08 September 2021 Quem Interview “Dreamcatcher: Our uniqueness makes us different from the others”

The K-Pop group talked with Quem about the difficulties in their career, the achievements of the seven member group and their relationship with their LGBTQIA+ fans.

Our favorite rock musicians, JiU, SuA, Siyeon, Handong, Yoohyeon, Dami and Gahyeon spoke to Quem about Dreamcatcher’s latest comeback with the mini-album Summer Holiday. The group will be the first K-Pop group to perform at Primavera Sound 2022, a music festival held in Barcelona, Spain.

“We’re really thankful and happy. [Thinking about] the fact that we’ll show ourselves at such a big festival and get to interact with the audience [makes us feel really thankful and happy]”, celebrates Gahyeon. “We’re really proud of ourselves. We hope that our performance will be a moment where everyone sees and recognises Dreamcatcher’s worth”, states JiU.

The mini-album was released at the end of July. “This comeback shows our refreshing summer side, with a different feeling [than usual] that we loved to put on the album.This album contains different music genres that we hadn’t explored yet. It gave us the chance to explore our own definition of summer”, JiU adds.

“All of our discography is based on real life matters, but this new album is special because we told a different story. There’s references to the movie Us (2019, dir. Jordan Peele) in ‘Summer Holiday’, that inspired us a lot. I believe we’ve built our own color as a group, and during this journey of creating more quality music and gaining more fans, we’ve also matured a lot”, says Dami.

Quem: How do you create your concepts? Do you believe that the visual [concept] is just as important as the music?

SuA: Our company worked to create Dreamcatcher’s story, bringing together both music and concepts. I think we were able to heighten that even more with every member focused on expressing the concept. I believe every little detail is important. The quality of the album comes from the guarantee that all elements have been worked on until perfection.

Siyeon: We work really hard to make the best of it with our abilities. The visual elements are just as important as the sound, so it’s essential that everything is well put-together.

You’re known for having a heavier musical identity. Would you like to try other genres?

Handong: I’m really happy with the sound and genre that we show as a group. But if we were to explore other genres, I think it would be great to make a song that showed a completely different side of us. Maybe a ballad, where we would stay still… That would be really different from what we usually do.

Yoohyeon: Personally, I would like to make a fun song! I think it would be interesting to make a song with a happy melody, but also with some sadness… Like our song Airplane.

Dami: We’re open to explore other genres and mix them with our rock sound. We try to show different genres with our b-sides, and we really want to try different things.

You’ve shown support towards the LGBTQIA+ community and that’s rare among idols. Do you think it’s important to talk about it to oppose prejudice and hate? 

Yoohyeon: We all live together in the same society. I truly believe that respect and equality has to be the basis and center of everything.

Dami: I hope our world can become a place where everyone can be equal.

Who inspired you to become idols?

JiU: When I dreamt of becoming a singer, my biggest inspirations were Fin.K.L and Jang Na-ra. When I debuted, I felt like I was really inexperienced. I was always very careful and insecure a lot of the time. I believe that every experience helped me grow and brought me more confidence.

SuA: We helped each other a lot in the beginning. We took care of each other, especially because we know each other well. We worked hard and put a lot of effort into it, and we still do today. My inspiration to become a singer was BoA.

What were your families’ reactions when you decided to tell them you wanted to become idols?

Siyeon: Honestly, my parents knew how hard it would be for me. They weren’t too happy when I told them about it. But they supported me when they saw how much I wanted to become an idol.

Handong: My parents were totally against it at first. After a while, they started to see that it was my dream and started to support me as time went on.

Do you ever argue? How do you solve the quarrels among you?

Yoohyeon: Of course! If some members are arguing, the others don’t get involved so they can settle it themselves. We always end up talking and laughing about it. We still remember the times when we had arguments, and that helps us become even closer.

Dami: We talk a lot with each other, whether it’s about good or bad things. When we’re worried about something, we look for support and help from each other.

Gahyeon: In difficult times, we cry. But we’re always talking. That’s how we get through the rough times, together.

What do you think a K-Pop group needs to break the mold? What sets Dreamcatcher apart from the rest?

Siyeon: Our concepts, musical genre and colors, and narrative are the main factors that set us apart from the others. More importantly, it’s our uniqueness that really makes us different from the others.

Handong: The fact that we showcase our own style, continuously, allows us to show something different than the rest. I believe we will continue to do so until more and more people know about Dreamcatcher. I also want to emphasize that it’s our teamwork that creates this different charm in us, both on and off stage.

Source: Quem

Translation by 7-Dreamers Jo & ArchRod
Please do not take translation without credit