Having risen to the top of idol groups in just two years, BEAST is now looking forward to a 14-country worldwide tour. They’ve been on the fast track to success since their debut, and each new month brings even bigger and better achievements.
To celebrate the year’s end, leader Doojoon sat down for a series of interviews honoring the ‘Hot People Who Made This Year Shine’ by OSEN.
He began, “We still have to work so much harder. Really. I’m not saying this because it’s an interview, but we truly felt disappointed in that we hoped, ‘If only we could release another album…’ Officially, we only had five weeks worth of promotion time in Korea.”
At the mention of their growing popularity, Doojoon immediately shook his hands no. “Honestly speaking, we thought we’d hit it really big with our debut (laughter). We thought that even though we might not reach top star status, we’d still gain quite a bit of recognition. That wasn’t it, though. Thanks to other idol groups, we received some attention, but other than that, it was really hard for us. The members prepared their hearts, with some wondering whether they should get a part time job while others wondered what other career paths to take, really seriously.”
Even though they look like they’re always joking around and having fun, the quality of their work reflects the amount of hard work and thought put into their products.
“It was during ‘Mystery‘ where we noticed that we were suddenly having many fans come to our promotions. We thought that if we worked just a little bit harder, we could receive more attention. For a long time, we thought hard and worried a lot. We were.. what would you call it.. desperate.”
On the completion of a successful solo concert at the Seoul Olympic Stadium earlier this year, he expressed, “Performing at the Stadium was an unbelievable moment for us. Previously, we had attended the concerts for G-Dragon and Boyz II Men and wondered when we would be able to perform there as well. But once it was actually time for us to perform there, I know it sounds pitiful now, but at the time, we were really worried that people would think we were just blowing hot air. It had only been two years into our debut, and time wise, it was a bit early. Fortunately, a lot of people came, and I’ll never forget that concert.”
BEAST has always been “early” in achieving everything, though. From their solo concert to even a Daesang and a world tour, they’ve achieved everything at a faster pace than many of their peers. Instead of getting arrogant, they’ve become more humble.
“We received a lot of hate after receiving the Daesang (laughter). We acknowledged that and told ourselves that we’d promote longer the year after so that we can receive the Daesang more confidently. The world tour is also a lot of pressure, especially since in terms of Hallyu, we’re still babies. I’m nervous in that I feel we’re starting a bit early compared to our seniors, but we’ll work hard to pull it off. I also hope that people will anticipate our Korean album release after our tour. We’re really determined about this. Honestly speaking, the awards don’t really matter. More than anything, we want to become a group that even the elderly will be able to name when surveyed about idol groups.”
Concluding the interview, Doojoon talked about the bond between his members. “We all have a great relationship. I think our relationship right now is the best it has been since debut. Past Christmas, we watched a movie together in our dorm titled ‘Take Off‘. All of us were lying down, crying (laughter).“
Source + Photos: OSEN via Naver
