Get Got7

K-pop sensations hit Bangkok

By Suwitcha Chaiyong
Photos courtesy of BEC Tero,
TofuPop Radio and BEC Music

Seven-member boy band Got7 were created by the South Korean JYP Entertainment label, known for bringing the world K-pop sensations like Rain and 2PM.

Got7 released their debut single “Girls Girls Girls,” taken from their EP Got It, last January. In June, the group started promoting their latest lively hit, “A,” which was featured on the Got Love EP.

With their well-produced songs, great singing abilities, stunning acrobatic dance moves and performing skills, Got7 obviously have what it takes to be a big-name group.

Along with their Korean members, the group includes guys from America, Hong Kong and Thailand, which has helped them to attract fans internationally.

BOYS IN BANGKOK

Got7 took Bangkok by storm during their first visit to the kingdom from August 22 to 24. Crowds followed Got7 everywhere as the guys — JB, 20, Mark, 20, Jackson, 20, Junior (or Jr), 19, Youngjae, 17, Bam Bam, 17 and Yugyeom, 16 — kept busy with interviews, a fan meeting and a performance at the Tofu Music Festival.

On August 24 at Siam Paragon, the guys also received a gold award from BEC Tero Music for their album Got7: Thailand Special Set, which sold well after just two days of release.

GREAT GIG

At the Tofu Music festival, Got7 were one of a couple groups that drew a packed crowd to Impact Arena. Their hour-long show was fantastic, despite some problems with the sound system. Their performance of “Girls Girls Girls” was especially jaw-dropping, with amazing acrobatics and b-boy dance moves.

Got7’s fan club, IGot7, responded wildly and energetically to the show, especially when Thai member Bam Bam rapped part of the Thai song, “Sawan Chan Jed (Seventh Floor of Heaven).”

BEAUTIFUL BALLADS

Apart from their powerful dance tracks, Got7 sang the ballads “Playground” and “Forever Young” beautifully.

When the guys posed to perform “A,” the backing track of “Bounce” was played by mistake, but the group handled the situation professionally by singing and dancing along with the song.

LOCAL LANGUAGE

Since Got7 have Bam Bam, the group is familiar with many Thai phrases and slang words. Jackson proved especially good at learning Thai, since he could fluently say, “Do you know Got7?,” “Thai women are beautiful,” and the slang phrase, “Do you have nuts?” in Thai.

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While they were in town, Student Weekly met up with Got7 twice for group interviews. Here are some of the best parts of the interviews.

Question: What’s the first thing that you think of when somebody mentions Thailand?

Youngjae: Elephants.

Jackson: Frozen watermelon juice.

Jr: Bam Bam!

Question: Have the non-Korean members of Got7 had hard time adjusting to Korean culture and language?

Bam Bam: A little bit. But there are similarities in our cultures. Nickhun from 2PM has helped me out a lot. We can now communicate in Korean and English.

Jackson: I didn’t have much problem with the culture, but there were some things I didn’t understand. In Korea, there are specific words that people say when they meet or leave each other. In Hong Kong, we don’t do that. We can just leave without saying anything.

Question: Youngjae, what kind of songs do you usually write during your free time?

Youngjae: Most of the songs I write are ballads. My latest song is called “Raining.”

Question: JB, how did you come up with the lyrics for the song “Bad Behavior,” which is about a guy trying to make his girl talk about her feelings?

JB: I’ve never experienced that kind of situation, but I imagined what I would do if it happened to me. Then I just wrote down what I imagined.

Question: What advice did you guys receive from the founder of JYP, Park Jin Young?

JB: He said that we should practise and prepare our bodies to be ready all the time. He also taught us about JYP’s singing style, and to not think that we’re great. We have to keep working to improve.

Question: Where would you recommend that people to visit in South Korea?

Youngjae: My home town, Mokpo. You should try squid, which is the famous food there.

JB: The Gyeongbokgung royal palace. It’s a prominent tourist attraction where you can learn about Korean history.

Jackson: The JYP building. It’s a great place and you can meet us there!

Question: How do you feel about this visit to Thailand?

Bam Bam: We’ve received a very warm welcome. We hope to come back again soon.

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