To be able to stand out among the other K-pop artists, a rookie group must come forward with the promise of delivering the most out of their talent with a combination of impeccable music, choreography, concepts, and visuals. Fortunately for the group and K-pop fans, E’LAST delivers all of that and more.
With a nostalgic concept of soulful and meaningful songs, elaborate and elegant costumes, story-telling dances, and a unique sound that they connect through comebacks, E’LAST has completed two years since debuting in June with a growing career and MVs that pass 10 million views. And above all, with great affection for the Elrings, the fans who made this happen.
As a gift to the fans, E’LAST spoke with KoreaIN and talked about the obstacles and joys of their career so far, their expectations for the future, and their desire to return the love they received through fan events and shows around the world. Keep reading to know what Choi In, Seungyeop, Rano, Baekgyeul, Romin, Won Hyuk, Wonjun, and Yejun told us during the interview.
KoreaIN: Hello, E’LAST. Congratulations on your most recent comeback! How have you all been?
WON HYUK: We are practicing hard as usual and communicating with Elring continuously through fansigns and social media. Also, we recently toured Japan and plan to do a lot of concerts in the future!
KoreaIN: Since your debut only 2 years ago, you have been growing fast, getting more attention and new fans at every comeback. How do you feel about this kind of reaction? Did you guys expect such outcome?
BAEK GYEUL: We are a team that has a very strong sense of reality and we think this is important. People are finally listening to our live performances and we are gradually getting recognition, so I think we are feeling that reaction little by little.
KoreaIN: Prior to E’LAST debut, you had predebut activities and even reality shows participations and the public slowly got to know the members. What was your reaction when you find out you were getting into the group and started to prepare for the long awaited debut?
RANO: We heard from the CEO the news about the preparations for the debut at the end of the month-end review. At that moment we all looked at each other in silence for 3 to 5 seconds, we were surprised, we thanked and clapped our hands in the same feeling, it is a very happy memory.
KoreaIN: E’LAST debuted in the middle of the pandemic, making an already challenging debut even more difficult, with limited ways to meet with your fans. How did you manage to go through this while still making good music for the fans and promoting it with such positivity and joyfulness?
RO MIN: It was actually really sad not being able to meet the fans since the beginning of our debut, but I think I got over it just with the thought that I had to work harder and prepare for the stage while watching the situation that would improve someday.
KoreaIN: The concept of a “knight’s oath” is on the lyrics of your debut track SWEAR and it’s a common topic in other songs as well. As idols, what’s E’LAST’s oath to its fans?
RO MIN: We swear that our feeling of gratitude for the Elring will never change!
KoreaIN: On the other hand, your latest comeback “Creature” is the peak of the current story you are telling through your music. After becoming creatures and suffering from a lot of internal conflicts, what kind of future waits for your characters in this storyline?
YE JUN: It is difficult to give details of the continuation of the story, but you can hope for a stronger and more magnificent story.
KoreaIN: Now a fun question for the members. If you could “steal” a part of the song “Creature” from another member and make it your own, what would it be and why? Can be either a lyrics verse, a dance move, or a scene in the music video.
WON JUN: In the MV, there is a scene where YE JUN breaks a glass window with his fists from inside a glass cage, I want to challenge myself in that scene.
KoreaIN: What’s E’LAST’s biggest goal as a group?
BAEK GYEUL: Each member has distinct personalities and diverse charms, I think it’s a ‘visual restaurant’ fun to watch.
KoreaIN: All your title tracks are full of emotions, with really deep meaning and sometimes even sad or painful that you can feel through your singing and acting in the music videos. How do you prepare or practice to achieve this powerful result?
Seung YEOP: To express emotions in various ways, members and many veterans practice a lot while watching factors like facial expressions through MVs, I think it brings this result.
KoreaIN: Another big part of E’LAST charm is your artistic choreographies that tell whole stories and have complex moves. You even promoted the b-side song “Dangerous” that shows your dance abilities even more. How important is it for E’LAST to deliver good performances on stage?
WON HYUK: The stage is something indispensable and more precious than anything to me, I believe that by doing well on stage we can be recognized by many people, so I really always do my best.
Photo: E Entertainment
By Paula Bastos Araripe
Images: E Entertainment
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