INTERVIEW: TEMPEST Dives Into the World of ‘BAD NEWS’

TEMPEST, the newest boy group under Yuehua Entertainment, joins us today to discuss their first mini-album It’s ME, It’s WE. The group debuted on March 2 with the title track “BAD NEWS,” a catchy and energic song bound to get anyone on their feet. They are a seven-member group that consists of LEW, Hanbin, Hyeongseop, Hyuk, Eunchan, Hwarang, and Taerae. With their extraordinary performing abilities, each member has brought the concept’s explosive energy to life and has so much lying in store for future comebacks. Since “BAD NEWS” was such a massive success for the group, garnering over 15 million views and counting, we are anxiously awaiting the innovative ideas their next project will bring.

LEW: Let’s introduce ourselves. Two, three!
TEMPEST It’s WE! Hello, we are TEMPEST!

GLITTER: What is one thing that fans do not know about you yet?

TAERAE: It would be that iE doesn’t know each of our charms yet. We still have so much to show you, so please look forward to us. What can your fans expect from you all with this debut?

LEW: I believe that capturing our honest stories in every one of our albums is TEMPEST’s universe and concept. We will continue to showcase various musical genres and performances, so please love and support us.

GLITTER: How would you describe your style?

HYUK: We have a team chant. We’ll show you. One, two, three. TEMPEST All at once! Yes, like our team chant, our style is, “Let’s give it all at once!”

GLITTER: What is the meaning of your group name? What does it represent?

LEW: TEMPEST means a strong storm and it contains our aspiration to “sweep everything.” As well as winning awards at various award ceremonies, TEMPEST will become a fabulous group that sweeps K-pop, the music industry and the world, so please look forward to us.

HYUK: Please look forward to us.

GLITTER: What sort of message are you looking forward to spreading with your fans?

EUNCHAN: We hope to spread TEMPEST’s positive messages through each of our unique charms and attributes. We will try hard to become a group that is constantly developing. Also, we thank you and love you, iE, for always being by our side. 

HWARANG, LEW: We love you.

GLITTER: If you could describe the theme of this debut with one phrase, what would that phrase be?

HWARANG: If I were to compare it to music, I would like to describe it as the “start of an intro.”

GLITTER: What motivated each of you to enter the music scene? Who are some of your inspirations?

HYEONGSEOP: I have never experienced anything that makes my heart beat as strong as when I am making music or performing on stage. That is why I decided to take on this career path. BTS has been a great inspiration to me on this journey.

HYUK: In the past, I went to a concert and I was fascinated by the beautiful lights from the light sticks and the spirits of the countless people. I thought, “Wow, I want to perform somewhere amazing like here,” and this made me pursue music.

GLITTER: When did you realize that music was your dream?

TAERAE: During my trainee days, I went to a concert of a singer I like. I was envious and I choked up when I saw them having so much fun dancing and singing on stage. I thought, “Wow, that’s so cool. I want to do that, too,” and became sure of my dream.

GLITTER: What is one thing that you would want your fans to know about the creation of this debut?

HWARANG: We repeatedly wrote and erased the lyrics when we were preparing for our debut album. We were very careful when we were recording and questioning everything, “What can we do to approach iE more easily?” and, “How can we capture more of our emotions?” So I really want to tell our iE, “We were always thinking of iE when we were recording.”

GLITTER: How did you all react when you first heard the debut song?

HANBIN: I was surprised when I first heard it because I was expecting it to be a charismatic concept but it turned out to be a bright concept with positive energy. But I liked it the second time I listened to it. I liked it because I thought it was very charming, original, fresh, and a concept I had wanted to try.

GLITTER: What direction are you hoping to move this group in following your debut?

LEW: We hope to connect endlessly with our iE and to continue to bring outstanding performances. Also, we hope to deliver positive energy to people all around the world through our stage, music, and performances.

GLITTER: What were some new experiences you all got to go through during the whole production process (recording, filming, photoshoots, etc.)?

EUNCHAN: There were so many cameras and the atmosphere on set was very different from what I had imagined.

GLITTER: Any fun moments that were memorable or opened your eyes?

HYUK: I think our performance on the music show, after our debut, and the times we met our fans are most memorable. As these were new experiences, there were a lot of aspects I learned and realized.

GLITTER: What are each of your favorite songs on the mini-album? Why are they your favorite?

EUNCHAN: I chose “Find Me” which is one of our B-side tracks. I chose this song because I think it shows our powerful energy.

TAERAE: Mine would be “Just A Little Bit.” I chose this song because I enjoy songs with warm feelings.

HANBIN: I really like “Bad At Love.” I liked this song since I first listened to it and the melody and lyrics are so cute. I like how it’s to my taste.

LEW: My favorite is “to YOU.” I think this song shows how we truly feel towards our fans.

GLITTER: What genres of music are you open to exploring in the future? What different concepts?

HYEONGSEOP: I wish to try a futuristic cyberpunk concept. I would also like us to try and showcase other various conceptual genres.

GLITTER: How has any of your prior experience in the music world helped you with the creation of this debut?

HANBIN: Yes, being on the show allowed me to experience a lot of things. I was also able to learn about myself more and I gained a lot of confidence.

HWARANG: My past experience on TV shows and the feelings and memories I have from going on stage at the time helps me to get my mindset ready before up on stage as TEMPEST’s HWARANG.

GLITTER: Did you expect certain procedures, feel comfortable with the shooting process, etc., or was all of this new to you?

LEW: Since I had past experiences of being on a survival program and participating in the project unit, “HYEONGSEOP X EUIWOONG,” I think the debut process was a bit smoother for me compared to what the other members had experienced. But our debut together felt different. Although it’s hard to have seven people work and sync together, we created an even greater synergy once we did it and I enjoyed that process.

TAERAE: The preparation process for our debut wasn’t easy. However, I think I have learned a lot in that process, and those are very valuable times for me.

GLITTER: Lastly, what impact are you hoping to make with this debut?

TAERAE: Our goal is to make a positive impact on countless people. I hope this debut promotion has brought us a step closer to our goal. Thank you.

LEW: Yes, it has been TEMPEST.

TEMPEST Thank you!

LEW: Bye~

HWARANG: We love you~

HANBIN: Bye~

HYEONGSEOP: Thank you.