[YOUR PLAYLIST] BLANK2Y is looking for more 'Thumbs Up' following its debut

K-pop

Published: 01 Jul. 2022, 19:10 Updated: 20 Jul. 2022, 16:32

[YOUR PLAYLIST] BLANK2Y is looking for more 'Thumbs Up' following its debut

If you were to make your life into a movie, what song would be playing in each scene? Everyone has a story, and the same is true for K-pop stars. In “Your Playlist,” K-pop artists share what the soundtrack would be for different moments in their life with the Korea JoongAng Daily.

BLANK2Y entered the K-pop boy band battlefield on May 24 with its debut EP “K2Y I: Confidence [Thumbs Up]” and lead track “Thumbs Up.” With its energizing trap number and striking choreography, the team of nine — DK, Louis, Donghyuk, U, Siwoo, Mikey, Youngbin, Sungjun and Sodam — is hoping to get a thumbs up from the post-pandemic public.

BLANK2Y's debut EP "K2Y I: Confidence [Thumbs Up]" (2022) [KEYSTONE ENTERTAINMENT]

Less than two months into their career, the nine members of BLANK2Y, pronounced "blankey," hope to carve their names in the highly-competitive field of K-pop with their powerful dance lead “Thumbs Up.”

“We want 'Thumbs Up' to give a [hopeful] message to people worn out by the pandemic, and be an anthem to restore their confidence and vitality,” said Donghyuk.

Though BLANK2Y is a rookie band, its members technically aren’t. In fact, many K-pop fans have been following some of the members for years, who have either debuted as members of other bands or featured on televised audition programs.

Donghyuk was a member of ENOi, and Louis was in 1THE9, the group formed by the finalists of MBC’s “Under Nineteen” (2018-19). Youngbin took part in Mnet’s “I-LAND” (2020) and Siwoo in both Mnet’s “Produce X 101” (2019) and MBC’s "Extreme Debut: Wild Idol" (2021). Japanese member Mikey appeared on the second season of “Produce 101 Japan” (2021).

BLANK2Y [KEYSTONE ENTERTAINMENT]

With their ample experience combined with fresh ambitions, the boy band is ready to take on the K-pop scene.

On June 9, two weeks after their debut, the nine members sat down with the Korea JoongAng Daily for an interview at their agency Keystone Entertainment’s dance practice room in Songpa District, southern Seoul. Scheduled for a fan meet-and-greet afterward, the group was visibly excited.

“Each and every item we have on our schedule is precious and makes us happy,” said Siwoo. “We’ve been receiving so much love since our debut and saw good results. We’re proud of that.”

Dreaming K-pop

Donghyuk’s dreams to become an idol in fact stemmed from an unlikely genre with an even less likely transition.

“I actually started enjoying singing because of trot,” he said. Trot is an upbeat, rhythmical genre that peaked in popularity from the 1950s to 80s and is popular among middle-aged and older Koreans.

“When I was young, I would sing ‘Oh My’ by Jang Yoon-jung in front of my family. I loved doing it because my grandma especially enjoyed my performance. But as I grew up, singing wasn’t enough. I also wanted to shake my butt,” he laughed. “Seeing girl groups like Wonder Girls and 2NE1 debut, I made up my mind that I want to dance as well.”

NCT 127's third EP "NCT #127 Cherry Bomb The 3rd Mini Album" (2017) [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

For Mikey, seeing a fellow Japanese member in K-pop encouraged him to follow his dreams.

“When I saw Yuta of NCT 127 sing ‘I’m the biggest hit’ in the intro of ‘Cherry Bomb,’ I gasped in awe,” he said. “I thought, ‘Wow, there’s a Japanese member in that Korean group! Maybe I can do it too!”

U, a Chinese member of Korean ethnicity, first came across K-pop in his hometown.

“BTS’s ‘I Need U’ was such a hit, and all the girls in my class loved them,” he said. But it was not until a turn in his own life that U fell in love with the genre himself.

BTS's second full-length repackage album "You Never Walk Alone" (2017) [BIGHIT MUSIC]

“After quitting football due to an injury, I moved to Korea because my parents were living here,” he said. “I felt a bit lost, but then I heard BTS’s ‘Spring Day’ and I got energy to carry on. I got so into that song, and it led me to be here now. It was a path I didn’t expect, but I’m happy there’s something I’m good at and that there are people who cheer for me. It inspires me to do my best every day.”

BLANK2Y says its dreams have only just begun. The band mentioned during its debut showcase that it looks up to The Boyz and aspires to be like the boy band in the future. All the members are big fans, and their practice room lockers are covered with posters of the boy band. They also listen to the group's “Maverick“ and “Bloom Bloom” for motivation.

When dreams come true

After years of training, the nine members made it on the debut lineup of BLANK2Y.

“BLANK2Y is a combination of the words blank and key, as in, each of us will be the key to filling the blank in K-pop,” DK explained.

The boy band’s name may come across as quite eccentric, and the members confessed that’s how they felt at first too. While the members were ecstatic to hear their debut was finally confirmed, they were confused after hearing the group name.

On June 9, nine-member rookie boy band BLANK2Y sat down with the Korea JoongAng Daily for an interview at its agency Keystone Entertainment’s dance practice room in Songpa District, southern Seoul. [JEON TAE-GYU]

“Can we be completely honest?” Donghyuk laughed, while Siwoo jokingly hummed the dramatic tune from Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565” to express his shock at the time.

“Actually, we were supposed to be called Blank,” Siwoo said. “Then our agency chief told us someone had already registered the copyright for Blank! So he added ‘key’ from Keystone Entertainment and we got the name BLANK2Y.” The number two is pronounced as a long "e" in Korean.

"We still loved the meaning behind the name, but when we first heard ‘Blankey,’ we didn’t know how to feel about it," Siwoo continued. "The song that represented how we felt at the time was (G)I-DLE’s ‘Oh My God.’ Now, it’s Block B’s 'Very Good.' BLANK2Y has a ring to it."

Ups and downs

BLANK2Y’s dreams only came true after years of rigorous practice, with a fixed practice schedule of 12 hours a day, if not more.

“We clocked in for practice at 10 a.m. and got off at 10 p.m,” said Donghyuk. “We would stay behind to practice more individually if we thought we weren’t good enough.”

Seventeen's fifth EP "You Make My Day" (2018) [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

“That’s why Seventeen’s ‘Our Dawn Is Hotter Than Day’ really speaks to us,” said Youngbin. “Even nowadays, we usually practice or film late at night, rather than when the sun is up.”

Youngbin says he was a particularly bad dancer when he started out.

“I started training quite late after being a baseball player,” he said. “I had to start from the basics and was inflexible, like a robot. I was really stressed out and honestly, I cried so much. I kept telling myself, 'I chose to go this path, so let’s give it my all like my life depends on it.' I found a lot of comfort in Baekyun’s songs because I love his voice. My favorite is ‘Amusement Park’ because it’s a tranquil song with beautiful lyrics. Eventually, I saw myself improving at each monthly evaluation.”

Catching up to and keeping up with the K-pop system’s intense vocal and dance training was especially challenging for members who started relatively late, in an industry where trainees often begin in their middle school years or earlier.

“I entered this path relatively late compared to other idols,” said Louis. “I went on that MBC audition show right after I became a trainee, and there were so many younger and more talented people there. I realized that was why they say survival shows are so terrifying. But I think I was confident because I knew absolutely nothing at the time. I was so lucky to debut [as 1THE9].”

1THE9 disbanded in 2020, but the members still keep in touch. Louis says former groupmate Won, now a member of boy band Ciipher, recently contacted him to congratulate Louis’s new start as BLANK2Y.

BOL4's second EP "Red Diary Page.1" (2017) [SHOFAR ENTERTAINMENT]

“I’m a realist, so I only thought of practical careers until I was in high school,” said Sungjun. “When it was time to get serious in deciding a career path, I knew I would regret it if I didn’t become an idol. I managed to persuade my parents and signed up for a music academy, which led me to an opportunity to become a trainee. I moved to Seoul alone for training. I remember listening to 'To My Youth' by BOL4 whenever I missed my parents.”

But the challenges were not over for BLANK2Y even after its debut. Just three days after, DK fell ill and had to undergo appendix surgery, warranting a change in the entire dance formation for “Thumbs Up.” His absence for two weeks left members with a lesson they won’t soon forget.

“We realized that missing one person can feel so empty,” Youngbin said. “Now we really know how priceless it is to be together as a team.”

We love K2YWE

Since its debut, BLANK2Y has been actively meeting its fandom K2YWE, pronounced "key we," in person.

“Our agency chief always tells us we’re not a nine-member team, but 10,” said Donghyuk. “That includes K2YWE. We always think about them.”

Recently, BLANK2Y held a meet-and-greet session on Jeju Island, for which the band is an honorary tourism ambassador. The group also has plans to go on an overseas fan meeting tour in the fall.

“We can’t sleep well the night before a meet-and-greet,” said Sodam. “My heart flutters thinking about what I should chat about with fans tomorrow. Fan meet sessions are such precious opportunities for each fan. If we talk about the same generic stuff we did last time, it’s not fun. We always think of various conversation topics because we want our fans to leave every fan meet with good memories.”

Official logo for BLANK2Y's fandom K2YWE [KEYSTONE ENTERTAINMENT]

BLANK2Y says the track “Constellation” from its debut EP is the perfect fan song.

“Let’s walk together with the same pace / I’ll always be your light / I’ll promise you right now / Just be by my side,” the members hummed.

“It includes everything we want to say to K2YWE,” said Donghyuk. “We’re so thankful for the love we receive and will repay them forever.”

The future ahead

Not long after their dreams of debuting came true, BLANK2Y has already come up with plenty of goals and plans for the future.

The group has yet to decide a permanent leader. Under a “leader of the month” system, members rotate to take on the role monthly. The group will then evaluate who is best fit for the position and decide on one leader sometime next year.

“I definitely know what my personal goal is,” said U. “I received feedback that I tend to make exaggerated movements and facial expressions while performing. It’s because I get too excited in front of fans and can’t control the adrenaline, but I’ll work on it.”

BLANK2Y performs in its music video for "Thumbs Up" (2022) [KEYSTONE ENTERTAINMENT]

“When we make a comeback, I don’t want it to be only me who thinks I improved,” said Sodam. “I want the people who see me to notice, ‘He definitely got much better and cooler.'”

The group also has a clear goal for this year as a team.

“We want to win best new artists this year,” said Louis. “We’d get so emotional even if we win one. Maybe we can sweep all of them.”

“Since we’re rookies, it may only be natural that we’re clumsy in some parts,” said DK. “But I hope our fans stay tuned to our growth with love. We will do our best so that we can stand proud as BLANK2Y in front of K2YWE.”

BLANK2Y's Playlist

01. BLANK2Y - Thumbs Up
02. Jang Yoon-jung - Oh My
03. NCT 127 - Cherry Bomb
04. BTS - I Need U
05. BTS - Spring Day
06. The Boyz - Maverick
07. The Boyz - Bloom Bloom
08. (G)I-DLE - Oh My God
09. Block B - Very Good
10. Seventeen - Our Dawn Is Hotter Than Day
11. IU - My Sea
12. Baekhyun - Amusement Park
13. Baekhyun - Bambi
14. BOL4 - To My Youth
15. Sunwoojunga – Run With Me
16. Dawn - Money
17. BLANK2Y - Constellation
18. Treasure - My Treasure

Celeb Confirmed: Get to know BLANK2Y

DK (Kim Do-kyun)
Date of birth: Feb. 16, 1998
Zodiac sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Ulsan, South Gyeongsang
Debut: May 2022 as a member of boy band BLANK2Y
Agency: Keystone Entertainment

Louis (Kim Tae-woo)
Date of birth: April 23, 1999
Zodiac sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Siheung, Gyeonggi
Debut: April 2019 as a member of boy band 1THE9
Agency: Keystone Entertainment

Donghyuk (Park Dong-hyuk)
Date of birth: Dec. 18, 1999
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Suwon, Gyeonggi
Debut: April 2019 as a member of boy band ENOi
Agency: Keystone Entertainment

Siwoo (Park Si-woo)
Date of birth: Feb. 5, 2001
Zodiac sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang
Debut: May 2022 as a member of boy band BLANK2Y
Agency: Keystone Entertainment

Mikey (Morisaki Daisuke)
Date of birth: May 5, 2001
Zodiac sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
Debut: May 2022 as a member of boy band BLANK2Y
Agency: Keystone Entertainment

U (Sun Hengyu)
Date of birth: June 22, 2001
Zodiac sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Jilin Province, China
Debut: May 2022 as a member of boy band BLANK2Y
Agency: Keystone Entertainment

Youngbin (Lee Young-bin)
Date of birth: Nov. 23, 2001
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Seoul
Debut: May 2022 as a member of boy band BLANK2Y
Agency: Keystone Entertainment

Sungjun (Lee Sung-jun)
Date of birth: June 15, 2002
Zodiac sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Iksan, North Jeolla.
Debut: May 2022 as a member of boy band BLANK2Y
Agency: Keystone Entertainment

Sodam (Park So-dam)
Date of birth: Nov. 26, 2004
Zodiac sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Suncheon, South Jeolla
Debut: May 2022 as a member of boy band BLANK2Y
Agency: Keystone Entertainment

This information was confirmed by Keystone Entertainment on June 9, 2022.

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]