The Dream Kpop Fantasy Concert press conference: Infinite

Woollim Entertainment‘s successful 7-member idol group, Infinite, has finally hit the Philippine shores for their special performances at the Dream Kpop Fantasy Concert.

On January 18, Myungsoo, Woohyun, Sungjong, Sunggyu and Sungyeol presented themselves to the press to talk about their interests, their music and so much more. Dongwoo and Hoya were unable to attend the conference, as they were in Korea busily promoting as the group’s sub-unit, Infinite H. Read on to see how the boys were able to capture the crowd with their wit and charisma.

Press conference:

Host: Welcome to the Philippines! Can you introduce yourselves to everyone?

Myungsoo: Hi everyone. I am L.

Woohyun: Hi everyone. I am Woohyun. Thank you.

Sungjong: Hi everyone. I am Sungjong.

Sunggyu: Hi everyone. I am Sunggyu.

Sungyeol: Hi everyone. I am Sungyeol.

Host: Since it’s your first time in the Philippines, what do you expect on this trip?

Sunggyu: It is our first time in the Philippines and it’s very cold in Korea right now. The weather here is very warm and we love the weather. We really wanted to be here and have a concert as soon as possible to meet our fans.

Host: What do you think of Filipino girls and will you ever date one?

Woohyun: We were really surprised that there were really so many beautiful and cool Filipinas. We will have a date with them on our concert.

Host (to the fans):  Are you guys excited to meet them?

Fans: Yes!

Host: You guys are so popular here. Do you guys know how popular you are here?

Sungyeol: Before we came here, to the Philippines, we were really really surprised how many our fans are. We really really appreciate it.

Press: K-pop has been very influential around the world. How do you feel about the influence of K-pop?

Sunggyu: We’re very proud that the influence of K-pop has been very great. As a K-pop star, I am very proud.

Press: Can you share your future plans with us?

Woohyun: We will give our fans performances. We’re planning to perform all over Asia, so we ask for your love.

Press: Your co-member, Hoya, received good reviews on his acting in Reply 1997? What can you say about Hoya’s acting in a gay role?

Sunggyu: The role that he played in the drama, rather than being gay, it was more like having more affection to the boy friend. We were really surprised that he had a good performance.

Press: Do you have plans of having any activities here, like a solo fan meeting, or a concert here in the Philippines, since fans have been waiting for almost three years already?

Sunggyu: First of all, we will work hard on our album. We plan to work on something for Asia soon.

Infinite: Philippines, saranghaeyo!

Infinite also expressed how grateful they were to perform in an event with Girls’ Generation. When asked what their favorite choreography was, Woohyun showed everyone their famous scorpion dance in Before the Dawn. Before the press conference ended, Myungsoo promised that they would be showing their passion in performing for their Filipino fans.

Stay tuned to hellokpop, as we will soon be bringing you an exclusive update on Tahiti’s press conference and more coverage of the Dream Kpop Fantasy Concert. Meanwhile, read our coverage of U-KISS’ press conference HERE.

Event covered: camille@hellokpop.com, rianna@hellokpop.com, sunlee@hellokpop.com
Photos edited: seckvoon@hellokpop.com

Special thanks to Ms. Happee Sy and PULP Live World

INFINITE reveals rehearsal photos for ‘That Year’s Summer’ Concert

INFINITE‘s summer concert is drawing close with only one day left to go. The boys have released behind-the-scenes rehearsal photos as they diligently prepare for their upcoming concert That Year’s Summer!

As reported earlier, the concert will be held over five days, from the 8th to the 12th of August, at AX KOREA. Up to 10,000 fans will attend the concert and INFINITE will be performing special unplugged versions and covers of their own songs and dance tracks. The group will also showcase various performances and will transform into a band with L as the guitarist, Dongwoo on the bass, Sungjong on the keyboard and Sungyeol as the drummer. With a ‘summer vacation’ theme, the boys plan to make their concert one that is unforgettable for their fans.

During an interview, group member Sungyeol said with a wide smile:

“I don’t think taking photos is going to work for me because I’m bare-faced.”

Dongwoo also commented:

“I didn’t know time was going by when I was practicing” and leader Sunggyu said, ”The concert date is coming up soon, but there’s so many things to prepare for.”

In the photos you can see that the boys are working very hard for their concert and each member is participating wholeheartedly, making it very special and highly anticipated. Check out the photos below:

Sources: News – hyejin @ infinite updates (1)(2), dkpopnews; Photos –  sports.hankooki

INFINITE’s Sungyeol shows off his unique airport fashion

Celebrities’ airport fashion has always been a hot topic in the media. Idols and artists are always gearing up with their best attire as they meet fans and paparazzi at airports.

The latest airport fashion that has caught the eyes of the media is INFINITE‘s Sungyeol, who showed up in a… bathrobe! Despite this ‘unique’ approach, Sungyeol still managed to maintain his chic idol image with his well-groomed hair and large sunglasses.

In the pictures, the other members can be seen laughing, did Sungyeol lose a bet?

Check out the other pictures below!

What do you think of Sungyeol’s unique airport fashion?

Source: Ningin

Images: 910827-sy.com, edum_7, as tagged in photos

Album Review: Infinite – Infinitize

Release: May 15, 2012
Distributor: Loen Entertainment
Rating: 

SHINee did their thing earlier in the year. Two months later, Infinite returns fire. Yeah, I know there isn’t an actual rivalry or anything going on here – if anything, I’d expect the two groups have a lot of respect for each other. Still, when you consider the fact that these two are the most consistently well-reviewed boy bands on the scene, it’s hard to avoid at least a bit of comparison. Now, Infinitize doesn’t try anything fancy like Sherlock‘s hybrid gimmick; structurally, it’s a run-of-the-mill, balanced EP. Compared to the SHINee effort, this album is more clearly meant to be a stepping stone. Something to fill the lull, to take a breather between major releases.

You wouldn’t know that from just the lead single, though. Sweetune reached into its best bag of tricks and pulled out 추격자 (The Chaser), an electropop number in the familiar high-octane mold that this team likes so much. On the one hand, The Chaser faithfully follows the conventions we’ve come to expect from this duo’s recent work. No mainstream composer today uses brass samples quite like Sweetune does; the same brand of back-beat staccato brass that trademarked Kara‘s Step returns here, and although it’s used only in the choruses, it reconstructs much of that song’s heady energy and elation. The faintly retro soundset is a watered-down version of what appears in F(x)‘s 아이 (Love), and parts of the drum sample is almost identical to the ones used in Love. The buzzing electric guitar is a relic from Rainbow‘s Mach, among others. Throw in the breakneck speed and singalong chorus, and we have a complete gift set for the Sweetune enthusiast.

While that’s the overwhelming impression, there is nevertheless some new paint on these walls. The Chaser‘s chorus is inspired by Korean folk music, and the melody is crafted to be just familiar enough to native listeners while being delectably addictive. Paired up with the brass backing and chorus of seven members, this refrain becomes downright explosive. As if that wasn’t enough, the second and third occurrences of the refrain achieve additional impact by leading with a lighter iteration (performed well by Sunggyu and Woohyun, respectively) before expanding out fully. In both design and execution, this is some of the best sound you’ll hear from any idol group on the scene right now.

Lyricist Song Su-yoon picks up the folk-music theme and uses that genre’s language to some extent, and although it’s no more than a couple lines in the chorus, those lines do make the song sound a bit more unique. (The folk-inspired interjections are cringe-worthy, though. It’s not a good idea to begin with, and Sungyeol and L have no answer as to making that sound anywhere near natural.) Also notable is how Song refuses to recycle lyrics – for a dance track, The Chaser has very little repetition.

After that sucker-punch of a lead single, the EP becomes much more pedestrian. There’s a real disconnect between The Chaser and everything else. Sleek pop-ballad Feel So Bad is the only track that stands apart, but mainly through devices such as dramatic but terse piano samples and a theatric vocal intermission between verses rather than strength of performance or overall composition. Sweetune’s downtempo compositions, 그 해 여름 (That Summer) and 눈물만 (Only Tears), are decent, but played suffocatingly safe. M.C. The Max member J.Yoon does the same thing, although I want to note that 90s-style ballad With… is the last thing I expected him to write. At least there’s no genre overlap; from heavy-handed ballad to summer-minded party track, this is pretty much as many shades of pop as you can portray in a seven-track release.

And that’s how, even considering its position, Infinitize becomes average to a disappointing extent. Last year’s Over The Top was so well-rounded, filled with so many quality tracks, that this EP’s sudden blandness feels jarring. If Woollim Entertainment was going for a “loose” album, they could at least have used this opportunity to attempt some new things – perhaps bringing in completely new composers to complement Sweetune, instead of relying on that team and J.Yoon again, or giving Infinite members some more free reign musically. The Chaser is great, but Infinitize feels like an overly cautious release that neither addresses Infinite’s viability outside of Sweetune (a real concern) nor taps very far into the band’s potential.

Tracklist (recommended tracks listed in bold)

1. Infinitize
2. 추격자 (The Chaser)
3. Feel So Bad
4. 그해 여름 (That Summer)
5. 눈물만 (Only Tears)
6. 니가 좋다 (I Like You)
7. With…

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the individual and not of hellokpop.

Photo credit: maniadb
Video credit: woolliment, amberisnotaman, DSPKara on YouTube

Have a recent release that you’d like to see reviewed? Feel free to tell us in a comment below! Requested albums will be considered each week and may be selected to be reviewed in the subsequent week.