Q: te were able to stand on Big Bang’s Giappone Dome Tour stage right after being confirmed for debut. Wasn’t it hectic?
Kang Seungyoon: All of us are people who haven’t gone overseas a lot too. (Laughs) Even just riding an airplane is still interesting for us. Rather than it being hectic, it’s fun.
Q: Right after you’ve been chosen to debut, you’ve gotten the new mission of the Dome Tour. Don’t te feel nervous?
Kang Seungyoon: I think being able to stand on our Big Bang senior’s Dome Tour stage is a crazy opportunity for us. Rather than thinking of it as a mission, we just hope not to cause any trouble for our seniors. After being chosen to debut, I’ve felt an overlap of mixed feelings. I feel that if I went on stage with those mixed emotions, I won’t be able to mostra what I need to so I’m trying my best to focus with our practice.
Q: It must feel different to perform in front of people as a pro artist and not as an audition stage.
Kang Seungyoon: I still feel like the number of people (we’re performing in front of) is unrealistic. It’s the first time for me to see a stage with a scale that large and so even just seeing the seats was overwhelming. However, right when I got up that stage, I was really ecstatic. Fifty thousand Big Bang light sticks waving… Wow. (Smiles) The funny thing is, even though I thought that the members and I would get nervous, I actually started to feel tranquil. We were very nervous during WIN’s final missions stage. In any case, performing and breathing with the audience is what we Amore to do. But, (what made that stage nerve-wracking) was that rather than finishing the stage with a cheer we were burdened to hear the judges’ evaluations.
Q: After going through a survival battle, it seems you’ve found a peace of mind.
Kang Seungyoon: Now, my cuore doesn’t beat so fast on stage and I’m più relaxed. (Laughs)
Q: The members mindset must have changed too.
Kang Seungyoon: It hasn’t changed, per se. Rather, all five of us have completely bound up as one team. We’ve all received a sense of responsibility with the name, WINNER. About teamwork, during WIN, we were close. However, with some people not being used to the broadcast and the fact that we were so busy preparing for the battles, we were mindless of what we detto to each other then. But now as a WINNER member, we’ve all felt a sense of responsibility and are being più careful with what we say and how we act.
Q: The cameras are always following te around, has it had any effect on you?
Kang Seungyoon: In a way. I think that it’s difficult for rookies who haven’t debuted yet to get used to the cameras. But since we always have cameras successivo to us, I think it’ll become a great way to practice. One example of why it’s not good to have a mostra as a trainee: we used a mix of “cool” (Laughs) Japanese slang but since the cameras are always with us, we end up filtering both our language and actions everyday. (Laughs)
Q: During <WIN> Episode 2, Song Minho seemed to get a bit ahead compared to the other members. So, te two had a serious conversation apart from the others. Wasn’t it a burden to say those words in front of the camera?
Kang Seungyoon: Since it was a broadcast, it has to be fun. However, to us, it was a battle between life and death. I can’t not say what I need to say. And honestly, before that scene, we talked about a whole lot più things. But the production crew found out late that we were having a conversation and then they followed us. (Laughs) Also, usually when we’re joking around I tend to speak very comfortably but during serious talks, I don’t say unpleasant things. When we talk like this, I want to choose my words very carefully. più than caring about my image, improving the problems within our team was più important.
Q: It seems that te have a lot of responsibility.
Kang Seungyoon: Although I wasn’t the leader back then, I’ve always felt pressured about my own position. Since before the program started, YG mentioned that I was the only one that would release a solo album. So I thought that I had to do più for my team.
Q: te must have had a lot of worries about that. te were also one of the longest trainees amongst them, too. And now you’ve been chosen to debut.
Kang Seungyoon: When we first started, YG CEO detto this when we were all gathered (Imitates Yang Hyun Suk’s voice) “Since Seungyoon will be releasing a solo album, do your best.” (Laughs) In a way, I must’ve become the “bad guy” amongst all 11 of us. Because someone could have thoughts like even if I lose, I could still debut. I felt so apologetic to them about it that as I went on with the broadcast, I tried to lower myself. While doing the broadcast, when I think that I really had to say my own opinions, I say it, but I tried to listen to the members more.
Q: Did te learn what kind of position te held to yourself after <Superstar K>? Actually, isn’t <WIN> kind of like <Superstar K>’s “SUPER WEEK” done in 10 weeks.
Kang Seungyoon: During <Superstar K>, I only had to take responsibility of myself. Of course, since I’ve gotten closer with the other participants, I was upset when someone would get disqualified. But, it was still a 1:1 battle. I only had to take care of myself on broadcast. I only had to mostra myself and my own individuality. However, with <WIN>, if we got disqualified, we would be disqualified together and if we won, we would win together. It wouldn’t work out if I were to only succeed on my own. Also, since the members’ personalities and colours were all so different, if we were to only focus on ourselves, our songs would be ruined. With my experience after surviving an audition program da myself, in a way, I’ve thought of ways of how different people can blend together without sticking out.
Q: Around when did the team’s colours start to form as one?
Kang Seungyoon: At first, our individual respective opinions were strong and each of us only took care of our own selves. Then, around the secondo battle, the members knew this wasn’t going to work out. We thought that we should start supporting the leader’s thoughts and put our own visualizzazioni as one. Coincidentally, I was changed into the leader and I was lucky with that. The members pushed their feelings aside and followed my opinions. Even though they didn’t completely agree with my views, they first believed in me. Whether the outcome would be good o bad, it was the first time we gathered up as one.
Q: And so for 100 days, te and the members gathered your strength as one and prepared for the stages. Did te feel that te all developed individually?
Kang Seungyoon: Since the results were made between tension and pressure, the members adaptation to situations became much better. In reality, we will all be very busy with our lives as singers. So since the members can adapt to new situations well now, they are also able to quickly master anything such as recording songs whether it be a song they made themselves o a song dato to us. Also, we wonder if we’ll be able to perform in many venues with a large audience such as the the final battle stage we stood on before debut. After experiencing a performance like that, I think we have gained control of our Canto and dancing; as well as the power to capture the audience. We were trainees preparing our stages then, but now we are artists who sing.
Q: After partaking in reality shows, the keys to survival included self-composed songs, choreography, and producing. What other remaining experiences do te think the team needs to go through?
Kang Seungyoon: I previously didn’t learn how to self-compose. After trying my hand at it and listening to a few credible music, I was able to slowly make my own. It’s not because te sing well o dance well but as te continue to make progress, you’ll be able to do it at a certain level. At first I thought these things weren’t the role of an artist who sings, but as I experienced it, I’ve developed a lot from it. Above anything else, the fact that we’ve made it from the very start to the very end, we feel più emphatic towards it. It’s a lot più enjoyable because we’ve developed an attachment and a sense of responsibility towards our songs. We are able to go up on stage with a più focused mind.
Q: Following that, ‘GO UP’ was very memorable. The song was composed right before the final stage but it still contained an outburst of your sincere feelings. At the time te were called ‘WIN A’ but I felt that was when WINNER completely became one team.
Kang Seungyoon: When I composed that song, I really thought about it at the last minute. However, it was a situation where we didn’t know what the outcome would be. So, we couldn’t make a song expressing our joy of winning o a song expressing our anguish of losing. Because of that, I thought that we should make a song holding the meaning that there were no losers among all 11 of us. So as we kept looking for the parola chiave for the song, we listened to our Epik High hyungs’ song ‘UP’. I thought of the phrase ‘GO UP’ through that song. I started to write the song about going up right at that moment, all 11 of us rising, and to throw our worries away. We felt that we were all too uneasy so we should quit worrying and just have fun.
Q: It’s exciting because ‘GO UP’ goes from an electronica dance song and changes into a rock feel.
Kang Seungyoon: Originally, I thought of making that song as a house genre. I considered starting with an acoustic chitarra and throwing in a house beat in the latter half. Maybe it’s because I’ve always done rock Musica for a while that the melody line starts to slowly come back to a rock genre. (Laughs) However, after going into YG, I’ve learned Musica like pop, R&B, and hip-hop. Because I’ve done those rather than my own style, I feel that something that we could call our own came out instead. It’s not intended to be sung like a rock song but when I sing it, it starts to sound like it.
Q: Back then, I was just joking around when I detto the rhythm would match a person’s heartbeat but in a way, it ended up taking that course.
Kang Seungyoon: That’s one thing I’m thankful about YG. YG’s fundamental basis is hip-hop. Since I liked rock, if I had to listen to hip-hop, I also had to listen to Jazz, Punk, Pop, Ballad, and even R&B. Also, if the trainees used rock Musica during the monthly evaluations, te couldn’t convince them easily. That’s why I couldn’t just stick to my Musica in order to survive between the trainees. Even though I didn’t want to, I had to learn other Musica trends. Then, I also brought my own Musica colour. In the process of all that, I was able to learn Musica and artists that I wasn’t aware of before. Because of that, I am now able to digita songs with a different diversity.<
Q: Is that why te learned dance, too? I heard that te couldn’t dance before going into YG. You’ve really developed those past three years.
Kang Seungyoon: When I debuted from YG, I knew that I would get in as a trainee and that my own skills weren’t competitive. Thee’s so many people in the world who do well, and I was still lacking. So I decided to train under YG in order to practice and gain approval for my skills. I’ve been self-composing before but I’ve only done it because being a singer songwriter was great. After a while, I was able to properly put in my own stories with the songs I composed. About dance, there’s one thing that YG CEO detto to me. ”Rather than te practicing what te do well in order to cover it up, te should practice what te can’t do well to be able to get over any obstacle. You’re able to keep your own Musica colours like rock and punk. But te will be able to do a diverse set of things if te practice Canto o dancing with a genre te haven’t challenged before. That’s how te can become a singer who will last for a long time.” I was so thankful for those words that I threw my body into dance whether I could do it well o not.
Q: Because of that process, te seemed to become più confident. It’s impressive for te to make a new song within 10 days and having to stay up for days at a time.
Kang Seungyoon: I’m thankful to the company about that too. In the end, it’s the company that allowed me to believe in myself during very pressured situations. Now I can just work through anything without worrying about how much time I have o what situation I’m in. It’s possible to just sit down all night and come up with something. In that way, I was able to believe in myself. That’s why when I sing, I’m più comfortable. Rather than worrying about making songs o making a mistake, I have nothing to fear for because the members and I can trust ourselves.
Q: te must’ve watched the final performance again, how was it?
Kang Seungyoon: It was great. I definitely had some off-key Canto o a mistake in the choreography. But as I looked at the members one da one, In that moment, I saw how fully immersed we were with the stage even though it was a difficult time for us. I got Piccoli brividi seeing at how much the members have continuously developed and fell for the song’s emotions. The members’ expressions looked really happy.
Q: After finishing that stage, te were chosen to debut. How was it?
Kang Seungyoon: I thought I would be crazily happy but it wasn’t like that. Of course, I felt sorry for our dongsaengs. And after waking up the successivo day, I felt a bit empty. I was very happy becoming the WINNER but it still hasn’t hit me. I woke up at 3 PM the successivo giorno and i felt that I had to prepare for our mission and go straight to the practice room. In a way, I felt kind of anxious.
Q: Anyhow, te had to film for ‘WINNER TV’ right away.
Kang Seungyoon: I wasn’t burdened since it wasn’t a war but rather a process of our debut preparations. We only have to mostra our hard-working process and just enjoy it. I think it won’t be too entertaining if we just mostra te guys us practicing. (Laughs)
Q: During an unreleased clip from WIN, te kept saying “Fruit salad, frutta salad” in front of the camera cutely since frutta insalata was coming your way. Will we see those kinds of things on ‘WINNER TV’, too? (Laughs)
Kang Seungyoon: Actually, I was really shocked when that video was released. (Laughs) That scene appeared with the titolo of the video, “Seungyoon’s Day”. Honestly, the cameras followed us 24/7 during WIN. It’s just one of the things that they edited out from what they’ve filmed. In a way, I’ve been edited out with ‘Seungyoon’s Day’. (Laughs) I didn’t mean to be funny, but I just become a bit crazy sometimes and I do it out of the blue. da putting it in a montage together, I really came out strange. (Laughs)
Q: WINNER TV is your third reality show. In that time, 3 years has passed. How have te changed through all that time and experience?
Kang Seungyoon: 3 years ago, I thought I was mature. However, now that I think about it, I was really still an immature young kid then. Back then I didn’t know much about broadcasts and was just immersed with the show. Now, I feel that I’ve gotten a lot più responsible. Responsibility gained from the time I’ve worked hard. I want to become a person that won’t let my hard work go to waste.
Q: You’ve shown yourself to the public from SUPER stella, star K to WINNER TV. And with their choice, you’ve come this far. Do te have anything te have to say to those people?
Kang Seungyoon: I don’t think I’m right. I just think that I should always try my best in order not to disappoint those who have waited for me, my mother who believed in me, YG CEO, my members, and the people who I’m thankful for believing in me. As I think of that, I’m able to believe in myself, too.
