[Exclusive Interview] Akdong Musician talks of fashion, food and more! > SPECIAL

Music aficionados are in for a treat this 9 December as YG Entertainment's talented sibling duo, Akdong Musician (fondly known as Akmu), will be heading to Singapore for their very first live event - 'AKMU Studio Live in Singapore'. 

Thanks to organizers Three Angles Production and IME Singapore, Korea.com had 9 questions answered by the beloved pop duo, Akmu. We delved into a variety of topics including fashion, food, music, Suhyun's acting passion, stress and not forgetting some hints about their upcoming Singapore showcase. Read on to find out! 

1) This being your first time in Singapore, what have you heard/what do you know about Singapore and what are you looking forward to see/do there?

 

Chanhyuk: I really like Universal Studio. I know Singapore has it so I really want to visit there. Suhyun loves to eat so she already found out some famous cuisine in Singapore. She told me to eat chili crab, chicken rice and bak kut teh. I think it would be enough if I just follow Suhyun.

 

2) AKMU had a long 2-year hiatus in between your albums. Aside from making music and preparing for the new album, how did you spend your time during the hiatus?

 

Suhyun: We had quite a long hiatus. While preparing our album, there was some time and it felt like a little (of a) waste to make time flies. So we studied for our high school qualification examination and it became very busy later.

 

3) In line with your latest album title "Puberty (악뮤 사춘기)",how were you like during puberty and were there moments of rebellious behaviour?

 

Suhyun: Well, he (Chanhyuk) had quite a quiet puberty. It doesn’t mean in a good way because he didn’t talk much so our family was a little frustrated. Now, he talks too well lol! Well, for me, I didn’t think I had (much of a) puberty; just being calm and kind but he says no. Fortunately, we were never rebellious or had a big fight. Since young, we make fun of each other but never beat or say bad words to each other.

 

4) Which song was most challenging to work on and why? On the other hand, which song took Chanhyuk the fastest to compose, how long did it take?

 

Chanhyuk: Most challenging song is mostly the one without inspiration. There are some times when I need to write a song but (I am) not inspired yet. Especially the album we are preparing now, is tough. Not because of inspiration but there was some pressure and it made me have difficulty. Songs I write long ago was mostly made in short time. Back then, I wrote about 2-3 songs within 10 to 30 minutes. Right now, I try to make it different so time doesn’t matter nowadays lol.

5) Suhyun, you've expressed the desire to try out acting. If you could choose, what kind of drama role would you want to play and who would you hope for as your co-actors?

 

Suhyun: I would like to try a student role with school uniform. I didn’t have memories in school because I didn’t go to middle/high school. So, I would like to experience it. For co-actor, Kim Yoo-jung who is my age. If it’s some kind of ‘friend’ role, it would be fun to act, just like hanging out with real friends and making good memories.

 

6) YG artistes are known for their great fashion. Between the two of you, who has a better fashion sense? What are your favourite fashion items and who do you consider as your fashion role-model?

 

Suhyun: Actually I really didn’t have any interest in fashion. Then Chanhyuk started having a lot of interest in fashion, buying fashion books and judging my style. I get so annoyed and started to have interest in clothes. People say he is better in fashion but sometimes it is too much for me.

 

Chanhyuk: Not at all. It is better than wearing red training pants. My favorite item is socks. For fashion role model, myself a year later…?

 

7) AKMU always portray a bright cheerful image however there is sure to be ups-and-downs in life. When you face stress or unhappy moments, how do you overcome it?

 

Suhyun: I become more depressed when I’m having hard times alone. So I really need to do something else to feel better. Mostly, I watch movie with my mom or eat delicious food with friends. I try to get rid of it by hanging out with others outside. It makes me feel better.

 

8) 2016 is coming to an end, have you achieved your goals for this year? What do you hope for in 2017?

 

Suhyun: We released ‘Puberty (Part.1)’ album so I think we achieved our biggest goal this year. Also, it is really thrilling to meet not only Korean fans but international fans through AKMU Studio. We would like to release ‘Puberty (Part.2)’ and meet more fans in 2017.

 

9) Could you briefly hint about your preparation for "AKMU Studio in Singapore" and what fans can look forward to?

 

We were a little worried about communicating with our fans because of language. So, we thought about how to communicate closely with music, and decided to perform with a real band to make AKMU Studio full of sounds. Also, there are some rearranged songs and cover songs. We would like to make a healing time just for you guys.

Korea.com's Shya contributed to this article from Singapore.