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GOT7 seeks niche with ‘Identify’

By Korea Herald

Published : Nov. 18, 2014 - 20:52

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GOT7. (JYP Entertainment)) GOT7. (JYP Entertainment))
The seven members of GOT7 are taking another stab at solidifying their identity with the release of their first full-length album, “Identify.”

This time around, the boys are leaving behind the high-flying martial arts dance moves that they so enthusiastically highlighted when they debuted, referring to their complex choreography as one of the aspects that made them different from other K-pop boy bands.

The 11-track album, which includes GOT7’s previously released singles “A” and “Girls Girls Girls,” dropped Tuesday and features the group’s newest dance-pop lead single, “Stop, Stop It,” produced by JYP founder and K-pop hit machine Park Jin-young (JYP).

“When I heard the song for the first time, I just loved it,” said GOT7 member JB during a showcase held at Uniqlo AX Hall in Seoul on Monday.

“We are so thankful that producer Park Jin-young allowed us to have and perform his song,” he continued. “Actually, a number of people from our agency like 2PM and 15& said that they wanted to have the track to perform for their group, but we worked hard and showed how much we really wanted it and luckily the song was given to us.”

“The fact that other acts in our agency wanted the song but it was given to us, I just feel so honored,” group member Bam Bam added.

The new studio album comes less than a year since GOT7 made its official debut in January with “Girls Girls Girls.” The group’s debut single was quite self-assured, belting out the chorus line, “Girls, girls, girls they love me.” However, in GOT7’s second EP release, “GOT Heart,” the members decided to take a different approach to their image, taking the stage as nice guys.

The idols admitted that the group as a whole is still searching for its own personal identity, which is one of the concepts they are looking to address on “Identify.”

From confident to cutesy to now having a lead single like “Stop, Stop It,” which talks about wanting a girl who just wants to be friends, the members of GOT7 are still looking to see which shoes fit just right.

“With this song (‘Stop, Stop It’), it’s sexy and groovy and at first we really wanted to approach the song in a cool manner,” JB explained. “But, we were specifically told by producer Park not to overdo it and give off a lot more friendly feel so we don’t push people away.”

Although GOT7 claims an impressive fan following in a number of Asian countries, the new faces of JYP Entertainment ― GOT7 is the first boy band to debut under the agency in six years ― have yet to make a substantial mark in the music scene.

During the showcase, the GOT7 members expressed a lot of faith in their latest lead single, some admitting their hopes of finally being able to clinch their first No. 1 ranking. The members went on to describe how difficult it was for each of them to meet the high standards of JYP, one of K-pop’s most influential producers.

“While we were recording, if he didn’t like what he was hearing, he would just stop in the middle and say, ‘Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Get out here now,’” said Jr, explaining that each of the singers were given a numerical rating during their recording sessions.

“I think the best compliment that I have gotten from producer Park Jin-young thus far is, ‘Your shoes look nice today,’” Jackson added with a smirk on his face. “I will continue to try and do my best.”

Despite their efforts, however, GOT7’s new album has gotten off to a lackluster start since it was unveiled to the public on Tuesday, landing nowhere near the top 10 on most of the online local music charts.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)