[Interview ①] “Even Friends Who Didn’t Keep in Touch Congratulated Us”

Reporter Yi Seung-hun / April 24th 2024

[Exclusive] Dreamcatcher “After the First AAA Attendance. Even Friends Who Didn’t Keep in Touch Congratulated Us” [Interview ①]

For idol groups with a unique style and worldbuilding, we tend to say “They are their own genre”. Such praise is only given to teams who forge their own genres with concepts no one else could imitate.

This applies to the girl group Dreamcatcher. Featuring a Dark Nightmare concept with a Rock-Metal basis, rarely seen in the K-Pop market before them, Dreamcatcher’s music is so differentiated that their songs are recognizable as Dreamcatcher songs just from their intros.

Furthermore, every member of the team (JiU, SuA, Siyeon, Yoohyeon, Dami, Handong, Gahyeon) decided to renew their contracts with their agency in 2022, overcoming the infamous 7 year limit and opening a new chapter in Dreamcatcher history, one that promises another golden age for the team. They also attended The’2023 Asia Artist Awards IN THE PHILIPPINES, held in the Philippines Arena, winning the AAA Best Choice Award and stealing the hearts of global fans.

As they enter their 8th year as a team, Dreamcatcher is back, more experienced than ever. We recently met with them in the Star News offices of Seorin-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, to chat about stories from ‘2023 AAA’ as well as what the future holds in store for them.

– This was your first time attending AAA since your debut.

▶ JiU = It was interesting and meaningful to sit at the same table with singers and actors we’d only seen on television, watching other artists perform. AAA is an award ceremony you just have to attend at least once as a singer. It was an honor.

▶ SuA = This was the longest award ceremony I’ve been to. I did feel a little worried but it was all so interesting, fun and exciting. All I had was fun the entire time, so I have nothing but good memories.

– It must have been meaningful to win the Best Choice Award on your first attendance.

▶ JiU = After posting about the award on social media, fans all over the world congratulated us, and our staff told us how proud they were. My parents were also happy for me attending a big award ceremony, so I was proud.

▶ Yoohyeon = Friends who I haven’t kept in touch messaged me to congratulate me for the award. It was awkward but I did thank them. We got back in touch thanks to 2023 AAA.

– The support for you was great, perhaps because you held a concert in Manila 4 months before 2023 AAA.

▶ SuA = I was surprised at how passionate the atmosphere was even at the red carpet. It was an award ceremony with a different kind of atmosphere. So many fans were there at the performance venue, and the distance between the stage and the spectators were close so the fun of performing was just that greater. Beyond everything, the energy of the Filipino fans was amazing. We’ve been on a lot of overseas tours, and I thought ‘the energy from these fans are second to none.”

– Was there an actor you wanted to meet in the 2023 AAA lineup”?

▶ SuA = Kentaro Sakaguchi. He was so handsome and tall, I did a double take. It made me think ‘Wow, is he an angel?’ Lee Dong-hwi who sat ahead of our table was also memorable. He clapped along with each performance throughout the whole show, enjoying himself. That was moving. It looked so cool. I also remember Cha Joo-young. When we were promoting Bon Voyage, she used that song for a social media post of her overseas trip. I would have liked to thank her in person but she was too far away so all I could do was watch.

– Which performances did you find memorable?

▶ SuA = The Boys’ performance felt grand. So many dancers. The stage was shaped like a triangle and I think The Boys made the best use of it. It was so much fun, and the fans’ reaction on top of that made me think how fun it would be at their concert.

▶ Gahyeon = AKMU for me. They sang songs that I love and have good memories about, so I enjoyed their show saying ‘whoa~’

▶ JiU = BSS Sunbae-nims’ performance was memorable too. They planned their performance from the artists’ seat and that was great. Not just the performance, but how they cooperated with every artist there was amazing and admirable.

– If you attend 2024’s AAA as well, which award would you like to win?

▶ SuA = Above all else, awards like ‘Performance of the Year’or ‘Singer of the Year’, that would get more people to know about Dreamcatcher.

Continued in interview ② “We Can’t Let Dreamcatcher Go”.. The Reason All Members Decided to Renew Contracts

Source: Star News

Translation by 7-Dreamer HojuneTL
Please do not take translation without credit