2PM idols talk past, present and future

When 2PM made its debut in 2008 with the single, “10 Points Out of 10 Points,” the idol group captured the hearts of many K-pop fans with the members’ masculine, beast-like image.

However, back then, the seven-member-turned-six-member boy band was not much more than an idol group that performed songs mainly composed by its agency’s CEO and producer Park Jin-young of JYP Entertainment.

Now after more than seven years in the game, the members’ vast experiences as long-time K-pop singers have led the veteran team to showcase and stretch the lengths of their capabilities with the unveiling of the group’s recently released, self-produced album.

On Sept. 22, 2PM made its grand return to the K-pop scene with its fourth studio album, “Go Crazy,” featuring its eponymous lead track composed by member Jun. K.

In an interview with Korean news outlet Financial News, the members of 2PM shared a number of behind-the-scene stories regarding their newly released album.

“I often say ’Are you crazy?‘ so I thought that I could use the phrase in our song,” Jun.K said in the interview. “I tried to reflect upon this idea of a widely understood drinking culture.”

“I could not believe that other members liked the song that I composed, and our producer Park Jin-young praised me saying, ’I didn‘t know about your composition skills,’” he added.

This time around, 2PM decided to depart from its more widely known acrobatic choreography and instead opted to break free from their synchronized shackles and ‘go crazy’ with the introduction of its newest party-themed concept.

The members said that although they were excited to be putting out their new album, they had concerns about how the public would respond to the new style.

“Producer Park tries to give us opportunities to mature musically. But I was worried that I might have to go back to old days (when Park produced their albums) if this album fails,” Jun.K said.

Unlike other K-pop groups, whose members end up parting ways despite many years together, the comradery of the six members seems to only get stronger as time passes.

“We have been through so much together. Every time we faced a problem, we talked about it one by one to sort things out,” Jun.K said. “We still have a lot to show you. I think 2PM can survive for a long time thanks to our teamwork.”

“I hope that it can still be fun to continue on as 2PM even in our mid-30s,” Chansung added.

The group plans to launch its “Go Crazy” worldwide concert tour, with the first show to be held at the Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul from Oct. 3-4.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)