#ManCrushMonday Exclusive — Meet K-Pop's Latest Boyband, TREASURE - Men's Folio
Style, Interview

#ManCrushMonday Exclusive — Meet K-Pop’s Latest Boyband, TREASURE

  • By Wilson Lim

The international craze for K-Pop can be largely attributed to South Korean Entertainment Company, YG Entertainment. Just boy bands alone, they gave us BIG BANG, WINNER and iKON.

After a 5-year hiatus since the formation of iKON in 2015, YG Entertainment has added the latest 12-member boy band, TREASURE. Formed through the reality-survival television — YG Treasure Box — boy band TREASURE officially made their debut on 7 August this year with their lead single “BOY”.

#ManCrushMonday Exclusive — Meet K-Pop's Latest Boyband, TREASURE
Who are the members of boy band TREASURE? Click through the gallery to find out more about their roles in the group and some of their unique traits.

CHOI HYUN SUK — role: leader, rapper; traits: composition, fashion, soccer
JIHOON — role: leader; traits: high pitch, smiling eyes
YOSHI — role: rapper, beatbox; traits: composition
JUNKYU — role: vocals; traits: sweet and soft voice, great physical.
MASHIHO — role: vocal, dancer; traits: acrobatic, cute acts
YOON JAE HYUK — role: vocals, dancer; traits: variety of facial expressions, positive personality 

ASAHI — role: vocal; traits: composition, drawing pictures
BANG YE DAM — role: main vocalist; traits: trendy voice, taking pictures
DOYOUNG — role: dancer, vocals; trait: powerful dance, sports (basketball, football).
HARUTO — role: rapper; traits: cave voice, tall height, games
PARK JEONG WOO — role: main vocalist; traits: honey voice, high tension maker
SO JUNG HWAN — role: dancer, vocal; traits: eyes, taekwondo

Men’s Folio scored an exclusive interview with boyband TREASURE to find out more about what makes them truly stand out in the global phenomenon of K-pop.

Hi TREASURE, congratulations on your latest debut. How do you feel about the experience, especially since you guys spent two years pre-debut preparing?
Thank you very much! We are nervous, but at the same time very excited to be starting a new chapter in our lives as artists, not trainees. During the process, it was very hard for us to believe that we were finally debuting! It was a dream which we all had for a very long time, and we have finally achieved it. Moving forward, we intend on working harder to bring great music to everyone!

Could you tell us more about the diamond iconography that represents TREASURE?
The diamond depicts 12 different gems that come together to form one shining TREASURE, each gem represents a member of the group!

How would you define the music style of TREASURE?
We are still in the process of experimenting and making our own style of music that is unique to TREASURE. However, our electrifying choreography and dynamic vocals will continue to be a crucial factor in our musical identity. We are also curious about what our unique style will come out to be! We hope to communicate with our fans and build it together!

How involved was each member of TREASURE in putting together the debut single album for THE FIRST STEP : CHAPTER ONE?
The rappers of the group, CHOI HYUN SUK, YOSHI and HARUTO, all contributed in writing the rap verses of the tracks “BOY” and “COME TO ME”. CHOI HYUN SUK also contributed to the production of the background music in the concept trailer video! Every member put in a lot of effort and contributions to making the album!

How does TREASURE set itself apart from other boybands?
The difference in TREASURE comes from the mix of the original YG vibe with a twist of our own distinct styles. Also, we are made up of 12 members so our synergy on stage makes our choreography and vocals very dynamic! That is what sets us apart from the other boybands. You will realise when you see us perform!

Is there a lot of pressure with being tagged as “the first boyband from YG since five years”?
Rather than feeling pressured, we feel motivated! Being the first boyband from YG in five years, really makes all of us want to work harder to prove that we are special! Also, we would like to thank all the previous YG artists who have paved the road for us, and made it possible for us to become global artists!

Did your seniors from YG have any word of advice for TREASURE?
Many seniors from YG have been supporting us and giving us words of encouragement throughout! We all grew up listening to BIG BANG, so it is an honour to be in the same label as them. Whenever we meet them, they would always be caring towards us and would give us thoughtful advice! There were times when iKON and WINNER gave us great feedback on vocals and rapping, which were extremely helpful in making our album! They always inspire us to do better!

How would TREASURE define itself as a successful boyband?
We dream to become artists like no other! We hope to communicate with our global fans through our music and to become renowned globally!

What are the upcoming plans for TREASURE?
We will be continuing our “THE FIRST STEP” series with “CHAPTER TWO”. We plan on showing great music and new content in our series and hope to communicate with our fans! We believe that our fans are a part of our journey, so we hope to end this year on a good note with our “TREASURE MAKERS”.

If you’re bored, listless or just don’t really want to do your work (especially after reading this story on boyband TREASURE), click here to catch up with our October 2020 issue!