![\"LNGSHOT\"](\"https:\/\/www.billboard.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-billboard-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
\n\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Jang Jungwoo\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\tLNGSHOT<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tImage Credit: Jang Jungwoo\t\t\t<\/p>\n
First, congratulations on being named Billboard\u2019s K-Pop Rookie of the Month for February. What does the name \u201cBillboard\u201d mean to LNGSHOT, and how does this recognition feel?<\/p>\n
OHYUL:\u00a0Billboard always felt distant to me ever since I started training at 15. Being chosen as Rookie and even shooting a pictorial feels surreal \u2014 mostly, I\u2019m just grateful.
RYUL:\u00a0Charting on Billboard was a childhood dream of mine. Being selected as the K-Pop Rookie is incredibly meaningful and truly an honor.
WOOJIN:\u00a0It\u2019s where so many of my idols appear \u2014 a place I\u2019ve always wanted to reach. This selection feels like I\u2019ve taken a real step closer to that goal.
LOUIS:\u00a0Like many artists, Billboard was a long-term goal for me. Being selected makes me feel like I\u2019ve moved closer to that dream.<\/p>\n
You experienced a wide range of performances even before debut. Was there a moment that made you feel you\u2019d grown the most?<\/p>\n
OHYUL:\u00a0I spent a lot of time preparing with our CEO (Jay Park), and through that I learned the importance of mindset and human connection. I especially remember him keeping our promise to stand on the MMA 2025 stage together.
RYUL:\u00a0Performing \u201cSaucin\u2019\u201d and our mixtape songs in front of actual audiences helped me build real confidence on stage.
WOOJIN:\u00a0It was a completely different kind of learning from my trainee days. Through real events and stages, I realized performance isn\u2019t completed by just singing, rapping or dancing \u2014 and that helped me grow a lot.
LOUIS:\u00a0The most memorable moment was our performance at Hanyang University\u2019s festival. We had to suddenly change the choreography 20 minutes before going on stage. That experience made me realize what it means to perform as a \u201cprofessional.\u201d<\/p>\n
Your pre-debut mixtape also drew a variety of reactions. Was there any feedback that stayed with you?<\/p>\n
OHYUL:\u00a0The fact that many people asked for it to be officially released meant a lot. It felt like they simply enjoyed what I made as a trainee.
RYUL:\u00a0As the rapper of the team, I received a lot of rap-focused feedback, and the love for the mixtape really motivated me.
WOOJIN:\u00a0I often heard, \u201cEvery song is good,\u201d which made me realize how important it is to deliver sincerity \u2014 not pretending, but expressing real emotion.
LOUIS:\u00a0After the \u201cSaucin\u2019\u201d MV dropped, I watched many reaction videos and comments. Surprisingly, a lot of people preferred the mixtape, which was refreshing to see.<\/p>\n
The name \u201cLNGSHOT\u201d symbolizes belief in an unlikely but game-changing \u2018long shot.\u2019 What would each of you say is your personal \u2018long shot\u2019 \u2014 your strongest weapon?<\/p>\n
OHYUL:\u00a0I think our strength is that we don\u2019t get easily shaken. Even when we\u2019re unsure or confused, we try to stay steady. All four of us share that trait.
RYUL:\u00a0Our individual colors and wide spectrum are our biggest strengths. Because our weapons differ, we become even stronger when we come together.
WOOJIN:\u00a0I think it\u2019s the fact that all four of us are essential. Without even one member, our color wouldn\u2019t be the same. We value naturalness and authenticity over perfection, so \u201cthe four of us together\u201d is our biggest weapon.
LOUIS:\u00a0I agree with the members. Personally, I\u2019d say my strength is that I\u2019m quick to read the room \u2014 probably the fastest among us.<\/p>\n
The line \u201cYeah we Michelin in this thang\u201d is striking. With hip-hop groups increasing rapidly, what makes LNGSHOT confidently call themselves \u2018Michelin-level\u2019?<\/p>\n
OHYUL:\u00a0I think differences show naturally when you work sincerely and do your best. Our \u201cnatural sincerity\u201d will become our biggest distinction.
RYUL:\u00a0We always try to look further ahead and stay honest. Persistence and authenticity will set us apart.
WOOJIN:\u00a0Our photos, our chemistry with the CEO (Jay Park) in our content, the mixtape \u2014 all the things we showed before debut reflect where our confidence comes from. That lyric is something our CEO (Jay Park) wrote. I think he meant that even if not everyone knows us yet, the people who\u00a0do\u00a0will recognize the quality \u2014 like a hidden gem you discover. It was his way of telling us to be confident.
LOUIS:\u00a0Each member has a distinct identity, yet when we\u2019re together, our roles become even clearer. That\u2019s what differentiates us most.<\/p>\n
What message did LNGSHOT most want to deliver through the debut EP\u00a0SHOT CALLERS? And what did you focus on most during production?<\/p>\n
OHYUL:\u00a0\u201cRealness.\u201d Our CEO (Jay Park) and staff emphasized being sincere and real, and watching them work with that mindset was genuinely moving.
RYUL:\u00a0We wanted to show our range and convey our passion for music. Beyond lyrics and melody, we focused on the narrative and the expression of \u201cWe\u2019re really starting this game now.\u201d
WOOJIN:\u00a0Music had to be at the center. We wanted songs that\u00a0we\u00a0would enjoy performing, too. I think\u00a0SHOT CALLERS is about showing who we are through actions rather than words.
LOUIS:\u00a0We wanted to show we could pull off diverse styles. And we practiced a lot before filming because we really wanted the music video to come out well.<\/p>\n
All members participated in writing and composing this time. When did your opinions clash the most, and when did you feel the strongest synergy?<\/p>\n
OHYUL:\u00a0Differences always came up \u2014 we\u2019re all different people. But our shared goal of making good music carried us through. The strongest synergy was during \u201cNever Let Go.\u201d WOOJIN and LOUIS first built it using a YouTube-type beat, and RYUL and I added melodies and lyrics. That process really made me feel like, \u201cWe\u2019re a real team.\u201d
RYUL:\u00a0Some detailed parts took time, but we all understood the message we wanted to convey, so choosing and finalizing the tracks went smoothly. \u201cNever Let Go\u201d was definitely the smoothest collaboration.
WOOJIN:\u00a0Instead of rigid rules, we kept references loose and created freely. We had more than five tracks, but these five naturally felt like the sound we wanted \u2014 something aligned with our CEO (Jay Park)\u2019s color but still ours. All of us especially loved \u201cNever Let Go.\u201d
LOUIS:\u00a0Our biggest disagreement was while making \u201cBackseat\u201d \u2014 we all had different opinions on the song\u2019s structure. On the other hand, \u201cNever Let Go\u201d came together effortlessly.<\/p>\n
Among the songs on the EP, which track does each member feel most attached to?<\/p>\n
OHYUL:\u00a0\u201cFaceTime.\u201d I love old-school R&B, and I was confident while recording it. Its pure vibe reflects who we are now, and the members\u2019 voices sound amazing on it.
RYUL:\u00a0\u201cSaucin\u2019.\u201d It has the strongest energy and coolest lines \u2014 I think it really shows our identity.
WOOJIN:\u00a0\u201cNever Let Go.\u201d LOUIS and I started building it together during a time when I wasn\u2019t in the best place mentally, so I poured a lot into it. I even recorded the demo on my laptop and mixed it myself, so it holds a lot of memories.
LOUIS:\u00a0Same \u2014 \u201cNever Let Go.\u201d I still vividly remember creating it in the practice room.<\/p>\n
Is there a piece of advice from Jay Park \u2014 your producer and CEO \u2014 that has had a lasting impact on your life?<\/p>\n
OHYUL:\u00a0\u201cWe only have each other. Protect one another.\u201d
RYUL:\u00a0He influenced my rap tone and English pronunciation a lot. He always said to remember the genre\u2019s roots and make sure the meaning comes through clearly. And he would say, \u201cFind your own color\u201d \u2014 that helped me tremendously.
WOOJIN:\u00a0I remember him saying, \u201cThere\u2019s a reason we met.\u201d I want to prove myself worthy of being chosen.
LOUIS:\u00a0He often says, \u201cLive humbly.\u201d Seeing someone so successful remain humble makes me rethink my own attitude and be more grateful.<\/p>\n
What goals has LNGSHOT set for 2026?<\/p>\n
OHYUL:\u00a0Best New Artist. If we win it, that would be a true \u201clong shot.\u201d We\u2019ll work hard until that day.
RYUL:\u00a0Same \u2014 Best New Artist. It won\u2019t be easy, but that challenge itself is part of our identity.
WOOJIN:\u00a0I want us to work hard and show the world what we\u2019re capable of \u2014 and appear on the Billboard charts.
LOUIS:\u00a0I\u2019ll work hard until the day we win Best New Artist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LNGSHOT Image Credit: Jang Jungwoo First, congratulations on being named Billboard\u2019s K-Pop Rookie of the Month for February.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":457518,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[49,48,75,4481,154306,341,15111,882],"class_list":["post-457517","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-entertainment","tag-genre-kpop","tag-k-pop-rookie-of-the-month","tag-music","tag-music-news","tag-photos"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457517","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=457517"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/457517\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/457518"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=457517"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=457517"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=457517"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}