Photo = MODHAUS

 

[Hanteo News = Reporter KANG SUYOUNG] ARTMS HEEJIN expressed her gratitude as she shared an unforgettable episode involving a fan.

 

ARTMS met with Hanteo News at a cafe in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 6th, one day before their comeback, and talked about their 2nd mini album 'Hyper-Ego.' On this day, HEEJIN said, “When we went on tour in France last year, there was a fan who came with their mother, and the mother told us that she was very grateful to us,” adding, “Later, I saw the message the mother had left, and she said that every time we come to perform in Paris once a year, that is the only time the fan leaves the house.” She continued, “She said that we are a driving force for them, and I think I was so moved that I thought I should work even harder, even if it is just for that one person.”

 

They also shared unforgettable reactions from fans. JINSOUL said, “When we go on concert tours, fans sometimes prepare surprise videos for us, and whenever we see messages saying that they gained a new life after listening to our music, it feels so new that it almost feels more than we deserve,” adding, “I heard that our domestic fans are also known for making incredibly loud cheers despite being a small number of people.” She continued, “Whenever I see things like that, I feel so proud, and I become proud of our fans.”

 

Although HASEUL was unable to participate in this comeback due to a shoulder injury, there is no sign of trouble in the members’ friendship. HEEJIN said, “Actually, HASEUL unnie is probably the most disappointed, and what we were most worried about was that she might not be able to rest comfortably,” adding, “Since we are continuing to work hard on promotions, she might feel uncomfortable about it.” She continued, “We also visit unnie very often, eat dinner together, and unnie comes to our sites a lot too,” adding, “Yesterday, she came to the practice room and brought us snacks and things like that, and we are trying not to be apart from one another.” She continued, “Actually, preparing this album as four members was not difficult, but while preparing for the concert, I think there may be some rearranging of formations.”

 

When asked what the members mean to one another, CHOERRY said, “Because we see one another more often than family and live together for a long time, we know each other’s personalities well, and we can immediately tell things like, ‘Unnie must be tired right now,’ so I think we have hardly had any fights,” adding, “During our U.S. promotion this time, we used an Airbnb together for the first time in a while, and it was so fun and happy.” HEEJIN shared, “The longer we spend together, the more reasons to fight seem to disappear. Because we understand one another so well, we know what each person likes, what each person dislikes, and when someone is not in good condition today, we know not to talk to them. As those things build up, we actually become more considerate of one another, and there seems to be no reason to fight at all.”

 

They also revealed how they encourage one another when things are difficult. KIM LIP said, “When we are on concert tours, there are many times when we are physically and mentally exhausted from flying and traveling for a long time in unfamiliar places. If one member looks tired, we all go over and ask what is difficult, and we also open up to one another. If a performance looks like it will be a bit hard that day, we all come to that person’s side and say a lot of positive things, like, ‘You can do it.’” She continued, “After our last tour ended, we told one another in our group chat that we were able to endure because the members were there, and whenever we say things like that, I really feel that the members think about and love one another a lot.” HEEJIN said, “When we were all tired together, we discovered a new method yesterday. We played Buddha’s teachings on YouTube and had time to listen to it together.” JINSOUL explained, “There are YouTubers who read books aloud, and yesterday we listened together to a book called Buddha’s Teachings.” CHOERRY added, “We are all non-religious, though,” drawing laughter.

 

The fact that the music video for their previous 'Club Icarus' album was 15 minutes long also became a topic. HEEJIN said, “When we received the synopsis storyboard, it was 80 pages,” adding, “It was our first time seeing such a long music video storyboard, so we were very taken aback too. But as we read through it one by one, it felt like a very new attempt and seemed fun, so in the end, we were convinced.” She continued, “We are also the type who really enjoys trying new things, so I think we had fun filming it. Even though it was something we filmed ourselves, we became immersed in our own story, and I remember watching it while feeling moved among ourselves and becoming even more immersed.” For this comeback, they tried a fake music video promotion. JINSOUL explained, “This time too, we talked with the directors about whether the length would be long, but since people are so used to Reels and Shorts these days, they suggested that we do a fake music video instead to give people dopamine, and that is how the promotion proceeded.” She continued, “For 'Blue Blood,' in addition to the official music video, another music video will be released with us turned into animated characters and some added elements.”

 

ARTMS’ 2nd mini album 'Hyper-Ego' will be released today at 1 PM through various music sites.

 

grace@hanteo.com