always been impressed with her singing. Singing is far from my best skill, so I really admire her singing abilities. Even when dancing, her voice remains very stable which means she can perform live very well”.
“The best dancer.... This one was a little harder”. Motioning to the table of photos before him, Hyunjin points to a small cluster of photos, “There are a lot of amazing dancers here. Noona,” he doesn’t refer to her by name, and doesn’t realise it either, “Really has impressive charisma on stage, and she dances well too. I heard some people think she looks a little intimidating from time to time, but she’s actually very kind. Noona has fed me at least half of the ice cream flavours in her shop - at this rate I might become addicted to ice cream”.
“However....” There’s a short pause before Hyunjin finally picks up a photo from the group of dancers, “I think the best dancer is Jeon Won”. Taking a moment to look at the photo in his hand, he gives a second affirmative nod at his choice, “I’ve actually only met him in person recently, but even from before he stood out as very hardworking. In addition, he seems to be very creative, which I believe is an important trait for a dancer. Dancing has the most variability when you express music, so being able to fully explore the different ways to approach one piece using creativity is definitely a must. I’d like to hope to achieve a similar mix of dance and creativity as I grow and improve myself”.
“As for rap....” Looking down at the display of photos, the dancer eventually picks up a photo after a rather length deliberation and shows it to the camera, “I haven’t actually met this person before, but their performances always stand out to me. Kim Taehyung. The flow of his rap is very smooth, and he seems to possess a lot of charisma when he performs which is definitely important for a rapper. You could definitely see it during his team’s introduction this past week,” with a laugh, Hyunjin imitates the dramatic tossing of Taehyung’s fur coat.
“Now, for the answer you’ve all been anticipating. My predicted winner is....” Fingers drumming against the table, Hyunjin reaches out to grab a photo, bringing it up for the camera to see, “Mr. 4010! Joo Haknyeon. He dances and raps well, and has really amazing stage presence too. I think what sets Haknyeon apart from others is how thoughtful he is. Haknyeon is the type of person you would definitely want on your side - because no matter what, he’ll be there for you if you need him. Everyone saw what a good leader he is right? Not only is he reliable, but also adaptable. It’s important to be able to adapt both off-stage and on-stage while remaining collected - a feat which many struggle to achieve. Yet he pulls off remarkably well... also,” Hyunjin pokes the picture, grinning, "他很帅".
mga season 4 … contestant interview
#4041 – jung jaewon @ nova entertainment
jaewon doesn’t want to waste any time.
after getting over the shock of being reinstated into the competition, jaewon is just trying to get used to the fast paced motions of practice and keeping up with the other contestants who have already participated in team challenges. jaewon doesn’t have much experience in group collaborative efforts-- but he’ll be damned if he doesn’t contribute or at least holds his own. he was determined not to be the reason his team could possibly land in last place.
needless to say, his mind is currently set to one track on nailing their choreography and not appearing like a stiff wooden man when performance day comes around. so when a staff member stops him as he comes out of the studio, he just blinks and is about to protest-- but he is being led away to a different practice room with a simple setup. the first thing he notices is the table full of photos and-- oh.
he knows where this is going.
he sits down slowly, eyeing all the images with an unreadable expression before looking straight ahead at the camera. “you’re going to make me pick, huh?” he flashes a knowing smile, shaking his head and chuckling under his breath. he really... really does not want to do this. especially considering this is his first week back on the show, he doesn’t really think his opinion has much validation. but this is a broadcasted show, and he supposes that’s exactly what they intend on giving people-- a show. “okay well. ask away.”
best singer
jaewon purses his lips, worrying at his bottom lip with his teeth as his hand hovers over all the photos. he doesn’t know many singers on the show-- in fact, he doesn’t know very many people at all. he suspects this gives him more credibility, in the fact that he’s judging purely on what he’s seen, as if he were a viewer. he picks up two photos, turning them around to show koo junhoe and kang daniel. “these two. their performances are good,” he pauses, “their voices are unique as well.”
best dancer
he stares at the table full of images once more, placing the first two off to the side. he studies the table meticulously until he finds the photo he’s looking for, triumphantly holding up the picture of kim jei. “i think this one is obvious-- even though it’s an opinion still, of course. but i think her talent is apparent. she always puts on a good stage,” he nods. “this one, i’ll be honest, contains a bit of bias,” he admits with a sheepish grin. “but,” he continues, hand reaching out and finding another, holding up kim bora, “in an unbiased opinion, bora is up there in dancing talent too.” he stacks their photos and puts them aside as well, already knowing what’s coming next and reaching out to the photo he’s already spotted.
best rapper
“kim taehyung,” jaewon states, holding the picture up for the camera to see. “i think he’s one to be reckoned with. he’s got a nice tone overall, and i think he’s one to watch out for.” this is the section he’s a little more critical about-- but he picks up another photo and turns it around as well. “and kim hyuna. this one’s a no-brainer, huh?” he gives wry smile, neatly stacking them both and putting them with his other picks, just for organization. he leans back in the chair, hands clasped together as he hums, knowing this part probably won’t be aired but deciding to say it anyway.
“there are definitely people already eliminated that i would’ve chosen. also, there is an immense amount of talent this season-- and i’m saying this as a contestant. i think anyone has a good chance of winning.”
the interviewer raises an eyebrow at this, and next they ask
“well, you should pick one. who, in your honest opinion, do you think could win it all?”
halfway through this question, jaewon’s hand is already poised at the ready. he picks up one last photo, holding it to him before he turns it around to show the camera to show the face of min yoongi. “as a viewer,” he starts, slowly deliberating each sentence, “i’m always drawn into his performances. his dancing is amazing, of course, and his other skills are on par, in my opinion. also, i don’t think being eliminated once should discredit him either,” he sets the photo down, licking his lips before he stares straight into the camera and offers a small smile. “i think it means he is one to pay attention to even more.”
he finishes like that, standing up to bow at the camera crew, the interviewer, as well as the camera, and takes his leave without another word.
he’s made to step outside for a moment and haknyeon isn’t too sure what it’s about this time. last week they’d given him a camera to film himself, this week he has no idea what’s in store.
the staff member leads him to a room and suddenly everything starts to click in his head. an interview of sorts. when he spots the other staff members in the room, haknyeon bows towards them before he’s ushered to sit on the chair against the wall.
they inform him that they’ll be asking him a few questions –– his picks for the show and there in front of him laid pictures of every current contestant. haknyeon smiles, look at the camera and quickly adjusts his cap. he’s dressed in an all pink outfit today aside from his white cap so he hopes that he’ll at least look presentable.
“the best singer?” he hums under his breath as he looks at the faces. “ah... we have so many good singers though. pd-nim this is just cruel! how can i choose!” his laughter is soft as a smile makes it way across his lips. though he picks up a photo though and holds it against his chest.
“if it comes to best singers... actually, i think it’s jung jinsoul!” haknyeon’s never actually been in a group with jinsoul –– which was a little sad considering that he always thought the both of them were close. “aside from having a really pretty heart, i think jinsoul has a really pretty voice too! we haven’t been able to be on the same team but i’ve always really liked her voice. jinsoul... fighting! let’s collab one day!”
he places the photo down before he’s asked to pick the best dancer. “oh boy,” he laughs, eyes scanning every photo. playfully he picks up a photo of himself and turns it towards the camera. “can i pick this boy? can i pick him?” he asks jokingly before he places the photo down. “actually, i’ll pick... this guy!” he faces the photo towards the camera and his smile is bright. “hwang hyunjin! my best friend,” he adds the last part cheekily. “hyunjin and i got really close when we were in the same team and i discovered that he’s a really good dancer! i think his skills are really good!” he puts the photo down and before he goes on to the list of rappers, he picks another photo up. “there’s someone else who’s my pick for dancers,” he shows the photo towards the camera. “ji changmin!” haknyeon beams. “changmin and i go to the same school and we’re both under the dance department! we’ve actually performed a few times together and let me tell you –– changmin is really good at dancing! i think his dancing is kind of underrated. changmin, hyung is cheering you on!”
it’s time for him to pick the best rapper now and haknyeon hums under his breath. it’s harder for him to pick a rapper. “when it comes to rapping though...” he picks up a photo, “wouldn’t it be this person?” he holds the photo and smiles. “kim hyuna is a really talented rapper! i actually don’t think there’s anyone that can rival her...” he says, “she’s really really good! i want to learn how to rap as well as her one day! noona, please teach me to be as talented as you,” he bows to the camera, soft giggle leaving his lips.
the final question. who he think will win. haknyeon bites on his lower lip and raises a brow. “this is tough... obviously i’m hoping it’ll be me,” he laughs. “i think... sana has a good chance at winning,” he holds her photo and smiles. “i’ve been on the same team as her a few times and noona is always really helpful and she’s talented too. i think she might be able to win,” he explains as he turns to look at her photo and then at the camera. “of course!” he adds, “it would be really nice if i could win too...!” he scrunches up his face and laughs lightheartedly.
WELCOME TO THE MGAS // episode seven . . #4011 - 김진희.* KIM JINHEE.
━━━━━━ . . . INTERVIEW at NOVA ENT CURRENTLY JUDGMENTAL.
the first thing she thinks when she’s led into the room is that this is not her job.
jei’s absolutely sure that this portion of the show is just being done for dramatic effect, to see where loyalties lie or to figure something out she hasn’t quite put a finger on. regardless, it’s not her job to sit in a tiny little room with a camera and choose between talented kids just because she’s asked to. that’s a problem for the judges, not her. still, her face doesn’t show any of these thoughts, carefully kept into a cool neutral expression as it always is - her eyes cast over the pictures as she sits down in front of them, lifting her gaze only when there are instructions for her to choose.
yes, that’s what she already gathered and yes, there’s still the annoyance in her that she even has to do this. if they’ve made it this far, clearly these kids are talented. it’s obvious that the companies can’t take all of them, but to make her choose the best is not her place.
“ maybe i won’t choose the best. i guess that’s a subjective term regardless, isn’t it? everyone has their own views of what the best really is ..” she pauses, leaning back in her chair. “ still, there are bound to be better dancers, better singers, better rappers than the ones i choose. i know for a fact there probably are, even on this competition.” jei says finally, eyes lifting to the camera. “ but i will choose the best ones, to me. my favourites, and ones i’d like to see do well in the future. if you haven’t guessed yet, i’m quite loyal to people i care about so you probably won’t be surprised by my choices. i’m actually not sure how interesting this is going to really be.” meaning, she’s not going to be cutthroat, or cocky, or anything else which is probably what they wanted to hear. “ though, i think you’ll have a hard time finding many who won’t choose their friends.”
they didn’t give her a time limit to speak, so she’s just being honest. with that, her eyes cast down to the table to find her choices - she already knows who she’s going to choose, so it doesn’t really take too long to snatch their photos from their places.
“ first, singers.” she holds up sungwoon’s photo, eyes glancing over it and then back to the camera. “ i choose the show’s tiny giant, ha sungwoon.” she doesn’t really go into specifics about their friendship - in fact, it might come as a bit of a surprise that she alluded that they are friends. “ if you ask me why, it’s because i like his tone. his voice is soothing, and i think it’s nice to listen to for a long time. sometimes, i think voices can be a bit annoying to listen to after awhile, but i’ve never been annoyed by his.” she pauses for a moment, eyes flicking to the ceiling as if in thought - and finally she says, “ and, he’s charming. he made me laugh, which we all know is a hard thing to do. so he has my pick.”
“ for dancers, i’ll have to go with hwang hyunjin.” she holds up his photocard, though this time she doesn’t look at it. “ not only is he a hard worker, but he’s very creative. i think he’d do well and stand out, both because of his talent as a dancer and his ability to communicate.” jei pauses here, biting the inside of her cheek. “ i think communication is a very important quality for a dancer to have, whether it be through expression, movement, or even in the way hyunjin does it through sign language. he’s very original, so i think his solo performances especially are interesting to watch. i’d be interested to see how that would translate to an idol group, but i am concerned that being in one will take his performance .. colour away.” by colour, of course, she means his unique ability.
“ and for rappers, i bet you thought i’d pick kim hyuna, didn’t you?” here, jei holds up her best friend’s photocard, but a thin lipped smile crosses her features. “ .. you’re right, hyuna’s very talented as a rapper and there’s nothing i could say that you don’t already know about her. but i also think that jung jaewon will surprise you. he was eliminated early, but it was a mistake.” the words she speaks are blunt, but this is an opinionated interview so she doesn’t see a problem with them. “ i said for dancers, that expression is important. and that’s true too, for rappers so i understand the reason why he was eliminated from the show. but regardless, it was a mistake nonetheless because he’s very .. mm, different from others. it’s hard to understand him sometimes. but i’ve worked with him once before, on a backing track for his submission to the market o contest. i know he’s got talent, i think he was just having a hard time at that moment and ultimately he was eliminated. so i think he’ll manage to do well, if he can overcome his own weaknesses.”
finally, the ending question .. jei holds the photos in her hands, eyes staring straight into the camera. “ if i had to choose, i’d like all of these people to win because i think they all have potential to be great performers. however, if i’m honest, i have a few concerns about hyunjin and jaewon in an idol group. they’re so unique, it would be a shame to take that away from them as performers. but this is what they want, so it would still be nice if they could win.” she pauses. “ i think, though, that i would say hyuna has the most potential to win this entire thing again. she did it once, so i have no doubts that it’s possible. everyone is supporting her, and that includes me, too. i know she has the talent and i know her performance skills are top notch, especially as a former trainee who has faced three survival shows.” her expression turns fond as she looks at hyuna’s photo and places it down, finally gripping sungwoon’s in her hand.
“ as for sungwoon, i think it’d be foolish to say he won’t win or can’t win just because hyuna more than likely will.” the words are said with confidence, though jei shrugs her shoulders gently at the thought of it. “ i think he has all of the qualities that it seems the judges are looking for, besides .. dancing.” jei crinkles her nose a little when she smiles here, but the smile itself is short lived. “ but he improves as he works, and he works hard at it so i don’t think that it would be a problem for him to learn as time goes on. i think he’d make a good candidate for drama osts, personally.”
with that, her segment wraps with the staffer cutting her off. jei stands from her seat, putting the photos back in their places one by one - each of them with a fond look in her eye that’s covered by the way her head is lowered. finally, all she does is leave the room.
↠ * mnet global auditions season 4 ,
♥«´¨`•°.. » episode 7.5 ! picking a winner »
her nerves are on overdrive, and self-doubt has crept into every nook and cranny of her entire being. ever since the song she would be performing was confirmed, she’d been constantly second guessing herself, wondering if she should have chosen a different song, er even if she should have chosen to showcase her dancing instead, even if she’d felt equally confident in both skills at the time. and how could she not feel insecure about performing a song by one of the most iconic idol groups in korea? how could she not compare herself to her group members when they practice together, when she hears just how talented they are, how difficult it would be to stand out among them?
so when she’s called out of the room, she can’t help but feel like she’s in some sort of trouble, that perhaps they’ve realized she shouldn’t be with this group, that maybe she isn’t even supposed to be in the competition anymore.
learning what she’s really there for is a double-edge sword.
of course, she’s relieved to know that they’re not kicking her out of anything, but being asked to choose the “best” contestant out of who’s left seems almost just as cruel when she’s been wondering where she places among them all already. plus, she doesn’t believe it’s her place to judge, doesn’t think it’s fair to be asked to do so; she isn’t qualified, isn’t confident enough at this point to make any sort of decisions about who stands out above all the rest. but the cameras are rolling and the staff are staring and she’s aware now that she’s not going to be able to leave the room unless she does so, and she needs all the practice she can get.
she glances up at the cameras from her seat at the table, an uneasy smile on her lips as she goes through all of the photos. many of them she’d met through over the past few weeks through the show, and still more she’d only seen through the screen backstage. she hums to herself, appearance calm while she panics on the inside, not knowing exactly how she’s going to do this.
she decides to go with what---or, rather, who---she knows.
she picks up a photo of a familiar face, one she’d become accustomed to on her trips to and from work in the mornings. “for dancing, kim doyeon,” she says with a firm nod and a smile. “i’ve had the privilege to dance with her even before the contest started, and she’s so great. i’m glad she’s doing well so far.” her words are genuine, and as she recalls all their past interactions and discussions, she really hopes that doyeon will continue to do well.
“mmm, for singing...” she pauses as she looks through all the photos, hands hovering over them until it stops over one. she picks up the photo and again shows it to the camera as if she’s a magician asking them to memorize it. “jung jinsoul! wasn’t she so cool when she was the leader of our group two weeks ago? she’s younger than me, but her voice is already so well-developed and strong. she’s a very strong competitor. i think she’ll do well.”
she places jinsoul’s photo down next to doyeon’s and once again peruses the photos of those who are left. her finger is placed against her lips as she look at each one, finger raising in the air as she lets out an abrupt “ah!” she then proceeds to pick up another photo to show to the cameras. “kim mingyu for rapping,” she says, another smile on her lips. “i got to work with him and perform with him for the first week of groups and he’s very charismatic, wouldn’t you agree? that’s very important for a rapper, you know.”
she lets out a small laugh. as if she’s an expert on rap.
her shoulders relax and she allows herself to heave a quiet sigh. but she’s only relaxed for a few moments before they ask her one final question, one that once again causes her to tense up.
me. please let it be me.
with every fiber of her being, she wishes against all wishes that she could come out with a winner’s title from this competition, but with so much talent still in the show, she almost feels as if she isn’t even allowed to think she could win. still, she laughs nervously, unable to get the thought of it out of her head. “ah, i don’t want to jinx anyone’s chances!” she says with a laugh, shaking her head. “instead, i’ll just wish everyone good luck!” she lifts both her hands, curled into loose fists. “everyone, fighting! let’s work hard!”
Sicheng expects to be pulled out of the practice room by the time he actually is, having witnessed his team members being pulled one by one for a while.
What he doesn’t expect is to be escorted to a nearby room to find a camera set up, bright studio lighting, and a stool sat against a crisp white background, and to be asked to sit.
They hadn’t done reality television style show “confessionals” or any such thing before, so he’s curious; are they starting now, or is this something different?
After a bit of set-up, and a quick camera test, one of the staff finally clear their throat and ask him: who do you think are the best dancer, singer, and rapper currently competing in this competition? And Sicheng is taken aback; it’s really not something he’d thought much about. He was a person of focus, and the truth was, he focused on himself. He’d never given much thought to judging the skills of the game’s other players for himself.
It takes a few seconds for him to sort through everyone in his head, but truthfully, it’s not really a task he’s comfortable with, and he doesn’t exactly he’s the most qualified to speak on this subject. Isn’t that what the judges were for? The production staff?
“I...think the best singer is Soojin,” he speaks, warmly recalling her help several weeks ago, opting to be a little biased, perhaps, in his evaluation.
“The best dancer...Hyunjinnie,” he says, recalling the boy’s incorporation of sign language into his dance.
“And for best rapper,” he pauses, giving a little giggle, “Marko would be mad if I didn’t say him, but I really do think that...in spite of his age, he’s still so good? He has the most potential.”
Okay. And what about the winner? Who do you think that will be?
“I don’t know.” Sicheng answers truthfully, “ Everyone who has made it this far is genuinely talented. And I don’t know what challenges we’ll face. So anything can still happen, right?”
