FLARE U: Proving Growth Through Their First Comeback… "We Want to Be a Duo That Will Be Remembered for a Long Time" [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The group FLARE U returned with a significantly grown appearance through their first comeback, showcasing a more refined musical color.

FLARE U (Choi Rip-woo, Kang Woo-jin) met with StarNews to conduct an interview to commemorate the release of their second mini-album "LOVEHOOD" on the 14th.

"LOVEHOOD" is an album depicting the dazzling season of emotions for a boy who realizes that the feelings rushing toward him are love. It includes a total of six tracks, including the title track "Bloom (Your Season Has Arrived)," "Hundred Nights," "False Alarm," "Madly in Love," "Window View," and "Never Ever (I Forgot You for a Moment)."

FLARE U, who took their first step into the music industry by releasing their debut album "YOUTH ERROR" in May last year, returned after about five months to unfold a new story.

For their first comeback, the two expressed excitement along with a will to grow. Choi Rip-woo said, "I was definitely looking forward to it. Since it is our first comeback, I think fans were curious and excited about what kind of album would come out after the debut album," adding, "We prepared hard for five months. We wanted to show you our new look quickly."

Kang Woo-jin also said, "We prepared hard," adding, "Since it is our first comeback rather than our debut, I thought we had to prove that we have grown even better. Accordingly, we were detailed and delicate during recording as well. I hope fans will like it."

If the previous work told a story of an imperfect youth, this album takes a deep look at the emotion of love centered on the keyword of first love. Kang Woo-jin explained, "'LOVEHOOD' is an album containing the time when two boys faced the emotion of love for the first time. This time, we wanted to look more deeply into what love is, including love between lovers." He added, "Even within the big theme of love, the love and emotions each person has experienced are different," stating, "I hope listening to the album becomes a time to think about what love meant to you."

At first, they also worried whether the concept of love would suit their team. Choi Rip-woo said, "At first, I was worried whether the theme of love would fit our team well," while adding, "We wanted to include various forms of love, not just between lovers, but also family, friends, and friendship."

The title track "Your Season Has Arrived" captures the moment when the world brightens simply because of the existence of a loved one. Choi Rip-woo conveyed the meaning of the song, saying, "Just as having someone you love gives you strength and makes the world brighter, I thought that the relationship between fans and us is also a form of love."

Regarding the selection process for the title track, Kang Woo-jin said, "There were three candidate tracks for the title song, so there was a lot to consider, but we chose 'Your Season Has Arrived' because it is a song that can be listened to for a long time," adding, "The expression in the lyrics, 'It feels like I have come to paradise,' felt like the heart of parents looking at their children, which particularly resonated with me."

While preparing the album, they also discovered new aspects of each other. Kang Woo-jin praised Choi Rip-woo, saying, "I think our hyung handled this concept better," adding, "In particular, his strengths stood out in expressions and acting-like parts." About himself, he revealed, "I had more ambition when analyzing the singing," stating, "Rather than following directions exactly, I tried to incorporate my own interpretation and emotions."

Choi Rip-woo highly evaluated Kang Woo-jin's musical subjectivity. He said, "Perhaps because he has been doing music from before, his thoughts are clear," adding, "It was impressive how he actively offered opinions on how to sing better and communicated."

FLARE U also revealed a desire to broaden their musical spectrum beyond the team image represented by keywords such as refreshing, youth, and pure. In particular, the two members cited artists who put their own unique color and stories into music as their goal.

Kang Woo-jin said, "I want to unfold stories with interesting concepts," mentioning AKMU. He stated, "Like AKMU's music, I want to make songs that start from trivial things but have a clear color and story. I admire how they unfold stories in an intuitive yet non-conformist way with creative lyrics."

Choi Rip-woo also added, "It was impressive that while making popular music, they do the music they want to do," stating, "They seem to have their own ego, which is admirable."

Along with a bright and refreshing image, they also hoped for recognition of their serious attitude toward music. Kang Woo-jin said, "Being bright does not mean being unserious," adding, "For this album, we offered many opinions from the planning stage and dug deep into the music. I hope you will recognize FLARE U's serious attitude toward music."

The team identity of being a duo is also a differentiator unique to FLARE U. Choi Rip-woo said, "Most idol groups I have seen since childhood have four or more members, so debuting as a duo itself was new," adding, "Because the two of us do everything together, we can rely on each other, and there is an advantage that our individual appearances are better shown on stage. We want to become a duo that will be remembered for a long time."

Kang Woo-jin also said that although he was worried about being just two at first, his thoughts changed through activities. He stated, "Before debuting, I was worried about being just two, but I thought it could actually be a differentiated weapon," adding, "In reality, doing activities has been so much fun that my worries are meaningless. Because there are only two of us, there is also an aspect where we rely on each other more."

FLARE U, who wanted to show a significantly grown appearance through their first comeback, also specifically revealed the goals they want to achieve in this activity.

Choi Rip-woo said, "Since it is a result that can only be achieved if many people listen to our music, I think chart entry itself is a meaningful achievement." Kang Woo-jin stated, "Along with chart entry, getting into the top 10 is our goal," revealing his ambition by saying, "It is tense coming back alongside strong senior artists, but I definitely want to win first place on a music show as well."

They also said they wanted to create opportunities to meet fans directly based on the experience accumulated through music. Both members expressed hope for fan meetings or fan concerts. Kang Woo-jin revealed, "From debut to music shows and festivals, I have had more experiences than I thought," adding, "Since we have released our second album, I now want to create a place to meet fans directly."

They also conveyed their desire to broaden their respective activity areas. Choi Rip-woo cited attending overseas fashion weeks and exhibitions, as well as holding concerts in his hometown, as things he wants to do. Kang Woo-jin said, "I want to sing in more countries and accumulate diverse experiences," adding, "I want to gain new inspiration through busking or travel and grow further as a musician. In particular, I want to sing directly in the UK, where there are many artists I admire."

Finally, the two conveyed their sincerity to fans who waited for the new album. Choi Rip-woo said, "Since this album has a very different atmosphere from the previous work, there will be fun in finding it one by one," requesting, "I hope you will watch together how FLARE U will grow as a team going forward."

Kang Woo-jin conveyed, "Since the big theme of the album 'LOVEHOOD' is love, I hope that while listening to the music, it becomes a time to look back on what kind of love has come to each person and what love is."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original