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On May 27, rookie girl group UNIS sat down for a conversation with Sportskeeda, opening up about their debut journey through the K-pop survival program Universe Ticket. The girl group has eight members who have showcased their talents to fans across the globe through the competition against 82 contestants. They marked their official debut on March 27, 2024, with their first mini album, WE UNIS, featuring songs like the title track SUPERWOMAN, Butterfly's Dream, Whatchu Need, Dopamine (UNIS Ver.), and Dream of Girls (UNIS Ver.).
In this conversation, they shared their experience of forming a team together, performing on global platforms and captivating audiences in Japan and the Philippines, future goals, and more.
Speaking of their album, WE UNIS, the girl group revealed the theme:
“Our story, Our Beginning with You.”
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UNIS opens up on UTO FEST 2024 in Japan, meeting fans in the Philippines, participating in Universe Ticket, and more
The girl group members Hyeonju, Yoona, Yunha, and Seowon are from South Korea; Nana and Kotoko hail from Japan; and Gehlee Dangca and Elisia are Filipinas. The members will be managed by F&F Entertainment for the next two years and six months.
The group made their global stage debut at the UTO FEST 2024 in Fukuoka on April 21. They recently completed their U&iS Fansign Philippine Tour promotional event in Cebu and Manila. In conversation with Inaas Fatima Khan of Sportskeeda, the rookie girl group members shared about their activities as well as receiving love from fans around the world.
Q.) Hi, UNIS. Please introduce the team to us.
UNIS: Hello, Sportskeeda, this is UNIS. We, UNIS, are an 8-member girl group formed through the survival audition program 'Universe Ticket'. We finally met our fans officially with our first mini album, 'WE UNIS' released on March 27, 2024. We are happy to finally be able to share our music and stand on stage with the name UNIS. With eight members from various nationalities, ages, and charms, please show a lot of interest and love for our music and our team.
Q.) Congratulations on your debut! Please tell us about your album, 'WE UNIS'.
Hyeonju: Our first mini album, 'WE UNIS,' is an album that has allowed the eight members who have been chasing their dreams to come together as UNIS and take their first step. It could be said that this is the starting point for UNIS. Our debut album contains various emotions, expressed in the distinct colors of the members, with the theme “Our story, Our Beginning with You.” Not only that, you can also feel our bright energy, so we hope you give it a lot of attention.
Seowon: 'WE UNIS' contains a total of 5 songs. You can experience various genres of songs, including the title track 'SUPERWOMAN' with a confident ambition that anyone can be their superwoman at any time. It's filled with songs where you can enjoy the diverse and infinite charms of UNIS, so please listen to it a lot.
Q.) Nana, you were recently announced as the MC for SBS’ The Show. How has your experience been so far working with WayV's Xiaojun and CRAVITY's Hyeonjun?
Nana: Firstly, I was very honored to have the precious opportunity to be the MC for a music broadcast before my debut. I promised to do my best to give bright energy to the viewers as much as I was trusted. I was nervous as it was my first time as an MC, but I think I was able to follow because the Sunbaenims (seniors) guided me well. I am learning and growing by watching the Sunbaenims' appearances on every broadcast. The chemistry of “Pudingz” (a special name for the trio: Xiaojun, Hyeongjun, and Nana) that you can only see on Tuesdays! I hope you will continue to look forward to it and love it a lot in the future.
Q.) UNIS has many international members from the Philippines and Japan. What inspired you to pursue a career in the K-pop industry?
Kotoko: K-pop is a genre that is really popular worldwide, isn't it? The interest in K-pop and K-pop artists is also very big in my hometown, Japan. I grew up listening to K-pop as well. Especially, I think my dream of becoming a K-pop artist grew while watching the performances of senior artists like TWICE. I also wanted to become someone who could go up on stage like them and show my singing and dancing talents in front of a huge audience.
Elisia: I always wanted to do something that would bring happiness to me and people all over the world. So, since I was young, I have experienced various fields such as acting, singing, and dancing to think about how to make myself and many people happy. In the process, I became interested in K-pop. Filipinos really love K-pop too. I felt like I wanted to bring happiness and joy to many people, including myself, as a K-pop idol, while listening to music and watching the stage. With this big goal, I ended up challenging myself with 'Universe Ticket', and now I'm happy to be giving happiness to myself and my global fans through UNIS.
Q.) Yoona is known for playing drums. Is there any other instrument that you would like to learn in the future? Are there any instruments other members can play?
Yoona: I like to learn various things, so if I have the opportunity, I would like to learn any instrument. It would be even better if it's an instrument that I can play with other members. I want to learn various instruments, such as guitar and piano, and collaborate with the members.
Seowon: I can play the guitar a little. I briefly showed it during my appearance on 'Miss Trot 2.' If I have the chance, I would like to practice hard and show our fans how I play the guitar and sing in front of them.
Q.) All 8 members have showcased their talents and formed a team through Universe Ticket. Would you like to share some of your favorite memories from the show?
Nana: I remember when we were preparing for the 'Dream of Girls' stage. The 'Dream of Girls' was especially with Gehlee Dangca, Kotoko, Elisia, Yoona, and Seowon. When we first listened to the song and started practicing, I remember that the song itself was too high, and all the members were confused. I wanted to show my best during the preparation period, but it didn't go as planned. Nevertheless, we didn't give up and practiced tremendously with the members to create the best stage. After hard and sweaty practice with the members, I felt proud to show the improved performance in front of the unicorns, the composers and lyricists who made the song. I think the most memorable thing is that the results of our hard work appeared on stage.
Gehlee Dangca: I remember the members who helped me every time. To go on stage, I had to quickly learn the choreography and music. It took me a little longer to learn the choreography and songs, so I felt sorry for the members. Nevertheless, the members always practiced the choreography and songs with me and carefully paid attention to what needed to be improved. With the help of these members, I was able to finish the Universe concert well.
Q.) UNIS recently performed at the UTO FEST 2024 in Fukuoka, Japan, marking their first overseas performance. Is there any country you would like to visit in the future for a concert?
Yunha: It has not been a while since we debuted, so just the thought of standing on various global stages excites me and makes me happy. So many of our fans in Japan and the Philippines sang along to our songs and showed their support; it is something that has become an unforgettable memory for me. Perhaps that is why we want to meet many fans in different countries, and I wish to strongly connect with them. My ultimate goal is to meet many fans by going on a world tour with UNIS and showcasing our music. Moving forward, I will do my best on stage at every moment so that I can greet more fans and visit more various places.
Yoona: I think it would be very meaningful to visit Japan and the Philippines again, and at a bigger concert venue, and with more fans. Japan and the Philippines were our first overseas activities after our debut. So, the reaction from local fans was vivid, and I thought it would be nice to have an opportunity to deeply connect with the fans. I hope that the day will come when we can work harder, meet fans on a bigger stage at a concert, and show off our charms to the fullest.
Q.) Is there any special message for UNIS fans?
Hyeonju: EverAfter! Thank you for always loving and supporting us. It's because of your love and support that I feel motivated and work harder in all my activities. Please look forward to our upcoming activities with better music and better stages, and let's continue to make many happy memories and times. I love you.
Nana: Thank you so much for always passionately supporting me and giving me energy. I think I can work without getting tired because there are EverAfters who always give me strength. This is just the beginning of the group, so please stay with us.
Gehlee Dangca: I'm really happy and grateful just to be able to receive this much love and attention. I hope there will be a day when I can meet more EverAfters in the future. I will work hard to show you the diverse sides of UNIS and Gehlee Dangca.
Kotoko: Thank you for always being with us. If you continue to be with us in the future, I don't think there will be anything happier than that. UNIS will always work hard anytime, anywhere, so I hope you love us a lot.
Yunha: Thank you for always supporting us so generously. Just as you are always by our side, I hope you don’t forget that we are always supporting you. Thank you so much EverAfter.
Elisia: Because of you, I am happy every day. Thank you for being with us at every moment. Please continue to be with us as you are now and forever. I love you.
Yoona: There are still so many things I want to show as UNIS. That's why I'm looking forward to the future that UNIS and Everafter will create together. We will do our best to meet you all in a good way, so we hope you will stay by our side like you are now.
Seowon: To our EverAfters who always welcome us with warm love, I don’t think words of gratitude are enough. Just as our fans give us good energy, we will always work hard to be a source of strength by EverAfter. I love you.
This was UNIS for you!
The rookie girl group was recently in the Philippines for their U&iS Fansign Philippine Tour. The fansign tour was held on May 4 in Cebu and May 5 and 6 in Manila.
