⇢ 6tunes are a 6 member band comprised of a group of friends (and 2 siblings) who share a love of making music and performing. Posting both original songs and covers, 6tunes are quickly making a name for themselves. Each member brings their own uniqueness to the band that combined creates amazing music.
6tunes are a 6 member band comprised of a group of friends (and 2 siblings) who share a love of making music and performing. Posting both original songs and covers, 6tunes are quickly making a name for themselves. Each member brings their own uniqueness to the band that combined creates amazing music.
TRACKLIST:
playing with fire by blackpink / line dist.
blood by day6 / line dist.
sometimes, even when you rehearse for months on end, the reality of what you’re doing doesn’t sink in until you’re on the stage, looking out into the sea of eyes that looks back at you.
( 6tunes. kim hyojin of 6tunes. jinhyo of 6tunes. it’s still unfamiliar, still a foreign roof over his head that gives him the urge to continue proving himself, to show that he deserved a spot here as much as everyone else did. before, he was just himself, and now, he was part of a family. a family he deserved to be in. )
all of these thoughts, all of these worries, all of these feelings are swarming and crashing like waves, bubbling at the mouth of the shore as they recede before snapping out once more. and for the first time in what was a little more than a month, hyojin finds himself under the scrutiny of the public eye once again.
it’s a typical band setup -- all of them arranged in a semi-circle, with hyojin in the front and changyoon flanking him on the right. it’s comforting, having them all there with him; there are butterflies flitting around in his stomach, but he knows that the other members got him if anything went wrong. it’s when the staff member offstage makes a gesture at him that he finally grabs the microphone in front of him, moving his lips close enough to start their introduction.
“hello everyone, i’m jinhyo of 6tunes.” with a sweet curl of his eyes, he watches as the audience cheers, albeit not as loudly as they had been when the idols before them had been performing. no big deal -- 6tunes was relatively new, anyways, so such a positive reaction was already a good sign. “today is our first stage, so i hope you listen closely and enjoy.”
with that, the band starts, arrow starting on his keyboard for the first few rifts, grabbing the attention, before yuzu starts with her drums, the rest of the instrumentals following. strumming chords on his guitar -- the electric one he had borrowed from wonpil -- hyojin bobs his head to the beat as he begins to sing the first few lines.
bold = hyojin’s lines
우리 엄만 매일 내게 말했어
언제나 남자 조심하라고
사랑은 마치 불장난 같아서
다치니까 eh
the execution was something he was familiar with; like hwasa’s twit, this style of music was one he had recently added to his repetoire of stage expressions -- with a slight quirk of his brow, he sings with a bit of attitude, winking at the end of his part when sophie picks up afterwards.
멈출 수 없는 이 떨림은
on and on and on
내 전부를 너란 세상에
다 던지고 싶어
continuing, letting his smooth voice carry the beat along, there’s a slight growl to his voice as he sings “on and on and on,” adding more flavor to the execution. moving away from the mic to keep his strumming as yuzu then sings, hyojin fully embraces the confident, almost sexy mood of the song, taking on a half smirk that greatly contrasted his sweet, honey-like appearance when he had introduced the group.
우리 사랑은 불장난
my love is on fire
now burn baby burn
불장난
my love is on fire
so don’t play with me boy
불장난
pausing for a moment to sing the killing part of the chorus, the first line, hyojin’s eyes curl in a smile as the audience’s cheers pick up for the beat drop, letting the other members take over.
at the end of the chorus, they transition into the rap break with a few harmonizations, before going into the second chorus. as they near the end by reaching the bridge, hyojin and yuzu the only ones left singing.
걷잡을 수가 없는 걸
너무나 빨리 퍼져 가는 이 불길
이런 날 멈추지 마
이 사랑이 오늘 [jh/yz] 밤을 태워버리게 woo
continuing yuzu’s part skillfully, hyojin’s voice smoothly goes into a high note, yuzu harmonizing with him, allowing a pause in the instrumental to let it sink in. as the crowd claps once the note ends, they go into the final chorus, tying up the song.
once their first song ended, they quickly moved into their second song -- a day6 b-side that was a favorite of hyojin’s, known as blood. this time, yuzu starts with the drums, before the guitars and bass kick in.
once again, hyojin starts the song, this time with a different mood. although both of the songs they performed were similar in that they talked about the passionate push and pull of attraction and love, blood was a little more reserved in its fierceness, a little more suave. as the lyrics imply, they’re more about enjoying the love and hate feeling that a couple’s fights entail. with this in mind, he keeps his tone even and his gaze a little darker, more sultry, as he sings.
너랑 같이 있을 땐
말 한 마디마다
조심해봐도
혹시라도 한 마디
걸리면 바로
올라가 니 목소리
pausing his playing in guitar to place both hands on the microphone, his eyes narrow ever so slightly as he looks into the crowd, tilting his head slightly as he sings the lyrics a little teasingly. the softness with which he sings the notes would provide a larger contrast in the chorus, where the higher notes come in.
as sophie picks up after him, he resumes playing, picking up the notes as she builds up the hype for the chorus.
oh you gotta see blood girl
you gotta see blood girl
피를 봐야만 만족하는 너
oh you gotta see blood girl
you gotta see blood girl
다 죽어가면서도 i like this
starting off the chorus with almost effortless-sounding high notes, hyojin applies just the right amount of power to make it sound clean but not straining, making for a more alluring feel. as if addressing the audience, his gaze is fierce but teasing.
with that, they cycle into the second verse, then the chorus, then the rap break, and then the final chorus.
baby you got to see blood
you got to see blood
got to see blood
finishing the song and their performance with his last few lines, hyojin sings the high note smoothly and drags it out sweetly, the sly look on his face never faltering until the end.
as they bow, the audience cheers, this time a lot louder, and hyojin slips back into his normal self, smiling sheepishly and bowing once again shyly.
reaching for the microphone, he says a final goodbye. “thank you for listening, everyone -- we hope to see you again soon!”
turning back to his band members, he calls out a bright “good work, everyone,” making sure that all of them get offstage safely before he follows, turning to the crowd again and waving with a bright smile.
▰▰▰▰▰▰ MNET GLOBAL AUDITIONS, SEASON 5 ˟ EP. 2 PERFORMANCE ▰▰▰▰▰▰
memories come flooding back the him the more he goes through the motions of the competition. he remembers asking luna for her opinion on his stage outfits so far, on what he ought to go for next, running into someone he didn’t know would become his sunbae in nova to ask something similar: how to step up his fashion game other than stealing from ty’s closet, something his roommate at the time was bound to notice when they competed on the same reason, on the same stage.
walking into the set for the next round, with its new layout, its less crowded layout, it feels bittersweet. he’s already lost a few friends from the last round to this one and he lets out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding onto. compared to last week, he realizes it’s better to show his nervousness, to show weakness, but it’s a concept he has to become comfortable with. [he won’t grow otherwise, will stop changing if he doesn’t.]
his palms are sweaty and he still isn’t done using the same tired ass joke about eminem and 8 mile, as if he focuses on it to keep his own spirits up instead. maybe he needs to. because he heard about how his appearance was edited, how it looked, how he seemed too casual for someone coming back after debuting once already, acting like he didn’t leave two companies by now. patting his hands on his pants, he takes another deep breath, looks around for a familiar face.
when she walks in, sakura comes by to greet him and he feels calmer, sated, relaxed again for a moment because seeing sakura reminds him of seeing his little brother again, makes him feel as if he’s seeing his own little sister. he hugs her back, gives her wishes of good luck and affirmation that she’ll do great but saying that to her, seeing the chairs surrounding them remind him this is a competition and it could come down to them in the rapping category. she’s someone he wouldn’t want to go against because he’d feel weakened by it and it reminds him of the conversations he’s had since they left the set last week.
he’d stopped by the apartment dabin shared with seik and it didn’t feel like home the way it used to a few years ago before he moved where he is now. it didn’t feel like he could crash on their sofa again and wake up to seik scolding dabin for not telling him when they ran out of something in the kitchen again. everything had its own routine back then, when things were simpler, but not anymore.
seik walks out of his room, hair messy after waking up from his nap because of a particular door slam. “he still upset?”
“…yeah.”
“he’ll get over it.”
“feels different this time.”
“maybe he’s jealous.”
“what?”
chuckling, seik quirks his brows, pouring himself a glass of water and sitting on the edge of the kitchen table. he looks more amused than minho thinks anyone should be when his friends are at odds like this. his exasperation only grows as seik doesn’t speak just yet, taking sips until he finishes, accented by the loud ahh he lets out, the clink of the glass in the sink the only sound until minho’s patience wears out.
“come on, man. explain yourself.”
“you didn’t make the same offer.”
brows furrowing, his face twists in confusion as he follows seik to the living room. “what offer?”
“to give your spot to him.” this time, he’s the one who goes silent and all he can manage is wetting his lips, eyes widening every once in a while before returning to their previous state, just more hesitant in expression.
“i get it.” seik’s voice is softer this time, almost apologetic, the past coming back to him too. “but to dabin… the hyung he followed for so long, the one he defends every time…”
“yeah.” minho doesn’t sound like himself when he says it, nodding his head, fists clenched at his side, and, instead of going to dabin’s room, he leaves the apartment quietly.
going to the only other place he knows as well, the other place he’s as comfortable in on his own, he goes to the dance studio they rent for Kill.U.Strate. it’s empty today, not in as much use as before when they practically lived there now that the guys’ projects began to split off, and he lays there. eyes closed, hands folded on his stomach, legs crossed at his ankles, he just lays there.
he doesn’t have any answers for his family, for his friends, and the joy that he found after finding out he moved on, after getting that call from mijoo when she watched the episode air and hearing her cry because of him again but for a good reason, that joy is slipping from his fingers again. he doesn’t know what to say to kikwang either when he comes into the practice room and he’s sitting up, letting out a slight groan because he’d been in that position for too long. the smallest things could affect your back and posture after all. he should’ve been more careful.
not much has to be said and he’s glad kikwang is a good enough friend to join him, to talk like things are normal, and to not skip a beat when minho asks, “do you wish i could give you my spot on the show?”
“i meant what i texted you. i want you to win this season, hyung.” they spend some time in the practice room just hanging out, dancing a little, before kikwang says it’s all his so he can prepare for the next episode filming. he can’t get a protest out in time before kikwang’s gone and he’s running his fingers through his hair, sighing as he looks around, the room only seeming more glum when he’s alone.
there’s no progress when the door opens an hour later and the last person he expected to come in walks through. there’s a cap over his head, shielding half his face, but minho would recognize him anywhere. sure, some of his friends remind him of his younger brother but, on days like this, dabin pretty much is minho’s little brother and he’s gesturing for him to come over. the hug is brief and dabin sighs as he stands in front of the older.
“i don’t want you to give me your spot.”
“i know.”
“so if y— wait… you know?”
“yeah.”
“seik told you.” dabin gets the same answer and he inhales sharply, exhales slowly. “i thought that’s why you left the apartment without saying anything. i thought you were gonna go…”
the thought is there even if the sentence is left hanging, words dabin doesn’t seem to want to say, and minho shakes his head as he puts a hand on dabin’s shoulder. “i care about ya as much as i did jaebum back then but… i’m not planning on giving my spot up for anyone this time.”
“okay.”
“you jus’ sayin’ that or are you okay with it?”
“i’m good.”
narrowing his eyes, he wraps an arm around dabin’s neck, pulling him closer. “so… you thought it meant i like jaebum more than you?”
“hyung.”
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ PRESS PLAY, BACK TO THE SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING
finding a seat proves more difficult than he thought it would be and when more people settle in, minho realizes he needs to figure out what he’s doing soon. although he could sit near sakura and talk to her, he knows she’s there with friends and that he’d end up distracted. besides, when people were still convinced he broke his contract for dating without his own confirmation, he doesn’t want to add fuel to the fire. instead, he goes another route, ends up recognizing someone from their performance last time and how he liked their vibe.
so he’s standing near them, calling out and going, “hey do you have ig? let me add you” because he’s thought of the first face-to-face impression he wants to make and is committed to it as stupid as it is. the name is given to him and he types it in as quickly as he was told, opening the messages and sending him one.
can i slide into that seat next to you like i slid into ur dms
the laugh he gets is enough of an answer for him to sit down with a proud grin, laughing at himself. even if he told himself not to brush everything off, to not laugh everything off, there are some moments that ought’a be like this. his instagram is distinguishable enough to him as he gets comfy in his new seat and this time he’s the one that bursts into laughter when ian says to him, “anyone ever tell you that you’re a thirst trap?” definitely not the first time and minho shares that sentiment before opening his phone to look at ian’s posts too. it was a good distraction in the meantime but when it appears all the sears are filled, he feels the nerves building up again, his thoughts wander and they go back further than he should let them.
he had a wounded ego years ago. thought too much of himself and his future and yet not enough. a dream to be someone of influence but not decisive enough to follow through, ill-educated about life in general. there are days he still doesn’t feel ready but no one wants to know about that. at least, that’s what he’s told himself for years. no one wants a gloomy gus. no one wants to hang out with the weird kid in the back sulking over the lack of acknowledgment by his father. no one wants to be the friend of someone who dwells too much in the past instead of making sure every moment is a good time. that was the lesson he insisted on from a young age. on days that his brother was too busy, that her sister was annoyed by everything, days when his mother was too tired to cook, days that his little brother whines for someone to play with, he knew what his role was. a mood-maker, a mood-lifter.
the performances he gave years ago were bits and pieces of him, scraps sewn together by a beginner. this song feels more complex, more complete, each thread and stitch made by someone more honest with himself. because it’s okay not to feel like the best sometimes. because he told the audience back then not to let anyone convince them otherwise and ignored that the person who told him that most was himself; the one that convinced him he wasn’t the best he could be was always him.
his mother called him the same night he’d talked to kikwang and dabin in the practice room and his mind is still hazy, he can’t think coherently about a song or anything. whether he should dance or not, but just before that hung up that day, his mother said something he’s brought with him today, on his mind, in his heart, lyrics dancing around in his head, ready to spill from a thirsty mouth— thirsty to tell the truth, to put his truth out there. “don’t keep everything inside.”
when he first heard about the comments, was told about them, read them himself, he thought he should just let it go, push his heart back into its proper place when it lodged itself in his throat. two minutes, two minutes to show who he is again, and answer the concerns that’d been brought up. answers, answers, answers.
in school, we’re taught the same. find the right answer. every time, find the right answer but he doesn’t follow that. rules in black and white, but he operates in shades of gray. that’s how he finds his next song. a simple beat, but lyrics with a powerful message. this isn’t for his ex-group members, for his parents, for his siblings, for his girlfriend, or for his friends. this is for his own clarity by letting his heart purge. instead of layering it with band-aids, wrapping it to be kept safe, he lets his heart bleed onto the page. he adds color to his own world.
●●●●●● NEXT ON STAGE, CHOI MINHO, EP. 2 — 7월 4일 ●●●●●●
one more time today, his hands are sweaty. no eminem joke. it doesn’t even cross his mind because his heart is climbing, racing as it tries to scale his throat, and he swallows thickly, wills himself to breathe.
shit, just breathe.
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ 탓 BLAME ♫ SELF-WRITTEN
TIME STAMPS ( IN ORDER ) 0:20 to 1:10 / 1:20 to 1:26 / 1:48 to 2:15 / 3:02 to 3:29
NOTE: his gestures and expressions are similar to that of vinxen’s in the video if not written !
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난 이 늪에 있어 난 이 늪에 있어
I’M IN THIS SWAMP, I’M IN THIS SWAMP
모두가 날 내려다보는 이 늪에 있어
I’M IN THIS SWAMP WHERE EVERYBODY IS LOOKING DOWN
넌 내 옆에 있어 주기를 바랬던 마음
I JUST WISHED YOU WERE NEXT TO ME
아직 선명히 남아있어 등 돌리던 날
BUT IT’S STILL VERY CLEAR, THE DAY YOU BETRAYED (ME)
나 혼자 늪에 있어 혼자 늪에 있어
I’M ALONE IN THIS SWAMP, ALONE IN THIS SWAMP
저 네티즌가 날 비웃고 하늘 날고 있어
THESE NETIZENS* ARE MAKING FUN OF ME, FLYING UP HIGH
난 알고 있어 애초에 알고 있었어
I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT FROM THE BEGINNING
흐려져가는 시야를 탓하고 있어
I BLAME (IT ON) MY BLURRY VISION
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nothing confirmed, but it’s easier to believe anything that way, isn’t it? it didn’t matter if sphere spared him the scandal, spared the group the scandal, it would follow him and being lonely has to be about his love life. his age. the audacity he has to come back. how he should be giving other people a shot. he’s seen it all and instead of letting it go, he wears it on his sleeve. he lets the weight of his own guilt show instead of hiding it away with i’m okay and i’m gonna do me like he’s been saying since he walked out of the company one last time.
he stops pretending that he wasn’t hurt by the fact that he did know who outed his relationship, that he did know who wanted to see him fall.
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
난 이 늪에 있어 난 이 늪에 있어
I’M IN THIS SWAMP, I’M IN THIS SWAMP
아주 더럽고도 추잡한 이 늪에 있어
I’M IN THIS SWAMP FULL OF TRASH*
냄새도 못 맡을 정도로 떨어져 멀리
GO AWAY SO YOU CAN’T SMELL ME
보이지도 않니 손에 미세한 떨림
CAN’T YOU SEE MY FINGERS SHAKING
넌 변해있어 많이 변해있어
YOU CHANGED A LOT, YOU CHANGED A LOT
나란 그늘을 치우니 안색이 밝아졌어
AS I REMOVED MY SHADE FROM YOU,
YOU LOOKED OKAY
위로 혹은 악연으로 포장해낸 것들이
PLEASE BLAME ME FOR WHAT HAPPENED
내 탓이라고 말해줘 제발
EVEN THOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE MISFORTUNE
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when he left, he told himself he was laying in the bed he made and it’s why as he raps, he can’t make eye contact, can’t look directly at anyone. he’s avoiding people and it was a tell-tale sign that he wasn’t okay, a sign he ignored for months because he kept busy, said he didn’t see people as often because he was working but it was more than that. he didn’t know how to feel.
it was still his fault in the end. still because of him that he had to leave. reckless, stupid, all the insults he had for himself in high school chase him to this stage again, try to stain the page with spilled ink, with trash, but he holds the pen, keeps it held high the same way he holds onto the microphone.
the news article said he chose to depart from the group. it was right. he just didn’t know how far back the decision was that sealed his fate.
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
[NEW HANGUL PENDING]
THOUGHT IT WAS UNFAIR THAT NO MATTER HOW HARD
[NEW HANGUL PENDING]
TRAINEES AND IDOLS DO, IT’S NOT ENOUGH
확실히 압살하고자 아빠 손 벌려 잡은 지하방에서 손꼽아 기다리고 있어
FOR MY COMPLETE VICTORY, I WAIT IN THE ROOM
I BOUGHT WITH THE MONEY MY DAD GAVE ME
난 기대치를 두 배로 올려
I DOUBLE MY EXPECTATIONS
그래야 상실감이 거대해지니까
SO I CAN DISAPPOINT BADLY
그래야 사람이 더 초라해지니까
SO I CAN FEEL MORE MISERABLE
그래야 내가 정말 간절해지니까
SO I AM MORE DESPERATE
아니 얼마나 더 간절해야 합니까
NO, HOW CAN I LOOK EVEN MORE DESPERATE?
박수 갈채는 누굴 위한 겁니까
WHO IS THE APPLAUSE FOR ?
대학에 가라는 아버지 말을
웃어넘기고 대충 끄덕거린
나는 불효자 되는 겁니까?
I LAUGHED AND NODDED AT MY DAD*
WHEN HE SAID I SHOULD GO TO UNIVERSITY*,
AND DOES THAT MAKE ME A BAD SON?
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there’s so much in life that was given to him and nearly everything left unsaid. how miserable he was about the competitive lifestyle when he was in nova, how he felt left out at times but pretended he was fine. the truth about how he felt when how he told his friends he didn’t mind that they were moving onto bigger and better projects without him, how his family was living their lives without him, how he was missing everything, how he couldn’t see his girlfriend for months, how he felt like life was still being decided for him and he had no clue what the hell he was doing.
he goes here and there, only says no sometimes, and none of it feels right because he’s not saying a damn thing. underneath everything else, underneath the rules he follows, the routine he keeps to, the predictable patterns he lives by, he let himself be defined by black and white, then wondered why he was unhappy living without color, without doing whatever he could to paint everything himself.
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주변에 대입해 그런진 몰라도
I THINK I MESSED* UP MY OWN LIFE
볼수록 뭣같이 느껴져서
MAYBE BECAUSE I COMPARE MY LIFE WITH THE OTHERS
내가 날 가둬둔 상황이 위안이 돼
BLAMING MYSELF FOR EVERYTHING COMFORTS ME
아직 말해줄 게 많아서
BECAUSE I STILL HAVE A LOT TO SAY
모르겠네 사람들이 피해 보인 탓
DON’T KNOW WHY I STARTED TO AVOID* PEOPLE
몰라 내가 이 노래를 불러버린 탓
DON’T KNOW WHY I STARTED SINGING THIS SONG
몰라 내가 한심하고 어이 없는 탓
DON’T KNOW WHY I AM PATHETIC AND DON’T HAVE NERVE*
몰라 내가 여러 기회들을 날린 탓
DON’T KNOW WHY I BLEW MY CHANCES AWAY
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it could’ve started years ago, when he found out things about his past, when he didn’t get into trc on his first audition, when he was rejected the first time by mijoo, when he fought with seik for the first time about being an idol. every time he didn’t take a call from his brother. every time he let himself go this way or that way during training without any real aim or purpose. he did this to himself. that must be why he ended up in rap unit instead of dance unit in convex. his roots are no longer his and he’s not seen as a dancer. training made him a rapper and he secretly let it make him miserable instead of embracing it like he does now, his voice wrecked with emotion as he starts to yell. the peak of the song and he puts the mic stand behind him, mic in his hand as he shouts.
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
모르겠네 사람들이 피해 보인 탓
DON’T KNOW WHY I STARTED TO AVOID* PEOPLE
몰라 내가 이 노래를 불러버린 탓
DON’T KNOW WHY I STARTED SINGING THIS SONG
몰라 내가 한심하고 어이 없는 탓
DON’T KNOW WHY I AM PATHETIC AND DON’T HAVE NERVE*
몰라 내가 여러 기회들을 날린 탓
DON’T KNOW WHY I BLEW MY CHANCES AWAY
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he’s social. friendly. a moodmaker. he tells himself this again. everything that made him come as far as he did, all the positive traits he showed off and every negative thing he hid. that’s what he considers different this season. he’ll show all of it. he’ll lay it all out so that he can finally be himself too, so he can leave and be a performer again instead of just going through the motions, filling whatever spot he needs to. the stage feels covered in color, his yells were red, his tears were blue, and when he places the mic back on the stand, bowing deeply, he makes sure to take those colors, his favorite colors, with him, so that his heart doesn’t just bleed but heals.
Minhyuk had heard of another rapper joining the company after the fiftth season of the mgas, and minhyuk had immediately felt disgust in his stomach. Usually when the mga kids got recruited, they were first in line for anything cool and as such, minhyuk had been very vary of any rappers because if they were guys, his chance at debut was gone. Minhyuk therefore had avoided the new rapper for a while, until recently. He caught a glimpse of her in a practice room, seemingly practicing something and he stepped inside.
“sorry for intruding, my dear, but i heard you practicing. let me give you a tip: if you train your memory first, your rap skills will follow.” he said, grinning widely. he looked closer at the girl and laughed. “Ah, i had no idea why i spent so long avoiding you. You’re just a cute human,” he said, laughing a bit. The rapper extended a hand. “I’m Minhyuk, kt’s lte rapper.” he said, grinning widely at the girl.
☆ MGA5 EPISODE TWO ; JULY 4
#5008 HA SUNGWOON ; interview
much like the last episode, the ceos retire to discuss the results of the performances while the contestants are ushered one by one into private rooms to be interviewed on the day’s events. sungwoon wonders if this will become a staple from now on. if so… he’s not entirely sure how to feel—the interviews broadcasted last week were interesting, to say the least. he supposes it adds some excitement to the broadcast along with giving viewers a glimpse into the personalities of the contestants. it also feels like russian roulette, like the producers are waiting for someone to inevitably say something damaging during their interviews and metaphorically shoot themselves in the foot.
but maybe the moment of reflection is a good thing too. sungwoon appreciates getting the chance to reorient, to breathe and consider the day’s events and performances in one go. he never truly struggles to answer, so his complaints are probably less valid than most. rather than being truly worried, he’s eager to get this over with and get to the results.
when his name is called, sungwoon rises and gives his friends a double thumbs up before following the staff to the interview room. a quick touch up of his hair and makeup later, he’s seated in a familiar chair in front of the interviewer in a set-up not much different from last week. he greets the interviewer with a smile and makes some idle small talk about the weather and how their day is going so far until the cameraman indicates it’s time to begin.
showtime.
so, welcome back, sungwoon. you’ve managed to survive the first cut, but what did you think of the results last week otherwise?
ah. he expected this one. cutting fifty people from the competition at one time is a lot. of course they’d be asked about it. “i didn’t expect there to be quite as many eliminations from the beginning, so it was a little nerve-wracking, to be honest.” sungwoon is grateful his friends survived alongside him, but admitting as much might sound like rubbing salt in the wounds of people who were separated from their friends.
he decides to keep it neutral. “all my predictions for who would make it to the next round came true, though! well, except one.” poor chan. sungwoon really thought he was good, but his opinion doesn’t count for much when it comes to rap. “i guess that disqualifies me as a psychic? unless i make sure to include a disclaimer that there’s a 16% error margin on all predictions?” he laughs, embarrassed as he realizes his mental math might be a little off. “actually, don’t fact check me on that number.” math isn’t his strong suit, but he refuses to be make a fool of himself over numbers on national tv.
shaking his head slightly, he taps his fingers against his knee in thought. “it was disappointing to see so many talented people go home,” sungwoon adds slowly. “but it’s a competition and, well, i have to believe the ceos made the decisions they did for a reason.” they clearly know what they’re doing, and it’s not for him to question them yet.
how did you feel when you realized you were through to the next round?
“i was relieved, mostly,” sungwoon admits readily. a sigh escapes his lips as he thinks back to the moment his name was called—he’d felt weak and weightless at the same time, even more so when the others made it through safely. sungwoon would like to say he never had any doubts, but that isn’t entirely true. there’s always room for doubt. “i would’ve been mortified to get eliminated so early in the competition.” honestly, he’d be equally mortified to get eliminated now, but it feels unnecessary to add that into his answer. “it also felt right, you know?” he continues with a sheepish smile. “i felt acknowledged by the judges, and that went a long way towards boosting my confidence for today’s performance!”
many people have expressed concern about the number of previous mga contestants participating in this season. as one of the people highlighted as a former contestant during the episode, how does the backlash make you feel?
well, this is one he didn’t expect. of course sungwoon is aware of the backlash—the previous episode literally broadcast one of the contestants’ thoughts on the subject, and the netizens seem united in the opinion that this year has too many old faces. and as one of the old faces, his opinion on the subject should be pretty clear: it sucks, and he doesn’t agree that just because they’ve been on the show before, they have no place on it now. he’s not sure why the interviewers would ask this, unless they’re hoping he gives them something juicy to air? sungwoon is determined to avoid that trap, to think carefully over his response before he gives it.
honesty is the best way to play this, in his opinion. “it’s not the greatest, i’ll admit.” wringing his hands together, he shoots the interviewer a distracted, what can you do, kind of smile before raking his fingers through his hair. “i think it’s disingenuous to act like being on the show one year means we can never come back or to claim we’ve used up our one and only chance. it’s not like we stopped dreaming just because it didn’t work out the first time.” for many, including sungwoon, participating in the mgas increased his desire to stand up on stage.
“i also believe people might be under the impression that we’ve had tons of opportunities for success following the show last year?” being on tv might’ve brought a little bit of localized fame for a brief period of time last year, but all that is gone now, leaving old contestants as forgotten relics of a different time. “but i can tell you that’s not really true—personally, at least. no companies were looking to sign me, and i didn’t have any other prospects.” a bitter pill to swallow, but there it is! he chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. “compared to a lot of other competitions, the mgas are accessible, so yeah, i gave them a shot again, but because this might be the only way i ever make it. i’m sure others feel the same way.”
god, he said a lot more than he intended to. sungwoon takes a deep breath and shakes his head, forcing a smile he hopes looks natural. “if the new contestants are worried about facing the old ones, well, a little healthy competition never hurt anyone, right?”
i see. moving on, how do you think you did this week?
“like i said, i’m never satisfied.” he feels like this will be a familiar refrain if this question continues to come up again, but it continues to be true. he needs the persistent buzz under his skin, the nagging voice that tells him he can do better. it drives sungwoon to improve, and that’s worth the temporary discomfort. still, his feelings towards today’s stage is largely positive overall. “i know my performance wasn’t as exciting as some of the others. that’s always the risk when you do a ballad, right?” sungwoon was well aware of it from the beginning. “and for once i didn’t play an instrument. that was nerve-wracking, let me tell you.”
he straightens up in his seat. “but i wanted the focus to be on my voice today.” no bells and whistles, just sungwoon showing the judges what he’s capable of. “so i chose to sing a korean song, one that ended up becoming pretty personal for me. i think… i did all i could up on the stage, and i hope it resonated with everyone who listened. that’s all i can really ask for.”
who do you think is the best under each skill?
oh, now that’s an interesting question. sungwoon wouldn’t have been able to answer it last week due to the sheer number of people performing, but after watching the episode and sitting through today’s stages, sungwoon is in a better position to judge the rest of the contestants. the interviewer catches the grin spreading across his face and asks him if he’s thinking of naming himself, to which sungwoon responds “oh, no. no,” with a laugh. he wouldn’t dream of it. “i’ll try not to name only empty enigma members either, but you can’t blame me if a few slip in.”
for singers… sungwoon feels like quite a few of them are strong. this is the only category he feels qualified to talk about at length, in any case. “i think heejin is a strong singer, maybe the strongest in the competition. i enjoy her vocal color, and i think her voice is powerful. she has a strong stage presence too, so i definitely think she’s someone to watch for.” he wants to mention a few other singers as well, but he’s determined to keep his picks to one each this time. or… maybe two. two picks, maximum. “hyojin too! he sang one of my favorite day6 songs, and his range is insane. i can’t wait to hear more from him.”
dancers are harder to comment on; sungwoon doesn’t know enough (or feels confident enough) to choose the best in this category. “uh, i think i’m only qualified to talk about who i liked the best, so take all this with a grain of salt.” he probably shouldn’t say park woojin, but the first name that comes out of his mouth is—”park woojin, for sure. though to be clear, i would pick him even if we weren’t friends. his performance was powerful and captivating—i think he’s easily the best dancer here.” he wants to mention kenta as well, but he doesn’t want to come off as too biased either. “i also think yugyeom is a good dancer. i don’t know how i feel about him in general, but i won’t deny talent when i see it.”
rappers are possibly harder to talk about than dancers, so sungwoon takes his time running through the list of performances before answering. “i think the number of female rappers in the competition this year are pretty cool, so i’d have to pick one of them. sakura, maybe? i was surprised by her performance, but in a good way.” his second choice is so obvious, sungwoon wonders if he even has to state it out loud. “and mason, obviously. he’s a good rapper, maybe one of the best, but that’s a given.”
were there any performances you liked?
sungwoon hates questions like these, mostly because he never has enough time to mention everyone he wants to. just saying ‘all of them’ would save a lot of time, but he’s pretty sure that isn’t allowed. also, it’s not truthful either. there are performances he definitely didn’t enjoy. the question is about ones he did, however, and sungwoon runs through the ones he remembers well enough in his mind before blurting out the first one that stayed with him. “daniel’s!” wait, that really isn’t going to help him sound less biased. his face warms and he scratches his cheek while rushing to gather his thoughts. “okay, honestly. i know he’s not the best of the rappers, but he wrote his own rap and the lyrical content was straight fire. his performance had me hyped up. how can i not mention it?”
aside from daniel, there are a few others he wants to mention. “eunji’s dance was… i know i mentioned her last week as a talented singer, but she’s a phenomenal dancer as well. her performance was really powerful and compelling. park jinyoung—i liked his voice, and i thought his song choice was very appropriate for his tone. personally, he’s one to watch for me as well.” pausing, sungwoon leans back in his chair and rubs his chin in thought. “yeji? i thought she did a great job too—really, a lot of the girls have been killing it this year. i wish i could mention them all because they deserve it.”
were there any you didn’t like?
“guys, seriously,” he laughs, letting his arms fall to his sides. “have people answered this?” how many have taken the bait and actually said something negative about their fellow contestants? the interviewer won’t answer that for him, so sungwoon is left wondering when he should bite or not. maybe he should, but gently? “there were a couple of performances i was let down by,” he admits. “kyungsoo, for one. i really enjoy his voice, but i wasn’t sold on his song choice, so i think that colored my opinion of his performance.” toxic isn’t a choice he’d make personally, and while he respects it, sungwoon isn’t sure it’s appropriate for this stage of the competition. “i also enjoyed suwoong’s performance last week, but not as much this week… i don’t know, i think he could’ve taken it a bit more seriously?” sungwoon shrugs. “they’re both good performers; just not my cup of tea.”
is there anyone you are certain will move onto the next phase of the mgas?
“is it time for sungwoon the psychic’s predictions again?” he taps his forehead, thought he’s… not exactly sure why. “uh, well, i think everyone i mentioned as the best of their categories will go through. special shout out to mason, because he’s going all the way to the finale! mark my words.” he doesn’t know if he has any solid picks outside of those. “yuri? she has a powerful voice and the necessary star power.” hm, maybe that’s all? no, wait, he remembers one of the dancers leaving an impression and struggles to pronounce her name properly. “jieqiong? she’s pretty and talented; i would expect her to go through.” sungwoon figures he’d better stop there—or he’ll end up naming half the contestants in the competition. “let’s see how many of these work out! remember, 16% error rate!”
is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today?
“my third eye broke; i can’t answer that,” sungwoon says, completely straight faced. several moments pass before his expression cracks into a distant smile. “no, seriously—i’m not sure what criteria the judges are basing their assessments on, so i can’t answer. you’d think it would be straightforward, but someone who’s average in a skill can get far based on their sheer charisma and stage presence, right? so i think it could be anyone’s game.” he won’t speculate further; it’s not his place. and he’s worried that if he does start to consider who might be eliminated, a few familiar names could potentially pop into mind.
that’s all for now. thank you!
“thank you! you’ve worked hard.” sungwoon rises and bows to the interviewer and the staff before returning to his seat. he steals a bottle of water from one of the empty enigma members and polishes it off with a cheeky smile. “i need this, guys. i talked a lot,” he complains when they ask. when do you not? someone answers, and sungwoon glares at them playfully before promising to buy another bottle during their break. it’s much easier to stick to smiles and lighthearted conversation before eliminations, and sungwoon does his best to keep the atmosphere cheery.
ah, i guess i’m still lacking in the end after all ㅋ did the cameras show how much i cried? i hope not ㅠㅠ
daniel @kdaniel98 • 1h
truthfully, it took me a long time to find the words to say. i think now, all i can be is sincere, and speak from my heart, and hope it reaches you well. most of all, i’m apologetic-- to team hollywood, and to sphere. thank you for listening to all of my ideas, and i’m sorry i couldn’t do better for you. i’m sorry to everyone that’s supported me, especially across two seasons of the mgas, for not being good enough to make it to the place you wanted to see me in.
daniel @kdaniel98 • 1h
even if i wish we could’ve ranked higher, i’m still happy with the performances we ended on. @rksakura, i told you, all you needed was to be confident, right? ㅋ i knew you never needed my help, and i’m glad your talent was recognized in the way it deserved to be
daniel @kdaniel98 • 1h
i’m especially sorry to @rkpwj. i’m incredibly grateful i got to work with you the past two weeks, and i’m sorry we couldn’t go on together. i hope this helps you to realize how good you really are, and i hope you know that you deserve this. please don’t be too hard on yourself. we could only do as well as we did because of you. i’m sorry to @rkkenta as well, because i never wanted to leave either of you alone in this, and i wish i was better so i could've held to that. i hope you both know i’m proud of you and will support you always, no matter what
daniel @kdaniel98 • 1h
empty enigma is the best part of my life, and everyone in it is, too. when i joined the show this year, one of my main goals was to get my friends as much love as i could. i received a lot of support last year and i knew they deserved the same, and i’m thankful we achieved that in the end. thank you for supporting us, especially kenta and woojin, and for loving us. please support empty enigma in the future, whatever that future looks like for us
daniel @kdaniel98 • 1h
sungwoon, minhyun and i can do what we do best during every show with the band. i watched kenta and woojin’s performances throughout the show, and was constantly reminded that they can’t dance on stage with us. i think they deserved this from the start, and that this was how it was meant to be from the beginning, too
daniel @kdaniel98 • 1h
thank you, everyone, for all of the criticism i received as well, because it’s made me better. you’ll be seeing a lot more guitar from me from now on 😎😎🎸🎸
