The rising one-of-a-kind fourth-generation boy group LUMINOUS, under WIP Company, just came back with their second mini-album, Between Light and Darkness (Self n Ego) – a whole course meal that serves everything you need, from appetizer to dessert, definitely the album you would like to listen to all day. Since the four-member group’s debut on August 19, 2021, with mini-album YOUTH, LUMINOUS has been one of the biggest rising fourth-generation groups that gives timeless music, powerful performances, and amazing dancing, rapping, and vocal skills.
[apple_music_ad artist=”LUMINOUS” genre=”K-Pop”]LUMINOUS’ latest album, Between Light and Darkness (Self n Ego), shares a great message for those who are finding their “real self” and “fake self.” With thanks to MJ TONZ Entertainment, The Honey POP got to sit down with the well-rounded members Youngbin (leader, lead vocalist, and lead dancer), Suil (main dancer, rapper, and sub vocalist), Steven (rapper and sub vocalist), and Woobin (maknae and main vocalist) to discuss everything about their latest album, hoping to go on a world tour and more. Keep on reading to find out more about LUMINOUS in our exclusive interview!
First and foremost, congratulations on the release of your new album! You just had your first-ever comeback since debut. How does it feel that you had another chance to show off your amazing skills and release another great music?
Youngbin: You can say it’s short or a bit longer that we came back after four months. We worked hard to show off all our skills and all the hard work we put into [creating the album]. We’re very excited that we are able to come back.
We’re big fans of your newest album, Between Light and Darkness! And we want to know all about it, so please tell us the concept of your album.
Suil: The album this time is about between “light” and “darkness.” [About] one’s inner self versus one of our actual selves where the ego we show out to the world and everyone. And just figuring out yourself in between that and we portray that.
Your comeback with Between Light and Darkness (Self n Ego) marked your first and speedy comeback just four months after your debut album, YOUTH, which was released last September of 2021. How did you prepare for your second mini-album, what was the process like? Is there any challenge you’ve faced, how did you overcome it?
Suil: It’s really quick, just four months, so that time it was a bit hard for us to prepare all we wanted to prepare. But at the same time, it really did give us a new mindset and helped our minds control in a sense of learning how to live what we’ve worked for and to work towards the better self within that short period. Although this time there wasn’t as much as we wanted to do, we can always look forward to doing even more and preparing for more for our fans.
We know it’s hard because your album is full of bops, but if you had to pick one song that is your personal favorite from the album, which one would it be and why?
Youngbin: My favorite song is ‘Blind (Scintillation)‘ because it portrays in a sense, a sweet sense, so that’s my favorite song.
Suil: My favorite song is ‘Trouble‘ because just looking at the members when we were recording the song, it was just so amazing. And I think if it’s possible that this could be even the title track. That’s how great it was.
Steven: For me, I personally like ‘Want It More.’ The reason is that it just makes me motivated, makes me want to achieve things I want to achieve.
Woobin: One of my favorite songs is ‘MATRYOSHKA‘ because it gives me the feeling of coming more hip.
Your debut album, YOUTH, talks about the best and worst times of being young, which is connected to your new album and serves as a comparison to “light” and “darkness,” as Between Light and Darkness (Self n Ego) expresses the chaotic situation in-between ones “real self” and “fake self.” Some people seek their true selves and still find it hard to find themselves, especially in these times. Some are having a difficult time during the pandemic. What advice would you tell to fans and readers who are experiencing these kinds of things? What can they do to stay positive?
Suil: Rather than thinking of this may be the end because everyone’s going through such a difficult time right now. Rather than that, think of it as an ongoing story. And this is just one part of the story, and we’re still well off the end, so if we can change our mindset a little bit, and think of those as just temporary, then we will move on to better sunshine at the end of the tunnel.
We know that LUMINOUS will slay every concept out there, but is there any concept or genre you have in mind that you want to explore or try for your future releases?
Youngbin: Maybe doing a brighter concept to show that sort of us, as a lot of our concepts weren’t as bright as before, so showing that part of us would be great.
LUMINOUS is a very hard-working group, can you share with us how do you unwind after a long tiring day? What is your stay-home hobby during this prolonged pandemic?
Steven: In the pandemic, it is kind of difficult for me and all of our friends, just staying in touch, at the same time, I do play games, but if I am not with my friends, I drive near there.
Are there any Korean artists you would want to collaborate with in the future?
Woobin: As it’s been only six months since our debut, there’s still so much that we can learn from all of our seniors in the industry, so we are definitely open to collaborating with anyone who would collaborate with us because we can learn so much and put our unique styles together.
LUMINOUS debuted amidst the pandemic – if ever things go well, what country would you want to travel to first and why?
Steven: For me, we really like to go to Australia because my family and friends are there.
What are your strengths as a group? Are there any areas you would like to improve or develop in the future?
Youngbin: First of all, our strength as a group is our chemistry is really good and really mixes well together. And we really vibe with each other. At the same time, for the areas we want to improve, actually all of them. As we’re still new artists. we love to get better in everything, just to become better artists and better singers.
5 months into your career as a group in the music industry, LUMINOUS have already shown a lot of potential. Where do you envision yourselves in a few years?
Suil: When we release more music in the future, whether it’s just a B-side track or a title song, and when people listen to it, they’ll be like, “Oh, this is definitely LUMINOUS!” as all of our songs are amazing. Becoming better artists for the fans, just showing our best, is what we try to become.
How would you like LUMINOUS to be remembered as a group?
Youngbin: When our fans are looking for something, they can look towards LUMINOUS for comfort, enjoyment, and happiness. Whenever they think of LUMINOUS, they can think of the warm feeling.
The music video for ‘All Eyes Down’ racked up over 10 million views in less than 2 weeks, and your group now has two music videos to hit the milestone, including ‘RUN.’ Congratulations on that! What are your plans after Between Light and Darkness (Self n Ego)? What do you want to accomplish as a group? Feel free to share it with us.
Woobin: So we have a three-part story, the first part is ‘RUN,’ our comeback with ‘All Eyes Down,’ and we’re going to have another part. I hope you will stay tuned for that!
LUMINOUS already have fans all over the world! They definitely can’t wait to see you perform live on stage. Do you have any messages for your fans? What can they expect from you for the rest of 2022?
Steven: Yes! We would love to see our fans as well. So hopefully, when things get better, we can have a concert, not in just Korea, but other countries as well. We will meet face-to-face. That would be really good. In 2022, hopefully, we can go on a tour, a world tour maybe.
If you could describe LUMINOUS to new fans in one word, what word would it be?
Youngbin: Best!!!
All eyes on LUMINOUS! From the band’s addicting discography to the members’ multifaceted talents, everything about this group is perfect. And, you wouldn’t want to miss this chance to finally stan them, right? What’s your favorite track from their latest album Between Light and Darkness (Self n Ego)? Let us know in the comment section below or by tweeting us @TheHoneyPOP!
Want to read our previous interviews? We got you covered!
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