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[Music Y] YOUNG POSSE, K-Hip-Hop's 'Darlings,' Ask: So Who Are We?
![[Music Y] YOUNG POSSE, K</font>-Hip-Hop's 'Darlings,' Ask: So Who Are We?](https://img.sbs.co.kr/newsnet/etv/upload/2025/08/14/30001009254.jpg)
등록일2025.08.14
Hip-hop girl group YOUNG POSSE is turning their identity search into sound. At a media showcase on Aug. 14 at CGV Sinchon Artreon in Seoul's Seodaemun District, the five-piece unveiled their fourth EP, “Growing Pain pt.1 : FREE,” sharing the heart behind the project and the goals they're chasing next. Arriving roughly five months after March's special release “COLD,” the record channels the “growing pains” of navigating the space between the self and the world―with YOUNG POSSE's trademark mix of candor and mischief. SUNHYE put it this way: “If our previous 'trilogy' was us dreaming big, this album is our answer to the question, 'Okay, but who are you?'―answered in our own language.” DOEUN added, “We still don't have a neat label for what YOUNG POSSE is. We're growing through that uncertainty, and we made this record believing that one day we'll define ourselves on our own terms.” The lead single, “FREESTYLE,” rejects outside rules and stares, choosing to move wherever instinct points. Built on a punk-hip-hop backbone and spiked with jazz, metal, and more, it gleefully blurs genre lines. “However the world tries to box us in, we're going where we want,” said YEONJUNG. All members dove into the writing, composing, and overall concept, sharpening the album's vision from the inside out. “It's us, unfiltered,” YEONJUNG said. “Putting our own words in the music made us that much more confident.” JIEUN shared, “Since our trainee days, we questioned whether this path was right. In the end, we decided to do what we love―and that conviction is all over this record.” YOUNG POSSE has already tested U.S. waters with a festival performance, and their ambitions are only getting bolder. “We have great memories from an early festival show in L.A. We want to launch a world tour under our own name,” said SUNHYE. “Headlining global festivals like Coachella or Lollapalooza―that's the dream.” DOEUN added, “I want to tour overseas―and snag a No. 1 on a music show so we can sing that encore.” They've been dubbed everything from “K-hip-hop's darlings” to its “big sisters.” Asked what nickname they'd like next, DOEUN laughed, “We've been gifted so many cute labels since debut, and we're grateful. But from here on, we want to be known as a cool, formidable YOUNG POSSE―a group with real bite. 'K-hip-hop trendsetters' has a nice ring to it.” “Growing Pain pt.1 : FREE” drops today at 6 p.m. on major streaming platforms. Photo by Baik Seung-Chul (SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)
2 Weeks on Just Water & Salt Kim Nam-joo & Kim Ok-vin Bond Over Brutal Diets on 'Queen of Taste'
등록일2025.08.14
Kim Kim Nam-joo of 'Queen of Taste' instantly related to Kim Kim Ok-vin's diet stories. During a recent taping of episode 13 of SBS Life's variety series 'Queen of Taste' Kim Kim Nam-joo, Kim Nam-joo sized up guest Kim Kim Ok-vin and joked, “You look like someone who doesn't eat much.” Kim Ok-vin shot back, “I actually eat a lot.” Kim Nam-joo replied, “Same here―we eat plenty. We just clamp down when work calls,” before asking about Kim Ok-vin's go-to diet plan. “If I skip meat, I get ravenous,” Kim Ok-vin said. “I rotate chicken, beef and pork and make sure to have one of them at least once a day. No heavy marinades―just olive oil and a pinch of salt. And when a craving hits, I'll dip it in a store?bought low?cal sauce.” The two laughed that they “get anxious when the Sriracha runs out at home.” “I've found my ally,” Kim Nam-joo cheered, adding with a grin, “Honestly, when it's gown time, actresses will do anything―we'll even spit.” Kim Ok-vin then confessed, “I once survived two weeks on just water and salt. I'm very all-or-nothing―I'll eat and have fun, but if an awards show suddenly pops up and I have to slip into a dress, there's no other way. I've toughed it out on water and salt.” Kim Nam-joo nodded in solidarity: “Same. And here I thought I was hardcore―you might have me beat,” she joked. Beyond the diet talk, the episode sees Kim Nam-joo and Kim Ok-vin dive into everything from work to some decidedly R-rated, spicy banter, and even offers a peek inside Kim Nam-joo's home, including her bedroom and bathroom. 'Queen of Taste' Kim Kim Nam-joo airs Thursday at 8:40 p.m., with a companion video dropping earlier that day at 11:45 a.m. on Kim Nam-joo's YouTube channel. (SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)
ASTRO Unit ZOONIZINI: We'd Love to Be Kids' Favorites, and We're Ready to Show a More Honest Side
등록일2025.08.14
A decade into their career, ASTRO's third unit, ZOONIZINI (MJ and JINJIN), has officially launched with their first mini album, DICE . Dropped at 6 p.m. on Aug. 13 across digital platforms, DICE packs six tracks around a simple credo: ditch the labels and live in the moment. The title track, “Some Things Never Change,” is an emotive hip-hop cut written and composed by JINJIN that blends the polish of 10-year veterans with the wide-eyed spark of their early days. ASTRO's main vocalist MJ (Kim Myung-jun) and main rapper JINJIN (Park Jin-woo) leaned into the playful synergy behind the unit name “ZOONIZINI,” pulled straight from their nicknames. “We wanted something anyone could remember and chant,” they said, underscoring their aim to close the distance with listeners. Both self-professed ENFPs, the pair carries an infectious, big-hearted energy―and they don't hesitate to call each other family. The unit was a natural extension of that chemistry. “It started as a joke, then turned into, 'Wait, this could be really fun,'” MJ recalled. “We kicked into gear late last year, and the deeper we got, the more we wanted to approach people with unfiltered honesty.” “As idol groups rack up the years, you realize honesty matters more,” he continued. “It feels like the right time to show what's real, not just what's wrapped in pretty packaging. Watching Super Junior's recent comeback and how they're still thriving onstage was moving―it made us want to push harder.” The record jumps from hip-hop to disco to pop rock. As lead producer, JINJIN sequenced it like a journey―“takeoff, peak, afterglow, wrap, and restart”―aiming for start-to-finish cohesion. After completing his service in 2023, MJ said, “I used to carry a constant sense of unease. Now that big weight is gone. I feel confident―ready to charge in.” JINJIN added, “He was born with that tone. During concert rehearsals, I was reminded how captivating an artist MJ is.” Their goal: songs that click with kids and adults alike. “Everyone's got an inner child, and if you tap into that, you've got a shot,” they laughed. “We'd love to be a duo like Boni Hani―a true family favorite. 'Uncle Juni' and 'Uncle Jinnie' has a nice ring to it.” The affection runs both ways. JINJIN calls MJ “a diamond about to blow up in variety and music,” while MJ likens JINJIN to “a director who knows my strengths and weaknesses better than anyone.” He added, “If JINJIN hadn't been hands-on with production, I wouldn't be this satisfied with the album.” Known with ASTRO for their bright, refreshing image, the two say this time they're leaning into something rawer. “If we show how much we're genuinely enjoying ourselves―onstage and in content―we'll feel more approachable and grow even closer to fans,” MJ said. They were just as candid about member Cha Eun-woo, who enlisted last month. “Two days before he shipped out, all the members gathered,” they shared. “You could tell he was trying not to show any worry. When it came time to say goodbye, we all got choked up.” MJ added, “When you're lying on your bunk in boot camp, your life flashes by. You reflect. You plan what's next. He'll get through it and come back strong.” JINJIN reflected on a question he's heard for years: what will you be like in 10 years? “We've reached that point now,” he said. “It never felt that far off. Maybe this is the answer. If we stay honest, I believe ASTRO's next decade will be just as memorable.” Photo credit: Fantagio (SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)
Harin Clarifies Comments on NewJeans Debut Setback: It Wasn't an Attack or Expose, I Still Support the Members
등록일2025.08.14
Harin (Harada Rin), a Japan-born model and actor who recently revealed she was cut just before NewJeans' debut, has spoken out directly about the surge of attention surrounding her story. On the 14th, Harin posted a lengthy note on her YouTube community. “I'm grateful for all the sudden attention,” she wrote, “but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried, too.” She emphasized that her interview reflected deeply personal feelings of setback and disappointment from her past, not an attempt to accuse or expose any company or individual. She added that while the experience was hard, it made her stronger, and she's still rooting for the trainees she laughed and cried with back then. Earlier, on July 12, Harin appeared on a YouTube channel run by Japanese actor Takeda Hiromitsu, where she talked about her idol trainee days. In the video, Harin said a last-minute company decision forced her to give up her idol dream. She recalled being abruptly told her contract was terminated and that she alone had to leave, which sent her straight back to Japan. Born in 2003, Harin is a former member of Japan's 'Shibu3 Project.' She passed a Source Music audition under HYBE in 2020 and joined the company, later moving to ADOR, where she trained with NewJeans' pre-debut lineup―only to be dropped right before debut. After that video went live, her YouTube and social feeds saw a wave of encouragement along with some trolling, prompting her to set the record straight. She closed her post on a calm note, saying she'll stay true to herself and asking fans to keep supporting her. Harin is currently active as a model and actor. (SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)
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