[Herald Interview] Blitzers spends rock ‘n’ roll year after debut

Rookie boy band Blitzers on Thursday successfully closed the curtains to their first US tour, making a foray into the global music scene less than a year since the act’s debut last May. Starting Feb. 5, the act traveled around six cities, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, New York and Chicago.

“It’s such a big opportunity for us, so we hope to show everything that we’ve prepared,” member Lutan said during an exclusive interview with The Korea Herald conducted ahead of the concert.

It’s not often the case that a rookie idol group with less than a year’s experience is able to hold a concert tour in the US, but it was possible perhaps for Blitzers as they made a splash into the K-pop scene through the support of international fans.

The seven-piece first appeared to the public in 2020 through Wuzo Entertainment’s pre-debut YouTube series, “Wuzo Circle,” consisting of around a dozen of the agency’s trainees. Garnering a considerable fandom through the show, members Jinhwa, Go_U, Juhan, Sya, Chris, Lutan and Woozu, made their official debut as Blitzers in May 2021 with the EP “Check-In.”

It was a smooth start as “Check-In” clocked sales of around 9,300 in the first week, a fairly high number considering it was the debut album from a minor label’s K-pop act. The second EP “Seat-Belt” in October scored over 31,000 copies in its first week of sales, after which the group went on to grab the Focus prize at the 2021 Asian Artist Awards and was spotlighted as one of the most aspiring K-pop artists of the year.

And on Jan. 3, the boys made a swift return with their first single album “Bobbin.”

Leading the three-track album is the song of the same title which calls listeners to stop simply nodding, or bobbin, to everything and be more outspoken about one’s thoughts.

“We knew in an instant that the song was ours,” Wooju said adding, “but we had concerns about how to vocalize the song’s rock, metal sound. We worked hard on honing our vocal skills to intensify the song’s strong rock sound.”

The boys recommended listening to “Bobbin” and “Simon Says” together as the two songs are linked in their messages.

“Although the two songs may seem to have contrasting lyrics, ‘Bobbin’ expounds our actual message and ‘Simon Says’ is like the introduction to it,” Jinhwa explained.

Juhan asked fans to pay special attention to the lyrics of the last track, “Forever in My Heart,” as it sings of the boys’ wishes to always keep their fans inside their hearts.

What makes these rookies stand out in the highly competitive K-pop scene is their pursuit of rock music.

“We think the rock genre is what makes Blitzers appeal to all generations,” Wooju said, “Younger listeners in their teens and 20s can enjoy our songs for the sound’s freshness, whereas those in their 30s and 40s could approach it more easily as they’re familiar with the genre.”

With a rocker spirit at its core, the members hope to infuse different genres in the future.

“Hip-hop seems to be in fad, and the members also love hip-hop music, so that could be an option,” Wooju said, while Juhan added, “I want to try something dark and dreamy next time.”

Just like many fourth-generation idols, Blitzers’ music is also mostly based on youth-oriented stories, and Jinhwa picked this as a factor that makes them a “friendly” group.

“We’re powerful when we perform on stage, but the message we convey are thoughts and concerns that most millennials and Gen Zers living this era would go through,” the member said.

Another factor that sets Blitzers apart is the absence of a world-building narrative underlying their music.

“Our music isn’t based on a single universe. All our albums convey a different message. So hopefully, fans could look forward to what new stories we will bring with each comeback,” Lutan said.

Speaking ahead of the US concerts during the interview, members expressed excitement about finally meeting their global fans.

“Right now, I’m very nervous to meet our overseas fans. There will be cultural differences and the environment won’t be the same as here, but still, I’m looking forward to everything,” Go_U said.

“Many people will be seeing us for the first time in the US, so we want to do our best to make Blee feel proud,” Jinhwa said, referring to their official fandom. Sya said they will “perform until our knees crack and our feet break, so please look forward to our performance.”

In less than a year since their official debut, Blitzers have definitely come far but the group hopes to go even further in 2022.

“It’s been a hectic year. And thankfully, we spent a happy one, making a debut and even receiving a prize. I want to say a word of thanks to Blee who have been with us since the beginning,” Sya said.

“Although we’ve worked hard, I personally feel we spent a short time training. The prize is very overwhelming and we hope to strive more and advance further this year,” Juhan said.

On their goals for 2022, the members had one unanimous wish: for more in-person concerts in and out of the country.

“I want to hold a concert in Korea and also write my own songs this year,” Juhan said, while Chris and Lutan said they both want to meet more of their fans in person.

Closing the interview, Wooju said, “we hope to make Blitzers more known to the general public in 2022.”


By Choi Ji-won (jwc@heraldcorp.com)