H what Malaysian K-pop fans do when they meet their idols – they bring them dodol from Johor, heong peang from Ipoh, kacang tumbuk, “I Love KL” T-shirts, herbal candy (y’know, cos they have to sing so much) and a whole lotta love.
Well, at least that’s what the three winners of the Sunsilk Sweet Trip contest did when they flew to Seoul, South Korea to hang out with popular K-pop boy band MBLAQ.
To win the trip, the winners – Leong Mae-Chel, 18; Fatin Noor Atiqah, 23; and Christy Lim, 26 – had to upload their own take on the Sunsilk Pretty Like Me video on YouTube, and explain why they should get to meet MBLAQ.
Clearly, the organisers picked the right people.
Each of the winners was allowed to bring along one friend, and together, they brought so many gifts it looked like Christmas had come early.
Apart from all the foodstuff, one of them also brought a pillowcase with the KL skyline printed on it for one of the band members, Lee Joon, because he slept a lot when he was on reality TV show Hello Baby. Another winner brought home-baked cookies all the way from KL.
Unfortunately, only three of the five MBLAQ boys could make it – leader Seungho, main vocalist G.O. and main rapper Mir. Lee Joon and Cheondung couldn’t make it because they were busy.
But the winners all had a great time nonetheless, chatting with their idols, taking photos together and even dancing with them to the sounds of Rasa Sayang. The session was supposed to last an hour, but the guys were kind enough to stay on longer than that, even though they’ve been busy working on their upcoming album.
What do Malaysian K-pop fans do when meeting their idols? They bring them Malaysian snacks, home-baked cookies, and much, MUCH more.
Chatting with MBLAQ
According to G.O., their new album is expected to drop in October or November, barring any hiccups. He also said it’ll be the first album produced by MBLAQ themselves.
According to G.O., their new album is expected to drop in October or November, barring any hiccups. He also said it’ll be the first album produced by MBLAQ themselves.
As far as the concept goes, G.O said they always try to exude a masculine and mature vibe when it comes to their image, music and lyrics.
“That’s what sets us apart from the other boy bands out there,” added Seungho.
Another thing that sets them apart is the fact that they were brought together by Korean superstar Rain. After two years of training and grooming, they made their on-stage debut in 2009 at Rain’s Legend Of Rainism concert, under the name MBLAQ, which stands for “Music Boys Live in Absolute Quality”.
Since then, they’ve been releasing chart-topping singles, albums and EPs, the most recent of which, Broken, peaked at No 1 earlier this year on the Gaon Music Charts, Korea’s equivalent of the Billboard charts.
Competition on the K-pop scene is constantly growing, with new acts emerging all the time, but MBLAQ sees it as a good thing.
“I don’t think the industry getting overpopulated is a problem. It’s always better to have more groups so they can stage more K-pop concerts around the world.
“And the other groups have their own colour and style anyway, so it doesn’t really matter to us, as long as it helps promote K-pop globally,” said G.O.
Now here’s the best part for all you K-pop fans – the boys said they plan to come to Malaysia in the near future.
Seungho said: “We’ve never been to Malaysia before, and we’re really happy and grateful our fans are coming to Korea just for us, before we even go to Malaysia.
So, we really want to go there as soon as possible for a concert or a showcase, just for our A+ (what MBLAQ fans call themselves).”
Seungho showing off his selfie skills with R.AGE writer Vivienne Wong.
Our gal Vivienne has a video and more photos from her meet-and-greet with MBLAQ. You can check ‘em out on our Facebook page (facebook.com/thestarRAGE) or our Twitter and Instagram accounts (both @thestar_rage) today.
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