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Beauty Box (뷰티박스), the K-pop girl group under BY-U Entertainment is known for its skilled vocals and raps paired with feel-good songs. Their recent comeback with the full-English special album SHINE ON has been captivating WIBBON (the group's fandom) with its soft melody, and calming lyrics.
SHINE ON with its message about wanting to deliver radiant optimism, penned by Via, features a music video against a school-like backdrop. It is a medium-tempo song helmed by composer Shim Jae-hyun who also backed Beauty Box's songs Thank U and Take My Heart?!. It was pre-released on April 6, 2024, and the MV and the official special album came out on May 7.
In conversation with Sportskeeda's Sreejita Karmakar, the artists talked about their special album release after almost 2 years, tackling difficult days, Chaeeun and Via's pre-debut experiences, and more. Specifically talking about their plans for 2024, leader Gahyun revealed:
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"We are currently recording a new album."
Beauty Box debuted on September 23, 2021, as a six-membered girl group with the single album Beyond of BB. The group also released an EP B-STEP in 2022, followed by a special single Higher Up supporting the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
After several challenges leading to lineup changes, including health and visa issues, Beauty Box now stands as a four-membered group with Gahyun and Sori from the initial ensemble and new members Chaeeun and Via.
"We are going to film the music video in Vietnam" - Beauty Box on SHINE ON, forthcoming release, and wanting to perform in Mexico
Q) Congratulations on the release of the special album SHINE ON. This was your first comeback in almost two years. How did you prepare for it and what was the creation process like?
Gahyun: Unlike our previous songs, this time around we prepared for SHINE ON quite leisurely. Of course, things got busy once we began recording, but with a lot of practice and hard work, we were able to showcase a new side of ourselves.
Sori: Since this was the first time we were releasing a song with the four members, we really wanted to put out a great song. Via wrote the English lyrics, and all the members actively partook in sharing opinions and creating the track. We would appreciate it if you listened to it a lot!
Q) Beauty Box presented the special album SHINE ON to fans in April at a pre-release event. What was it like to present the new track live to fans?
Chaeeun: This was the first song I presented after becoming a Beauty Box member and I was so happy. I want to come back with even more new songs that will be like gifts to WIBBON and new fans who are just getting to know Beauty Box.
Via: It was a bit nerve-wracking for me to be performing our first song together as members. But I believe I was very excited to work hard and put forth our best performance.
Q) Since the message of the new song is the desire "to give bright hope", can each of you share what personally gives you bright hope during tough times?
Gahyun: For me, there are two ways to overcome difficult times. For major challenges, I talk with others to get through such tough times. For minor issues, I go for a walk or exercise alone.
Sori: When my mind is cluttered, reading helps me organize my thoughts. When I'm feeling empty, I like to watch the animation to find joy. Also, no matter the situation, watching cute animal videos or pictures always lends me hope that everything will be okay! Isn't that true for everyone?
Via: When I'm stressed, I take some time for myself to escape my thoughts. I listen to music, watch movies or TV shows, or read books.
Chaeeun: I call my family. I love having video calls and conversations with not only my mom, dad, my younger siblings, but also my grandparents, uncles, and cousins. Especially my youngest cousin, who is 8 years old, loves me the most. Haha.
Q) How did each member contribute to the making of the music video? Did you face any difficulties and how did you overcome them?
Gahyun: The biggest challenge while filming the music video was the battle between time and stamina. When the filming goes on for a long time, I feel like it's physically exhausting and I face a hard time concentrating. But whenever I see the members cheering and laughing with me, I feel like, "Let's cheer up and work harder!" I think I was able to film diligently until the end.
Sori: I remember the music video shoot being short and intense. We all focused on filming so as to ensure there were no time issues. We took pictures of each other on the monitor screen and had fun filming.
Via: I think working hard together was the biggest strength we had. We shot the music video in one day so there was a lot we had to do in between. It was tough, but towards the end, we had a lot of individual filming, so each member took some breaks and continued filming the music video. I also had some time to myself during that period.
Chaeeun: During the music video shoot, I tried to show my best expressions and charm in every single part, with the help of the members and the CEO.
Q) Via, you have participated in writing the lyrics and rap for SHINE ON. Where do you draw your inspiration as an artist when writing lyrics?
Via: I get inspiration from other artists and their music, and sometimes movies and TV shows. This time, I felt lonely writing lyrics and rap without the members. However, I got feedback and opinions from the members through messages and received final approval from our CEO.
Q) A question to Chae-eun and Via. Having officially debuted as new members of Beauty Box, could you share about your pre-debut preparation process? How do you feel having debuted?
Chaeeun: I was already so joyous to join as a new member, but I've been involved in a lot of activities, including practicing existing songs and promoting in Japan. I love all of Beauty Box's songs but I hadn't had the chance to sing any myself, so I've been eagerly waiting and preparing for the new album. SHINE ON is just the beginning, and I look forward to the new songs we're preparing.
Via: Before my debut, I had to travel back and forth between Korea and Indonesia a lot on my own to get my visa. So, when I was in Korea, I tried to focus on practicing with the members. Now that I'm fully in Korea and presenting SHINE ON to the fans, I'm very happy. I'll soon show WIBBON my true charms.
Q) Gahyun, as the leader of the group, it is important to maintain a strong team dynamic and image. How do you approach your role as the leader of Beauty Box?
Gahyun: As the leader of Beauty Box, I strive to maintain neutrality and balance so that everyone can step up as a leader when needed. Being a leader doesn't mean that you are good at everything, so I let each person be a leader in the parts they are good at. If they get stuck, I help them from the side and think of myself as a guide to help members fill in the gaps and make the team stronger.
Q) Sori, could you tell us some of your memorable moments from the recording and production sessions of SHINE ON?
Sori: Since it was an English version, I turned to Via a lot for help with the pronunciation. I remember practicing hard, wondering, "How can I make it sound natural?" It was also fascinating to see that the ad-libs I practiced alone also made it to the final track!
Q) You are also preparing for a comeback next month. Are you going to explore something new in terms of music and theme for the upcoming release?
Chaeeun: Yes, of course! To show a new and better side of us, we are always exploring! You might think, "Oh!? Beauty Box can do this style as well?"
Q) Beauty Box's debut song RAT A TAT has been chosen as an insert song for a Mexican commercial film slated for release in 2024. How do the members feel about this?
Gahyun: To be honest, our debut song is such a high-energy and lively track that I never imagined it being used in a movie or drama. So, when we heard the news, we were surprised and excited at the same time and felt really refreshed.
Sori: We were very astonished and amazed when we heard the news. We thought our Mexican WIBBON would really love it! It would be great if there were many WIBBONs who became our fans after hearing our song in the movie. We would definitely love to perform in Mexico someday.
Q) What are your plans and goals for 2024? You also have a tour starting in June, are you excited to meet fans overseas?
Gahyun: We had a concert scheduled for South America but I heard it was canceled due to local circumstances. But Beauty Box won't be discouraged by cancellations, right? We are currently recording a new album and here's a spoiler: we are going to film the music video in Vietnam. I heard a Vietnamese film crew will be filming it and I'm really looking forward to it.
Sori: We're preparing a truly Beauty Box-style new song. Should I call it Beauty Box Version 2? You can absolutely look forward to it. Since you've received a lot of exclusive news today, please wait for our new album and give us lots of support.
Q) Before we wrap up, do you have any messages for our Sportskeeda readers and your dedicated WIBBON?
Gahyun: Starting with the special album SHINE ON, we will work dedicatedly with our new members Chaeeun and Via to run forward as Beauty Box. Please anticipate our various activities in the future and give us lots of love and interest.
This has been Beauty Box. Thank you.
Currently, Beauty Box is involved in the making of its upcoming release, slated to launch in July 2024, per its agency BY-U Entertainment. The quartet was also recently appointed ambassadors for the 1st Nami Island Pet Healing Camp.
