Boy band Treasure hope to hit gold after official debut Friday

K-pop

Published: 07 Aug. 2020, 15:22

Boy band Treasure hope to hit gold after official debut Friday

Boy band Treasure poses for photos at its debut press conference held on Friday at the Yeongdeungpo CGV in southwestern Seoul. [YG ENTERTAINMENT]

It’s the first step in a new chapter, and the debut of the biggest rookie of this year.

YG Entertainment has unveiled some of its treasure trove of talent for the first time in four years since girl group Blackpink debuted in 2016, with the official debut of boy band Treasure on Friday and its single “The First Step: Chapter One.”

“I’m so thrilled and happy to have finally debuted, but this is just the beginning,” said Yoshi at the band’s debut press conference held on Friday at the Yeongdeungpo CGV in southwestern Seoul, prior to the single’s release at 6 p.m.

“We’ve been preparing for this for so long, and we will do our best to show you everything that we have,” said So Jung-hwan.

The inception of Treasure first began in 2018 with an audition program that aired on cable channel JTBC2 titled “Treasure Box,” where 29 hopefuls vied for a slot to be among the final band’s seven members.

Finalists Haruto, Bang Ye-dam, Kim Jun-kyu, So Jung-hwan, Park Jeong-woo and Yoon Jae-hyuk were chosen to debut under the band name Treasure, but YG Entertainment later formed another group named Magnum, with six members — Ha Yoon-bin, Choi Hyun-suk, Mashiho, Do-young, Yoshi, Park Ji-hoon and Asahi — due to fans’ avid wishes that talented members weren't forgotten. YG initially planned to debut the two groups together with the name Treasure 13 in July last year, but this plan was halted due to the scandals surrounding YG Entertainment that sparked earlier last year. Member Ha dropped out and thus, Treasure with 12 members was born.

Boy band Treasure [YG ENTERTAINMENT]

“It did take a longer time than we had anticipated, to come up with something greater than ever,” said Do-young. “But rather than feel anxious or worried, we became more determined to come up with good work. So we did our best to work on our music and learn, and I think it was a time spent in growing. We hope you are happy with what you see of us."

Members were more than ready for the debut, and so were the fans. Treasure’s first release sold 170,000 copies in presales — the highest ever for a debut band under YG — and has already accumulated over 1.3 million subscribers to its official YouTube channel. The teaser video garnered 1 million views within just a day of its release on Thursday, while Treasure landed at No. 19 on Billboard’s Social 50 chart.

“We are just so grateful for all the attention that we are getting, which I think was possible because all the other K-pop stars have already been spreading good influence to the world,” said Ji-hoon. “We didn’t expect any of it, but we are ever so grateful.”

Boy band Treasure answers questions from the local press at its debut press conference held on Friday at the Yeongdeungpo CGV in southwestern Seoul. [YG ENTERTAINMENT]

Treasure’s debut single will include two tracks, the lead track “Boy” and “Come To Me,” as well as the instrumental versions of those tracks.

“Boy” is a power dance track that encompasses the best of YG Entertainment’s hip-hop style along with a trendy melody, that talks about the sentiments of a boy in love. The music video is a must-see, as the band’s synchronized choreography adds the finishing touch to the perfected song. For “Come To Me,” members Choi, Yoshi and Haruto took part in writing the lyrics.

“We are all working on making our own music and learning a lot in the process,” said Choi. Asahi added, “We will work hard so that our songs can be included in the albums in the future.”

The first goal is modest for one of the most-anticipated rookies of the year. Treasure just wishes “Boy” will be included in local music charts' top 100 list. What’s important to them is that the fans don’t get disappointed with their music and that they grow bigger and bigger as the days go on.

“Our goal is to make sure that we give [fan club] Treasure Maker a stage for them to be content with, after all their waiting,” said Choi. “We live in a world where we can communicate internationally with love. I hope that people all over the world feel happy and consoled with Treasure’s music — and that will make us happy.”

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]