Seungmin Is The ‘Twist King’ of Korean Trot Music + Exclusive Interview
If you haven't heard of Korean Trot but are a lover of K-Pop, now is your chance to get acquainted. The antiquated genre that is very popular among the elder generation of Korea, has taken viewers by storm ever since the hit show 'Mister Trot.' Now, rising stars like Seungmin are taking the stage and breathing life back into this cultural music style for the youth of our generation.
Recently releasing his first album with title track "Twist King," Seungmin of ShowPLAY Entertainment sat down for an exclusive interview with us! Seungmin highlights his thoughts on his first album and the future success he hopes to achieve! Check out his fun-filled interview, alongside his MV, down below!
Seungmin originally replied in Korean so viewers can read the translated version as well as the Korean version below!
1. Can you tell us about the new album? Is there a song you recommend to fans, like 'Twist King'?
(ì ì¨ë²ì ëí´ ìë ¤ì£¼ìê² ìµëê¹? ì¶ì²íë ë ¸ëê° ììµëê¹?)
"This is the first album that I released with my current agency ShowPLAY Entertainment. The retro concept keeps with the current trend and the emotions suit my age now that I'm 19 years old." (Can you believe his age??).
"Although there are many good songs by other singers, I would like to recommend 'If You Keep Walking' in this album. Besides Trot, there are many other genres I want to try, and one of them was this ballad. It's a new challenge, but I think it suited me well. I was proud that the company and people around me liked it as much as "Twist King" (The title song). I think it's a song that would pair really well as a historical drama OST."
"ì´ë² ì¨ë²ì ì§ê¸ì ììì¬ 'ì¼íë ì´ ìí°í
ì¸ë¨¼í¸'ì ìì ì²ìì¼ë¡ ë°ë§¤ íê² ë ì¨ë²ì
ëë¤. ë í¸ë¡ë¼ë íì¬ì í¸ë ëë ë°ë¼ê°ë©´ì 19ì´ì´ë¼ë ì§ê¸ ì ì ëì´ìë ì ë§ë ê°ì±ì ëë¼ ì¤ ì ììê±°ë¼ ìê°ë©ëë¤. ì¶ì²ê³¡ì ë¤ë¥¸ ê°ìë¶ë¤ì ì¢ì ë
¸ëë¤ì´ ì°¸ ë§ê¸´ íì§ë§ ì´ë² ì¨ë²ì ìë¡ëì´ ìë 'ê±·ë¤ ë³´ë©´(If You Keep Walking)'ì ì¶ì²íê³ ì¶ìµëë¤. í¸ë¡í¸ì¸ìë ëì í´ ë³´ê³ ì¶ì ì¥ë¥´ê° ë§ìë° ê·¸ ì¤ íëê° ì´ë° ì¤ë¦¬ìí ë°ë¼ëììµëë¤. ìë¡ì´ ëì ì´ì§ë§ ì ìë ì ì´ì¸ë ¸ë ê² ê°ê³ íì¬ ì§ìë¶ë¤ì´ë 주ìë¶ë¤ë íì´í곡 ëª»ì§ ìê² ì¢ì í´ ì£¼ì
ì ë ë¿ë¯íìµëë¤. ìì
ì ë¤ì´ê° í´ê¸ì리ë ì ë§ ë§ìì ë¤ììµëë¤. ì¬ê·¹ì OSTë¡ ì ë§ ì ì´ì¸ 릴 ê² ê°ì ë
¸ëë¼ê³ ìê°í©ëë¤."
2. Is there any artist you want to perform with?
(í¨ê» ê³µì°íê³ ì¶ì ìí°ì¤í¸ê° ìëì?)
"It's a big dream for me, but I want to perform alongside of Na Hoon-ah, who I respect the most. I have dreamed of becoming a Trot singer after watching Na Hoon-ah, and I went to his concerts the most! This is my biggest dream. I would be honored to have a chance to sing with Na Hoon-ah."
"ì íí ë ë무ë í° ê¿ì´ì§ë§ ê°ì¥ ì¡´ê²½íë ëíì ì ìëì ê³µì°ì ì°¸ì¬ë¥¼ í´ë³´ê³ ì¶ìµëë¤. ëíì ì ìëì ë³´ë©´ì í¸ë¡í¸ê°ìì ê¿ì í¤ììì¼ë©° ì½ìí¸ë ëíì ì ìëì ì½ìí¸ë¥¼ ê°ì¥ ë§ì´ ê°ë©´ì ì ê¿ì´ íê³ í´ì¡ìµëë¤. ê·¸ëì ë무ë í°ê¿ì´ì§ë§ ëíì ì ìëê³¼ í´ë³¼ì ìë 기íê° ìì¼ë©´ ìê´ì´ê² ìµëë¤."
3. Are you a good dancer? Maybe a 'Twist King'?
(춤ì ì íìëì?)
"My dance teacher told me that dancing is normal/average. At first, I thought I was a bad dancer, but I think my hidden dance skills are shining a little bit. I'll show you my dancing skills during 'Twist King.'"
"춤ì ê·¸ëë ë³´íµì´ë¼ê³ ì ì무ì ìëê»ì ë§ìí´ì£¼ì
¨ìµëë¤. ì²ììë 몸ì¹ì¸ì¤ ììëë° ì ìì ì¨ê²¨ì§ 춤 ì¤ë ¥ì´ ì¡°ê¸ì©ì ë¹ì ë³´ê³ ìëê±°ê°ìµëë¤. ì´ì ëì¬ í¸ìì¤í¸í¹ìì 춤 ì¤ë ¥ì ë³´ì¬ëë¦¬ê² ìµëë¤."
4. What is a recent song you listen to?
(ìµê·¼ì ì´ë¤ ë ¸ë ë£ëì?)
"I listen to BTS' 'Dynamite' a lot these days (Who doesn't?). I listen to Trot songs often, but I also listen to ballads too. Among ballads, I listen to Kim Bum Soo's 'Sadness Guide.'"
"ìì¦ BTSì ë°°ëë¤ì ë¤ì´ëë§ì´í¸ë¥¼ ì주 ë£ìµëë¤. í¸ë¡í¸ë ì주 ë£ì§ë§ ë°ë¼ëë ì주 ë£ìµëë¤. ë°ë¼ëì¤ììë ê¹ë²ì ì ë°°ëì ì¬ííì©ë²ì ê°ì¥ ë§ì´ ë£ìµëë¤."
5. Do you have a song you like to sing or hear that is not trot?
(í¸ë¡í¸ê° ìë ê°ì¥ ì¢ìíë ë ¸ë ììµëê¹?)
"I used to sing ballads a lot when I went to karaoke with my friends.At that time, I sang Kim Bum Soo's "Last Love" and "I Miss You" often.Sohyang's "Song of the Wind" was also one of my favorite songs by her."
"ìì ì ì¹êµ¬ë¤ê³¼ í¨ê» ë
¸ëë°©ì ê°ëë©´ ë°ë¼ë를 ë§ì´ ë¶ë¥´ê³¤ íììµëë¤. ê·¸ë ê¹ë²ì ì ë°°ëì 'ëì¬ë', 'ë³´ê³ ì¶ë¤' 를 ì주 ë¶ë ìµëë¤. ìí¥ ì ë°°ëì 'ë°ëìë
¸ë' ìì ì 창곡ì¤ì íëììµëë¤."
6. Do you think Trot can only be popular in Korea?
(í¸ë¡í¸ê° íêµììë§ ì¸ê¸°ê°ìì ê±°ë¼ê³ ìê°íì¸ì?)
"It may be popular only in Korea for now, but recently the program 'Mister Trot' popularized Trot music, creating a new Korean wave. As Trot becomes more and more globalized, I think it will become the second K-Pop fad when many foreigners feel the joys and sorrows of Trot music."
"ì§ê¸ì íêµììë§ ì¸ê¸°ê° ë§ì ìë ìì§ë§ ìµê·¼ìë 미ì¤í°í¸ë¡¯ íë¡ê·¸ë¨ì´ í¸ë¡í¸ë¥¼ ëì¤í를 ìí¤ë©´ì íë¥ ì´íì ì¼ì¼ì¼°ìµëë¤. ê·¸ëì í¸ë¡í¸ê° ì ì ì¸ê³íê° ëì´ê°ë©´ì ë§ì ì¸êµë¶ë¤ê»ìë í¸ë¡í¸ ë ¸ëì ë´ê¸´ ì íê³¼ ì ì를 ëë¼ë ìê° ì 2ì K-Popì´ ëì§ììê¹ ìê°ì´ëëë¤."
7. What is the meaning of 'Trot' music to you?
(í¸ë¡í¸ë 무ìì ì미í©ëê¹?)
"A single ray of sunshine. If I didn't know Trot, I wouldn't have muttered a word in front of people I've never seen before and I wouldn't have made good friends. But I realized my dream of becoming a Trot singer and it has become a turning point in my life, so I think it shines like the sun."
í ì¤ê¸°ì íì´ê°ì ì¡´ì¬ë¤. ë§ì½ í¸ë¡í¸ë¥¼ 몰ëë¤ë©´ íì ìì ê°ìì´ ì²ìë³´ë ì¬ëë¤ ììì ë§ íë§ë 못íê³ ì¹êµ¬ë¤ë ì ì¬ê·ì§ 못íì ê² ê°ìµëë¤. íì§ë§ í¸ë¡í¸ê°ìë¼ë ê¿ì ì´ë£¨ë©° ì¸ìì ì íì ì´ ëì기ì íì´ê°ì ì¡´ì¬ë¼ ìê°íë©°."
8. What was the first trot song you ever heard?
(ì²ì ë¤ìë í¸ë¡í¸ ë ¸ëë 무ìì ëê¹?)
"The first song I heard was Park Sang-cheol's 'Hwang Jinyi.' It was the song that introduced me to Trot music and, naturally, I went onward with that song. It became an unforgettable song for me as I won an award for singing it at a festival as well. Also, my father used to listen to Trot while driving, so it's was often being played."
"ë°ìì² ì ë°°ëì 'í©ì§ì´' ì ëë¤. ì ì í¸ë¡í¸ ì 문 곡ì´ìê³ , ìì°ì¤ë ê·¸ ë ¸ëë¡ ê°ìì ë ëê°ê² ëììµëë¤. ê·¸ ê°ìì ìì ììë íê² ëë©´ì ì ìê² ììì ìë ê³¡ì´ ëììµëë¤. ëí íìì ìë²ì§ê»ì ì´ì íìë©´ì í¸ë¡í¸ë¥¼ ë§ì´ ë¤ì¼ì ì ìì°ì¤ë½ê² ìµíì§ ë ¸ëì´ê¸°ë í©ëë¤."
9.Do you have any message for your fans?
(í¬ë¤ìê² ì í ë©ìì§ë?)
"Thank you so much for always supporting me. I was able to stand tall and feel good because the fans were still cheering me on. As an actor, I will learn and understand many things so that I can become a well-rounded entertainer. Always take care of your health and live a life filled with song. I love you."
"íì ë¶ì¡±í ì 를 ììí´ì£¼ì ì ë무 ê°ì¬ë립ëë¤.ìì§ì ë©ê³ ë íí 길 ì í¬ í¬ë¶ë¤ì´ ê³ì ¨ê¸° ë문ì ì¼ì´ì¤ ì ììê³ íë¼ ì ìììµëë¤. ë°°ì°ë ì ì¥ì¼ë¡ì¨ ë§ì 걸 ë°°ì°ê³ ëë¼ê³ í´ì ë§ë¥ ìí°í ì´ëê° ë ì ìëë¡ ë ¸ë ¥íê² ìµëë¤. ì¸ì ë ê±´ê°ì¡°ì¬íìê³ ë ¸ëë¡ ì¶ì í¬ë§ì´ ëì´ëë¦¬ê² ìµëë¤ ì¬ëí©ëë¤."
Seungmin really has a way with words, right? Don't forget to show your love and support for this wonderful artist and may his music shine down on you like a ray of sunshine!
Thanks to ShowPLAY for the time and interview with Seungmin. Stay tuned for more interviews, updates and more! If you liked this interview, please share the trendy trot songs and more with your friends!