[ENG] ODD EYE CIRCLE Interview with Quem (230714)

ODD EYE CIRCLE on their new phase in K-pop: “We’ve matured and improved our skills”.

Kim Lip, JinSoul and Choerry of ODD EYE CIRCLE reflected on starting from scratch and their obstacles throughout their seven-year career

The girls from ODD EYE CIRCLE re-debuted on Thursday (11th) and already have more than 3 million views on the Air Force One music video, the title track of their new album Version Up. After seven years since their career started as LOONA in 2016, Kim Lip, Jinsoul and Choerry return to the spotlight of the musical industry with what started as a subunit but quickly made thousands of fans fall in love. The trio's reunion is part of the ARTMS project, in which they join with two former members of LOONA, Haseul and Heejin, to achieve even more. In an interview with Quem, the trio talked about their expectations for this new phase.



With an energetic and fun vibe, the group showed that they are not holding anything back in this new beginning. About this new beginning, Kim Lip points out what has changed since the group's debut as a subunit in 2017. "Six years have passed since our last release. So these years made a big difference", she says. "It's certainly visible that we've matured and our skills have improved", she affirms.



Jinsoul adds that there's the desire of showing the fans these changes in this new phase. The artist also says that it's easier to show each member's unique style in a group of three performers. In the previous group, which had 12 members, they did very synchronised choreographies: "We can express the charm and unique style that each member has, and try new things", she assures.



The group's routine for a flawless debut has been strict, and despite the turbulence of everyday life, ODD EYE CIRCLE seeks to resolve their differences through dialog: "These days, we try and discuss our differences, and end up voting to make decisions. Whoever has the most votes, wins. But of course, we also ask other people to help us to try and reach a consensus", adds Jinsoul.



The group says they have learned and evolved as idols throughout the years. Kim Lip points out communication as the most important factor: "I used to be very direct while talking to people, but I've learned to talk with others in a more delicate way", she points out.



"I learned to express my feelings and emotions”, Choerry adds. "I used to think I was fine with anything, but now when I like or dislike something, I've learned to express those emotions vividly", she celebrates.

The girls also recall the difficulties of being a K-pop artist. Kim Lip points out that the most challenging part of being a star is going on diets to either gain or lose weight, and to fulfil the standards the industry asks for. Therefore, Choerry advises young people, who want to become celebrities, not to suffer with diets and to seek help when they are unwell.

“Kim Lip always says: ‘Just eat well and exercise’. Also, remember your mental health, and seek support from people around you. Getting things off my chest with my members and my family helped me a lot in those moments”, she advises.

Talking to their family was one of the key points for them to realise their dream of becoming idols. Choerry and Kim Lip say that convincing their family was a difficult task: “I tried to convince my parents with all my heart. After that, they just said: ‘Okay, just make it work’”, Choerry recalls.

“My parents wanted me to have an ordinary life and not the life of a star”, adds Kim Lip. “However, I kept insisting, and in the end they eventually supported me in my dream of becoming an idol”.

The new look of the singers was very well received by the fans. In Brazil, ODD EYE CIRCLE was amongst the most talked about subjects on Twitter during the launch. When asked about what they know about Brazil, Kim Lip said she knows it’s the best country at football: “If someone asked me who is the best in football, I wouldn’t think twice before saying it’s Brazil”, she says.

Furthermore, Choerry thanks their Brazilian fans for their support and expresses her desire to meet her fans: “Thank you so much for all your support from so far away. We hope to see you in person and introduce ourselves to all of you. I love you”, she says.

The seven years of their career were also fundamental to learn how to handle success and fame. Kim Lip points out that it’s important to be proud of your work, but to never brag: “The three of us do our best and we don’t brag about it. We try to stay humble; our secret is to remember where we came from in a critical way and look at where we are now”, she concludes.

Source