[INTERVIEW] 'There's still so much ahead' for Hori7on, the first Filipino K-pop boy band

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[INTERVIEW] 'There's still so much ahead' for Hori7on, the first Filipino K-pop boy band

Published: 29 Dec. 2023, 07:00

YOON SO-YEON
yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr

Members of Hori7on, the first all-Filipino boy band to debut in Korea, pose for photos after an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily's entertainment arm Celeb Confirmed. [PARK SANG-MOON]

“Hello, we’re Hori7on! We hope you have a good day, thank you!”

When the seven members of boy band Hori7on arrived at the JoongAng Ilbo headquarters in western Seoul, in a bus entirely covered with the members’ faces and the group’s logo, for an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily, all members greeted everyone they met in the corridor with clear voices, telling people who they are.

Boy band Hori7on, pronounced horizon, is an all-Filipino boy band that debuted on July 27 after winning an audition program titled “Dream Maker,” jointly launched by Korean K-pop agency MLD Entertainment and Filipino media company ABS-CBN.

The seven members — Jeromy, Kim, Kyler, Marcus, Reyster, Vinci and Winston — have been garnering large amounts of attention from fans in southeast Asian countries, especially in their home country of the Philippines, for the passion and talent they displayed throughout the three-month competition.

The band has over 556,000 followers on TikTok and 50,000 followers on X, formerly known as Twitter, with the number growing steadily with each new release.

The septet has been actively promoting itself in Korea by appearing on TV shows and YouTube channels and busking in Busan and Seoul, with the goal of spreading the Filipino culture and talent in Korea, where the global K-pop sensation all began.

Members of Hori7on, the first all-Filipino boy band to debut in Korea, pose for photos during a showcase held on July 24 at the Olympic Hall, southern Seoul, for its Korean debut album ″Friend-SHIP.″ [NEWS1]

“We’re a global group that debuted both here in Korea and the Philippines, and the first all-Filipino group to promote ourselves in Korea,” Vinci said.

“It’s really the first time for everything, and we hope to continue to keep that sense of pride among ourselves, that we’re representing our country while we’re promoting ourselves here in Korea.”

While the discussion on K-pop’s globalization had always been focused on how far Korean music has spread around the world, the idea of an all-non-Korean member band singing songs in Korean stands testament to the international influence of K-pop being on another level.

Taking that global initiative, members of Hori7on have one goal in mind — to spread the Filipino culture and P-pop, the popular music of the Philippines, through the power of K-pop.

The seven members sat down to talk more about their unique career and their goal to conquer the global music scene with the power of both K-pop and P-pop combined.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Members of Hori7on, the first all-Filipino boy band to debut in Korea, pose for photos after an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily's entertainment arm Celeb Confirmed. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Q. Tell us more about your journey, from being TV show contestants to debuting in Korea. How did it feel competing on the show?

A. Marcus: I think it was very tough for all of us. We hadn’t been used to this kind of tough competition or rigorous training, and we weren’t really aware that it would be so challenging. I even tried push-ups for the first time in my life, so to say. But I think it was that very challenge that gave us the drive and eagerness to win because we all remembered how much we tried, which naturally built this sense of passion inside all of us.

That passion is the reason that we were the top seven out of the whole 62 people and made it to the top. We’re still so happy that we got the debut, and we still keep that passion within us.

Vinci: The majority of that pressure also comes from the fact that the Philippines doesn't really have the same system that Korea has for K-pop and the K-pop training system. It was very rigorous, especially for those who came into the show without knowing that it was that intense. Many people were culturally shocked, like, “Wow, we have to dance this much and sing this much and do this much at the same time?”

Members of Hori7on, the first all-Filipino boy band to debut in Korea, pose for photos after an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily's entertainment arm Celeb Confirmed. [PARK SANG-MOON]

How do you feel now that you’ve debuted?

Kyler: I feel especially happy because this was my dad’s dream, too. I feel more grateful because I didn’t expect that I would actually be able to win. He unfortunately didn’t see me become an idol because he passed away before I won.

Winston: For me, I’m so happy because all my effort and time management that I gave paid off. And as for the fans that supported me, I’m really happy to have each and every one of them. I'm just so glad that I'm one of those people to represent the Philippines, and we're going to do our best.

Members of Hori7on, the first all-Filipino boy band to debut in Korea, pose for photos after an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily's entertainment arm Celeb Confirmed. [PARK SANG-MOON]

How did you first come to dream of debuting in Korea?

Marcus: I came across the BTS song “DNA” (2016). I had heard about them since way before, but I really just fell in love with their unique choreography and their unique voices. I knew that that was the perfect genre for me, one that I really wanted to pursue, because I've been doing different things ever since I was young. I've been doing theater, rock and more, but I think K-pop just hit me the hardest.

Vinci: Well for Reyster and I, we both were fans of Blackpink. We used to watch dance practices of Blackpink and started watching other dance practices because I was initially interested in K-pop for the dance. And then slowly it became a thing where I also became a fan of the music and I fell in love with K-pop and Korean culture in general.

Members of Hori7on, the first all-Filipino boy band to debut in Korea, pose for photos after an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily's entertainment arm Celeb Confirmed. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Does K-pop look different now that you’ve gotten a closer look?

Vinci: We were fans before becoming a group, and I think we're still fans now so I don't think anything changed.

I don't think a lot has changed but it's just that we now have a closer look. But now, we know what happens behind the scenes — the hard work and everything else that’s unseen. The life of an idol is quite burdening and it’s not always so shiny like it looks on the outside, with all the sweat and tears from training and hard work. We got to empathize more with the people of K-pop.

Marcus: It’s very different compared to the Philippines, I think in a good way, because here, especially in the K-pop and entertainment industry, it's much more strict, it's much more structured — which is a good thing.

Would you say that there is a big difference between K-pop and P-pop?

Vinci: Well, actually, I don't think there's a lot because a lot of P-pop is very much influenced by K-pop music. I think P-pop is still evolving, and from the roots it's very rooted from K-pop.

I think mostly it's just the language that’s different, but lately P-pop has been saturated with more general-sounding music instead of just K-pop-sounding music, much of which is dance music. There are more various songs coming out these days like ballads and R&Bs.

How do you feel about being the first all-Filipino boy band in Korea?

Marcus: Very good, but there's a lot of pressure. It’s the good kind of pressure because we’re just so happy to be in this position, to have been given this opportunity to do this. This is our dream, and at the end of the day, we know that it comes with a lot of responsibility. Hori7on is nowhere near its peak now, and we’re ready to do so many things while we represent our country on the global stage.
There’s still so much ahead of Hori7on and we just want to do better, to show even more.

Vinci: We also want to inspire a lot of young Filipinos that they can do this too. We don’t want to be the only all-Filipino band to do this. We want more Filipinos and more other people to have their shot at this.

Do you have any specific goals in mind?

Vinci: We still want to incorporate much of our language into the songs that we make and release. We [want to] make the Philippines a global phenomenon, [and for] Filipino talent to be known globally. That’s our goal, that that's the real goal that we want to pursue.

Marcus: It’s actually quite similar to what’s happening with K-pop, I think. K-pop is all around the world even though people don’t know the language, because music is its own language. I believe that the Philippines can do it too, the way that Korean people did with K-pop.

Do you have any role models?

Vinci: Definitely Enhypen. They also went through a survival show and became successful. I feel very connected in that way and relate to the things that they would have gone through. I look up to them so much.

Winston: For me, it’s Blackpink because they perform so well and they’re a hit globally. We wish to be a global pop group, just like them.

Boy band Hori7on [MLD ENTERTAINMENT]

How do you plan to survive the tough competition of K-pop?

Vinci: We’re experimenting with a sound that will really trademark us as Hori7on. Right now, we’re going for a more youthful and bright sound — a fresh sound that also represents the joy in us Filipinos. Filipinos, for the most part, are known to be just very joyful and happy. Even our Korean staff often mention that we always seem to be enjoying ourselves.

I think that’s been our music so far, but we’re still experimenting on what could be our unique sound.

Marcus: Well most of all, we want to tell our Anchor — that’s the name of our fan club — that our goal is to give back the love and support they’ve given us, because without them, there’s no us.

We’re giving 100 percent every day for Anchor and for everyone else because we have to show that Filipinos can do this as well. I hope that our Anchor will continue to give us their support, and we will keep on moving forward for them.

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