We’ve Set Out On A Secret Mission With MCND In This Exclusive Interview

Oh, how nice it is to be able to catch up once again with our friends MCND, it was like it was just yesterday when we were first able to sit down and talk to the talented group. Oh, how the year has flown by.

The last time we interviewed MCND was back in May, and we talked everything MCND AGE, exploring genres, and pre-debut. Now here we are again, talking about the latest releases, secret missions, funny moments, and what we can expect from the group in 2022. They have released another EP since then, THE EARTH: SECRET MISSION Chapter.1, and we gotta admit we’ve been obsessing over it. Obviously the lead track ‘Movin” is a banger, but come on, ‘Cat Waltz,’ and ‘H.B.C’ are bops on their own. From the first release to their latest, we can see the growth MCND has had and we couldn’t be prouder. What can be next for the group? How much higher can they climb? Why don’t we ask the group themselves?

First of all, it is so nice to get to talk to you again! With us having last talked back in May how have you been? What has changed the most for MCND since then?
MCND: Don’t Move, freeze! Hello, we’re MCND.
Castle J: I think what has changed the most is the improvement of the members’ skills. Even during the break, I took vocal lessons or studied music a lot while working on new music. In addition, individually the members tried hard to improve and improve their capabilities by learning acrobatics and dance.
BIC: I think the biggest change is that I have grown a little more in music and performance. I’m still practicing hard to show my growth in the next album.

With your age series now finished you started a new one with The Earth: Secret Mission. What is yet to come? What can we expect from this new series?
WIN: From the third mini-album THE EARTH: SECRET MISSION Chapter.1, MCND’s worldview has been expanded. That’s why we can put more stories and messages behind it. Please look forward to the story and performance that will unfold in the next album.

If you had to be a part of a secret mission which one of you would be doing which part? Who’d be the worst at being sneaky?
BIC: If I had to pick a role for the members, Castle J is intelligent, so I’ll give him a role in making strategies. MINJAE is very strong, so I think he’ll play a role in overpowering his opponent with strength. And HUIJUN is quick, so he plays a role in attracting the other person, and BIC and WIN are waiting and then Castle J will do what Castle J tells them to do.

We were, just like GEM, so happily surprised when you dropped ‘Reason.’ Why did you choose this song to be the pre-release single of your new series? What stories did you want to tell with your latest album?
Castle J: ‘REASON’ is the first song we introduced in English, and we have prepared since we were active in ‘Not over.’ It’s a song that I practiced really hard because I wanted to show it for the first time when the COVID-19 situation improved and I could meet my fans in person and perform. We couldn’t meet due to COVID-19, so we released the trailer video first.
BIC: I think GEM knew as soon as they heard it. ‘REASON’ is a song for GEM. In fact, GEM was the driving force behind us to develop our dreams and prepare for the stage. So I wanted to deliver the message through this song, “The reason why I came here and the reason why I am looking for the stage is GEM.”
HUIJUN: It literally means “the reason to meet you,” and it contains the desire to breathe on stage with fans.

What was the funniest thing that ever happened during a recording session? Is there a song that took the longest to record? Which member usually takes the longest when recording? Which one of you is the quickest when it comes to recording a song?
Castle J: I think ‘REASON’ took the longest! It is also the first song to be released on the third mini-album, and it took a long time because the lyrics were English. And I think vocalists have a long recording time. The fastest one to record is… I think I’m the first one to wrap this up!!
BIC: I think ‘REASON’ took the longest. The member who takes the longest time to record… I don’t know… I think it’s all the same. And, depending on the condition of the recording day, the members who finish quickly or end late seem to change.
MINJAE: The song that took the longest time to record was ‘REASON.’ I think it took the longest because I recorded it repeatedly. And it seems to take a little longer to record because me (MINJAE) and HUIJUN are part of the vocal part. . The members who record fast are the members who rap.
HUIJUN: I think it’s ‘REASON.’ I remember paying a lot of attention to the pronunciation. I think it takes similar recording times. If there are a lot of songs, it takes me (HUIJUN) and MINJAE a long time, and if there is a lot of rap, it seems that the members who rap take a long time. I think the fastest recording member is similar.
WIN: It’s ‘REASON.’ It took a long time because it was filled with only English lyrics. And on the day of recording, the member in good condition records quickly, and the member in bad condition takes a long time.

You already have quite a few albums under your name. Which one has been your favorite so far?
Castle J: I like ‘TOP GANG,’ ‘Outro.’ and ‘PLAYER.’   
BIC: I like the ‘nanana’ album the most!
MINJAE: The number one song in my heart seems to be 2-3 songs, so I guess I’ll have to listen to it again to decide. Hahaha.
HUIJUN: ‘Beautiful’ is my favorite song.
WIN: I love all the songs, but I like ‘Crush’ the most. I like it because it seems to be a song of color that only MCND can release.

Can we expect some unit songs in the future? Which style of music would you pursue?
MINJAE: We performed as a unit with songs called ‘Dream and ‘Car Race’ in 2021 ON:LIVE <GEM SPACE>, and GEM liked it a lot. So if I have a chance, I’d like to show you unit songs and performances.
Castle J: We mainly played songs based on Hip-Hop, and we want to try various genres and styles regardless of genre.

We always love watching your TikToks! What’s been your favorite TikTok challenge you tried so far?
Castle J: Since we like dancing, there are many TikTok videos of us dancing. While filming, we are laughing because it’s fun.
BIC: My favorite thing on TikTok is playing games with my face, and I’m excited while filming it!
MINJAE: When I take pictures personally, I take TikTok, which shows more of my color, and when I take pictures as a group, I take TikTok, which is in harmony.
HUIJUN: Each group and individual is full of energy and shows MCND itself.
WIN: TikTok tends to turn on the camera first when it looks fun regardless of the type. I try to look cool on stage, and on TikTok, I take a lot of pictures of my personality.

Your last album The Earth Secret Mission Chapter 1 includes one of our favorite workout and let-loose songs ‘H.B.C.’ Do you listen to your own songs while working out? What’s usually on your workout playlist?
Castle J: Of course, MCND songs are in my playlist. I don’t usually enjoy exercising, but when I take a walk, I listen to the songs in my debut album a lot.
BIC: I’m a fan of PENOMECO, so I’m listening to PENOMECO’s songs.
MINJAE: Foreign Hip-Hop songs are mainly on the playlist.
HUIJUN: I listen to it from time to time. If it’s MCND’s song, I can work out excitedly!
WIN: I usually listen to MCND songs hundreds of times when I practice, so I try to listen to other singers’ songs in my personal time.

Last time we talked, you told us you’d like to try more r&b and rock styles of music? Is this still a plan?
MCND:Yes, We are still planning. We want to challenge not only R&B and Rock, but also various genres of music.

What can fans look forward to in 2022? 
MCND: Our plan and goal for 2022 are to meet GEMs around the world in person when Covid-19 calms down. We are practicing hard to show you the music and stage of MCND, which has grown even more, so We hope we can meet in good health. Thank you for always supporting us and loving us. ^^

We’re going to have to do this every year, catching up two times (or possibly more) a year to see how each of us has grown. Who else thinks that’s a good idea?

GEM what was your favorite MCND moment this year? What are you hoping for them in 2022? Let us know in the comments down below, on Twitter @thehoneypop, and don’t forget to talk to us over on Facebook and Instagram!

Wanna check out our other interviews? We got you covered!

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Words by: Selina Kuhn & Valerie Valdez

Featured Image Source: Courtesy of Top Media Entertainment, Edited by: Jen Southern – THP Graphic Design Team