The Celebrity: Recently, your ‘meokbang’ (translator’s note: ‘eating broadcast’ shortened) in your reality program became a topic of interest, right? While promoting globally in New York, Paris, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and other places, are there restaurants you always visit in each city?
Taeyeon: In Ebisu in Tokyo, there’s a ramen restaurant with an izakaya atmosphere I always go to. I like miso ramen and enjoy eating spicy curry ramen as well. And even if I don’t drink it all, I order one glass of beer. If someone orders it, I have at least one sip.
Tiffany: In Los Angeles, I always go to In-N-Out, and I always eat lobster rolls when we go to New York. Lobster rolls are popular in New York lately. A very well-known restaurant, whose specialty is lobster, fills a hot dog bun with crab meat, and it’s really good.
Seohyun: When we go to Japan, I enjoy eating sushi and soba.
The Celebrity: Then what do you eat most often in Korea at your dorm or practice room? Delivered food?
Taeyeon: Just marinated chicken for me. I really like the sauce. I’ve been into chicken with powdered cheese sprinkled over it. I order half vegetables, half cheese [chicken]. Girls’ Generation is like this too. (laughs)
Tiffany: A few days ago, I got really hungry after midnight, so I ordered pizza from a place I’ve never seen before using a food delivery app, and it was a huge success. I didn’t even ask Taeyeon before ordering it, and it must have been because both of us were hungry, but we almost at the entire thing.
Seohyun: I don’t really eat much late at night. Instead, when we go overseas, I eat the local foods to my heart’s content. I don’t look for Korean food on purpose when I’m overseas. Korean food is the tastiest in Korea, but I’ve been into ‘ssambap’ (translator’s note: rice wrapped in greens or leaves)recently. Every morning, I’ve been eating tofu, lettuce, and grilled salmon.
The Celebrity: When they’re stressed, women tend to look for spicy foods, sweet foods, and alcohol. What does TTS choose?
Tiffany: Salty things, natrium (translator’s note: sodium)!
Seohyun: If I’m angry or tired and exhausted, there’s something I always say. “One cup of iced chocolate, please!” I have to recharge my sugar levels.
The Celebrity: Natrium and sugar, you really can’t forget them. Don’t you worry about swelling the next day?
Taeyeon: Our bodies have gotten used to late-night meals, that we don’t swell up to a serious degree.
Tiffany: Eating late has become a habit as well because of our schedules. I don’t know if it’s because we consume a lot of energy, but we don’t gain weight. We were going to manage our images better by cutting back on ‘meokbang’ on shows, but we failed. (laughs)
The Celebrity: Of the following, where do you sit: light eater, glutton, connoisseur, or a heavy eater?
Taeyeon: Tiffany’s a glutton and connoisseur. (laughs) I don’t eat that much. If someone next to me is eating, I get curious and try it, but unless I’m really hungry, I just eat a little and leave it.
Tiffany: She’s right. I eat a lot of what I like, and if I don’t crave it, I don’t eat. Food is really important to me because food can change your mood, and your daily routine depends on it.
The Celebrity: I looked into it, and I heard you know what’s good on franchise coffee shop menus, and that there’s something you always order.
Tiffany: I’m what you call a ‘coffee shop menu’. I’m always first in asking, “What should I order?” and go and order it. I know all the members’ preferences. Taeyeon usually picks within two or three kinds, like caramel cappuccinos or java chip frappuccinos.
Seohyun: As expected, she knows us well. I like lattes made with [multi]grains. Even if the menus are similar, they taste different at each coffee shop. Ones with lots of grains, thick, and not very sweet fit my taste.
Taeyeon: Everyone’s a connoisseur except for me.
The Celebrity: Is there an especially memorable time where you had a get-together or went to a restaurant with Girls’ Generation?
Seohyun: For me, definitely Nagoya’s specialty: hitsumabushi, rice with grilled eel! It’s expensive and could taste greasy if you eat too much of it, but I ate it for all three meals every day. It’s rice and grilled eel that comes in a unique wooden bowl. Talking about it is really making me want to eat it again now!
Tiffany: Since you mentioned a get-together, I thought of drinking parties? (laughs) Whenever we go to Singapore, we always eat pepper crab and chili crab that my members like. At the concert venue, there are like ten containers, and we scraped it all off and ate it all until right before the concert was about to start. Oh, we can’t forget about Taeyeon’s birthday party last year either.
Taeyeon: When we were doing our second arena tour, just the members got together in Hiroshima and we celebrated my birthday. We spent a night that was so fun that it’s legendary, talking about work, playing around, and just chatting.
The Celebrity: You started TTS unit activities for the first time in 2 years. What’s the biggest difference between this and stages with Girls’ Generation?
Taeyeon: What’s possible and impossible is clearly separated because of the nine members of Girls’ Generation. For instance, there are lots of difficulties starting with the outfits. There are a lot of things we want to show, but it’s not easy assembling nine of them. We broke the limits Girls’ Generation had for TTS’s second album, and attempted all the things we couldn’t do as nine, but can do well as three. Like each member’s styling and makeup, we paid lots of attention to visuals, so you should be able to see a variety of appearances while we promote.
The Celebrity: TTS’s own personality came about in even more detail. Could you notice the different feeling?
Seohyun: Girls’ Generation wears the same outfit and shows an energetic and showy performance on stage as one. TTS looks to create a balance by showing each member’s colors more clearly. Also, while singing on stage, the parts we have have gotten longer, so we have the advantage of getting to express our vocal color and sensibility more freely.
The Celebrity: Being TTS could be enjoyable, but isn’t it burdensome having Girls’ Generation’s name too?
Seohyun: Rather than it feeling burdensome, we were more free. When we’re nine, since our individual parts are so brief, we get more nervous trying not to mess up. If we were to make a momentary mistake as TTS, we have enough individual time to recover from it. We can also find our own flow in our own parts, and express ourselves for a longer time.
Taeyeon: I also think we can sing and express ourselves more comfortably as TTS than Girls’ Generation.
The Celebrity: What kind of song is your title song, ‘Holler’? Does it carry on the musical-like feel that ‘Twinkle’ had?
Tiffany: ‘Holler’ is a rhythmical song that has a big brass sound that stands out with a funky groove, soul, and is overflowing with energy. It is an extension of TTS’s first album, but is also a more mature and powerful album. While taking part as a visual director, I gathered the members’ opinions and decided on the theme. It has all of the members’ individual feelings within it. Along with styling, I also tried song arrangements, writing, recording, and I worked hard so that the best results would be carried out.
The Celebrity: Listening to the ‘Twinkle’ album, I could think of why girls liked TTS more. ‘Twinkle’ was sung a lot at the karaoke when there was stress to be relieved.
Tiffany: We’re really proud of that! I think our members’ personalities showed. TTS has the feel of friends who have seen each other for a long time, chatting and sharing everything. I think that appealed for other girls our age. I want to continue to show music and fashion that many other women can agree with.
Seohyun: The lyrics that talked about getting made up prettily also gained lots of agreement. I’m really proud.
Tiffany: Girls dress up so they can look prettier amongst other girls. I wanted to show TTS as an image that even other women looking at us would like.
The Celebrity: The ‘Twinkle’ music video had EXO-K, and, unintentionally, Jung Joonyoung make cameos, creating a fun aspect. Could we anticipate another surprising cameo in this music video?
Seohyun: With the fake space called ‘Holler Hotel’, different fantasies open up on each floor, from the lobby, swimming pool, and dining room. It’s a magical world. The perspective moves along with the focus of the camera, making the viewer feel like the music video’s main character, so it should be even more fun.
Tiffany: We focused a lot on TTS’s vocal performance, so the music video focused more on the music. We paid a lot of attention to the look and editing so that even if you forget the story, your ears would enjoy it.
The Celebrity: Not too long ago, Tiffany said Girls’ Generation’s pride is Seohyun. As soon as I heard that, without any explanations, I could understand Seohyun’s character.
Seohyun: They were words I was really grateful for, but there was a big burden that I should do better. If there’s a big anticipation, the disappointment would be just as big. Because I’m a person too, there could be times where I mess up, so I also wondered what I would do then. So I’m going to keep on making small mistakes, and show more cracks. (laughs)
Tiffany: Understanding what I meant, means that Seohyun has been showing the same image to everyone. Whether she makes mistakes or not, Seohyun’s innocence in itself is what I like.
The Celebrity: Before seeing TTS’s performance, I didn’t think I would be recalling the word ‘talent’ from the timid maknae (youngest), Seohyun. You can see that you’re trying to express more things.
Seohyun: At first, it was burdensome, but I wanted to show a bit of a more natural appearance after watching my unnies (what a younger girl would call an older girl). In the past, the concept of having to show the best performance as Girls’ Generation made me calculate things like, ‘I’m going to do this facial expression here, and this pose here’. But after TTS activities, rather than having things set, I started thinking I should enjoy the atmosphere and do it comfortably.
Tiffany: I think people started feeling Seohyun’s real charms after she started expressing feelings from experience naturally and sincerely, instead of pre-planned gestures and angles.
The Celebrity: What’s your secret to maintaining a loveable appearance after your debut, Tiffany? Is Elle Woods from ‘Legally Blonde’ still your role model?
Tiffany: Elle Woods is an optimistic icon that has the energy to go towards a brighter place even in the worst situations. She’s my unchanging role model.
The Celebrity: You seem like you have the feelings of a girl, liking pretty and lovely things.
Tiffany: Since I was little, I went to Disney World once every week and wore all the outfits the main characters did in animations, and naturally just grew up in a fairy tale-like environment. I think my character of being bright, hopeful, and believing dreams can come true was completed through the influence of Disney animations that always had happy endings. But when I watched TTS’s reality program, I was the toughest amongst the members. (laughs)
The Celebrity: So if you were to picture the right person person for a Walt Disney animation, it would be Tiffany. You being happy about becoming TTS’s visual director left an impression.
Tiffany: I learned there are a lot of stages you have to go through to get to the position of a director in a company while becoming a visual director. The more you work, the more difficult things there are to think about. For TTS’s visuals this time, if only I wanted to look pretty, the other members wouldn’t have allowed it either. Everyone accepted it because I thought about the best visual for all three of us. On stage, as both a performer and person who draws out the visuals, I know how to make each of the members look appealing. We chose this song together, and the outfit, promotions, and stage designs were personally done. Putting the three of our honest sides in the music and knowing that the general public identifies with it makes it really enjoyable.
Seohyun: Tiffany unnie understands the feelings of an artist 100%. I was sad about music being understood differently by people who aren’t the actual artist, but we were able to express our feelings more this time. Instead, I feel sorry because she had to work twice as hard.
The Celebrity: Taeyeon seems like she completes her work professionally, but focuses other times on yourself. Is it a management ability that comes from your career stacking up?
Taeyeon: Calling it a management ability is a good way to describe it. I’m a bit shy, and more than anything, I think I have a strong personality. When I’m working or hanging out with friends, I tell myself to do my best not to create any damage. So when I’m working, I try my best to fit in, and when there are a lot of people, I’m careful with my words.
The Celebrity: But don’t you get stressed if that goes on for a long time?
Taeyeon: It does. I hold back more, get a lot more stuff on my mind, and then I can’t help but talk less.
The Celebrity: You’re a good singer vs. you’re pretty, which is a bigger compliment for you, Taeyeon?
Taeyeon: Of course, unconditionally, it’s being told I sing well. That can’t be compared.
The Celebrity: During a photoshoot, the staff repeatedly say that you’re pretty. How does it feel hearing that you’re pretty all day, every day, from when you open your eyes until you to sleep?
Taeyeon: I usually think my other members are prettier than me, and there are times when I get jealous.
Tiffany: Since we spend our time with nine members, I feel that there isn’t one standard of beauty, and that many appearances exist. Rather than having pretty eyes, noses, or mouths, it’s more important having a beautiful energy. It’s most important being able to radiate that beautiful energy when it’s needed.
The Celebrity: Isn’t that something you realized as time went by? When you’re younger, you hope that you look pretty to anybody.
Tiffany: There’s a phrase that ‘confidence is the sexiest look’, and I’m realizing what it means as time goes by. The real appearance that comes from the inside of a person is their confidence. There aren’t a lot of role models who let you know that the beautiful energy that comes from within and the beauty on the outside are both important.
The Celebrity: You show us, TTS. A philosophical reply came out from a light question I tossed out.
TTS: We’re working hard and aiming towards it!
No comments:
Post a Comment