[INTERVIEW] 140319 AFTERSCHOOL IN ORICON STYLE INTERVIEW

The Last Member Kaeun is A Reliable One Despite Being Maknae!

Passionately presenting dance music from all around the world, the long-awaited album ‘Dress to kill’ is a work that’s showing how proficient AFTERSCHOOL is. They have achieved great progress in various aspects.

Nana This time it’s all dance tracks, we didn’t include any ballads. Even so, I think it will become an album that everyone could enjoy while selecting their favorite dance genre.

E-Young The title ‘Dress to kill’ has a meaning ‘we’re dressing up to get people’s attention’. ‘Dress to kill’ is also essential to expressing our thought, both personally or as group. There’s lot of genres in this album, songs written by Osawa Shinichi and other world class DJs. We would be so happy if AS could gain attention and loved not only by our fans, but also various type of music listeners.

How was the recording process? Was there any difficult songs?

Lizzy We got no trouble at all. If you ask why, it’s because we are pro (laugh). Everyone was so fast, we finished recording just in the blink of an eye.

You have no trouble with Japanese pronounciation?

Lizzy Yes (everyone laugh)

Surely you’ve became more fluent in Japanese compared to the last time. Are you all learning it together?

Lizzy No, I just learned it spontaneously.

You are really amazing.

Lizzy The amazing ones are Kaeun and Nana. Since Kaeun has lived in Japan before, she’s already fluent in Japanese from the beginning.

I heard Kaeun spent 3 years attending middle high school in Wakayama prefecture. Was there anything that left great impression for you while you were living in Japan?

Kaeun Matsuri* was fun. I also love onsen*, even when I’m back to Korea, I’d go on vacation to Japan with my family and visit onsen.

Lizzy I love Tokyu Hands* (laugh)

What did you buy at Tokyu Hands?

Lizzy Mechanical pencils etc. I love stationary. There’s also plenty of DIY* things, I’d buy various ingredients there and then make handmade chocolate etc.

Lizzy is surprisingly feminine despite your usual energetic and interesting personality

Lizzy I’m often being told like that (laugh)

This is the first time for Kaeun to appear on Oricon Style. Please tell us what kind of girl is she?

E-Young Even though she’s our maknae, she always gives out mature and reliable older sister vibe.

Jooyeon She’s adorable.

Lizzy She has feminine personality.

Please recommend a song from your second album, especially the song you find interesting

E-Young All of them (laugh). I think this an album you can enjoy in every situation, even when you’re at home or while driving.

Jooyeon I’ve been listening to it everyday since the album finished.

Kaeun I especially recommend ‘Shh’. It’s a song that gave wonderful feel the most on the first time listen.

With monotone style music video, ‘Shh’ gives out an entirely simple and chic impressions

Kaeun The highlighted part of this video is when all of us lined up dancing and singing ‘ Shh Shh Shh~’ in slow time interval.

Raina I recommend ‘in the moonlight’. I felt so fresh when singing this song, the melody that hummed repeatedly also sounds pleasant.

Lizzy I recommend ‘Lucky Girl’ (bonus track on mu-mo special edition). While listening to it you’ll get an image as if the season changes to spring and there’s many pink, pastel coloured flowers blooming.

Among all songs that mostly done by edgy composer, this song is the one where we can feel cute side of AS, right?
What about Jooyeon?

Jooyeon I recommend Ms. Independent.

Lizzy It’s Jooyeon’s anthem (laugh)

Jooyeon It’s because Ms. Independent is CM theme song for MARUKO where I appeared.

Jooyeon shown her figure in sexy lingerie and extraordinary style on that CM and it became hot topic

Joo (shy laugh) By appearing in that CM I got more self-confident, and became able to stand in front of public without hesitation at any time.

Member’s secrets are…

AS Beauty Bible is currently airing in Korea, in this show you’re telling people beauty secrets and unveiling your bare faces

Lizzy Yes. It’s embarassing to show our bare faces but we have to in order to teach people about how to make your eyes look good or self makeup.

Surely ‘beautiful’ is a word that can symbolize AS. Nana recently got ranked as #2 of “100 Most Beautiful Face on The World”. How did you feel when you got selected?

Nana Somehow I was surprised.

Lizzy But I think it’s a natural thing for Nana to get selected.

Nana No, no (shy laugh). I really never imagined it at all.

Lizzy and E-Young also included in Top 100

E-Young It feels like a miracle that people in US or Europe knows about me.

Lizzy I never thought I would get selected, honestly until now I still can’t believe it.

Do you realized if there’s anything changed after you got selected?

Nana Honestly I’m against showing off outer appearance to people, I’ve became more nervous than before, concerned about how my figure would looked like to other people or how I walk. I constantly try to be careful.

Lizzy Nana usually walks like model.

E-Young I give more effort than before and try my best not to miss skin care or style maintenance.

By the way, in ‘Heaven’ there’s this lyrics, ‘Tell me your secret, I’ll keep it’. Is there any secrets that only AS members know?

Raina Secret is secret (laugh)

Please tell us

Raina Then I’ll tell you Nana’s secret. There’s one time where she spent a whole day sleeping. And she’s always eating all the time.

Even so she’s still look stylish, it’s so enviable! Next, please tell us Raina’s secret.

Raina I have no secret. Because I am a honest girl (laugh).

Nana Actually Raina has a firm butt.

E-Young My secret is, the more you look at me you’ll realize I’m attractive.

Lizzy That’s not a secret, you really are attractive (laugh)

Raina While practicing E-Young’s hair became tangled from intense moving, she looked like a girl who ranaway from home, it surprised me (laugh).

E-Young must be enthusiastically practicing with full concentration. What about Jooyeon’s secret?

Lizzy Joo always has cool image but she’s actually very moody, her mood changes easily.

Raina She’s also really different from her cool image when it comes to food. In the end she won’t be able to pick what she want to eat and tell other members to decide (laugh). She’s so cute.

Lizzy She’s one of our oldest unnie but she’s like a baby.

What about Kaeun’s secret?

E-Young Sometimes her behaviour is strange (laugh).

Nana She’s mischievous and often surprised us.

E-Young She will build the tension up, an enjoyable mischievousness.

Raina She’s another mood maker in AS, but kinda different type from Lizzy.

Then please tell us Lizzy’s secret

Nana Her legs can’t get sweated.

Raina Lizzy’s secret is… It’s too extreme we can’t tell you (laugh).

Lizzy I think so too. Then please leave it as secret (laugh).

We understand. Lastly, please leave message for our readers.

Nana This year I want to release more CDs as AFTERSCHOOL member, then hold live concerts and create many opportunities to meet Japanese fans.

Lizzy We will also work hard individual on various field, so please give some attention for each member’s activities.

Source: Oricon Style
Translation by ASDaze



Notes:
*Matsuri is Japanese traditional festivals, usually to celebrate one event. There will be food and games stalls and some entertainment in matsuri.
*Onsen is Japanese hot spring.
*Tokyu Hands is a department store that has many branches all over Japan. They sell DIY stuffs, hobby, home improvement and lifestyle products.

PlayboyzAdam wrote:
Nana Actually Raina has a firm butt.

  LOL, how does Nana know that?