THE supply of talent from the lucrative K-Pop industry never runs dry as followers continue to see new faces every few months.
Despite the field’s reputation for demanding perfection in every aspect, many hopefuls still aspire to take on the challenge to make it big.
Working hard on its own journey to success is DreamNote, a relatively new girl group that made its debut a year ago under the talent management company iMe Korea.
Not to be confused with the girl group Dreamcatcher, DreamNote currently comprises of six members, namely Boni, Eunjo, Sumin, Lara, Miso and its leader Youi.
Their dream to become K-Pop stars came to them when they first gained an interest in dancing.
"After seeing our seniors perform on stage, we realised then that we wanted to become just like our idols,” said Sumin in a Press conference when they were in town recently for a promo tour.
And tonnes of hard work and dedication later, here they are, already debuted and hopefully on their way to much greater recognition.
CUTE CONCEPT
In an interview, Youi explained that the name DreamNote was a combination of the word “Dream” (which has a similar pronunciation in Korean as the word "giving") and notes (which means "to give hope to fans and achieve the dream together".
The group employed the cute and pretty concept that fit their members’ and their fans’ young age group.
To promote their group prior to its debut last year, the DreamNote members even held street performances across South Korea.
So far the group has two mini albums under its name, with hits including Hakuna Matata, Dreamnote, Fresh! Fresh! and Cong Cong.
The members referred to their songs as "interesting stories kept in a dream”.
In the future, however, the girls plan on trying out the “girl crush” concept, which is a term coined by the K-Pop scene in South Korea.
It simply shows off the performer’s sexier, more mature and fierce side, which is meant to empower other women. Songs with this concept include BlackPink’s Ddu-Du-Ddu-Du and Red Velvet’s Bad Boy.
DANCE REVOLUTION
Meanwhile, K-Pop acts are known for their intense choreography. But since they also have to sing simultaneously, it’s not a secret and quite common for artistes to resort to using pre-recorded vocals.
DreamNote aims to step away from that notion. “The competition is stiff so we strive to prove that we are one step ahead from others,” said Lara.
“That’s why we worked hard on perfecting our live performances vocally, all while showcasing perfect choreography. I believe these two elements are our strength as a group.”
Their dance, especially the choreography for Hakuna Matata, proved to be a hit among South American fans when they began a global cover dance challenge.
Thousands of videos were produced and uploaded throughout 56 countries, mostly from fans in Brazil and Chile.
As for its fandom name, DreamNote had chosen "Page" to honour its fans. "Every note’s page, when combined, will become one book," said Youi.
THANKING FANS
The DreamNote members also held a promo tour event recently at the Atria Shopping Gallery where they met their Malaysian fans in person.
Sumin said, "We've wanted to meet our fans from outside of South Korea to express our thanks, and finally we get to be here in Malaysia."
Boni added, "It’s really great to finally have the chance to meet our Malaysian fans face to face.”
Miso told the crowd, “Thank you for your presence. We’ll come out with more music in the future, so please keep supporting us.”
When asked the customary question of which Malaysian cuisine they had tried and favoured, DreamNote mentioned the expected nasi lemak as well as the not so common, "kaya toast!"
Up next for Dreamnote is a new album, set to be released some time in the near future. “The songs are inspired by the cheers that we get from our fans from near and far,” said Youi.
“We are very grateful, and thanks to their support, we promise to work harder and return their love.”