Pretty in pink

 

Apink meet the Thai Pink Pandas

By Sukrit Khaepimpan
Photos courtesy of Pic Production

Did you know

Eunji’s TV role in Trot Lovers won the 2014 KBS Drama Award for most popular actress.

Unlike the sexy K-pop girl groups with provocative dance moves, Apink has maintained their adorable and innocent image since their 2011 debut album, Seven Springs of Apink. Their catchy songs and cute choreography have gradually captured K-pop fans and gained more popularity, with songs like “No No No,” "Mr. Chu" and "Luv” becoming big hits. This year they released their latest album, Pink Memory.

Back in 2012, Apink impressed their Thai Pink Panda fan club during a performance at M Countdown Smile Thailand. While Apink was onstage, rain started pouring heavily. The girls impressed everyone by continuing to sing and dance in the heavy rain even though they were completely drenched.

On August 29, the six girls of Apink — Park Chorong, 24, Yoon Bomi, 22, Jung Eunji, 22, Son Naeun, 21, Kim Namjoo, 20, and Oh Hayoung, 19 — held a fan meeting to get close to the Thai Pink Panda fans.

Student Weekly attended the press conference, arranged by Pic Production at The Aetas Lumpini Hotel, in the morning before the fan meeting. Here are some parts of the interview.

Question: How do you feel about coming back to Thailand?

Eunji: The last time while we sang and danced onstage, there was heavy rain. I was surprised that after we got off stage, the rain suddenly stopped. But I'm glad to meet everyone today without it raining.

Question: How does Apink look so cute and cheerful all the time?

Eunji: We have great teamwork. If a member has no energy or is downhearted, everybody will cheer her up.

Chorong: We encourage each other before going onstage by giving high-fives or saying something positive.

Question: Is there any music style you would like to try?

Hayoung: We all like hip-hop. If there is an opportunity, we would like to have a hip-hop song.

Question: How do you feel about being ranked the second best girl group behind Girls’ Generation on the Fan Café website?

Bomi: We’re very happy and thankful to all our fans. We feel sorry that we haven’t had the opportunity to come here often. We promise that we’ll find a chance to meet everyone and pay back the fans with great songs.

Question: Is it true that Apink wrote the lyrics for Pink Memory themselves?

Chorong: Hayoung wrote the lyrics for "What a Boy Wants," while I wrote "Déjà Vu." Eunji created the melody for “Promise U.” In the future, I would like to have every member write lyrics and melodies together.

Question: Which of your songs do you like the most?

Bomi: I really like “No No No.” We often sing songs about love, but this song is encouraging and always cheers me up.

Hayoung: While learning the choreography for “Mr Chu,” I didn’t think the song was good. But after I really listened to it, I realised its melody is beautiful.

Chorong: I like the song, “Luv,” which is a break-up song in Apink’s style, so it isn’t so sad.

Question: What do you do in your free time?

Eunji: I like to watch TV dramas, movies and stage plays. I often go to the theatre.

Bomi: We watch movies or TV series together in our dormitory.

Naeun: I like to go to art galleries or visit my mother and hang out with her.

Question: Will there be another Apink concert in Thailand?

Hayoung: If we have a chance we would like to hold a concert here because it would be different to a fan meeting. At the concert, we would perform several songs and have different concepts in the show.

Vocabulary

  • provocative (adj): intended to cause sexual desire
    gradually (adj): happening or changing slowly over a long period of time
    drenched (adj): completely wet
    downhearted (adj): unhappy and having no hope, especially because of a disappointment or failure
    dormitory (n): a large room containing many beds
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