30/5/2008 Mnet Interview with Tae Yang

MNET: I read some of your previous interviews and it seems like you're not very talkative.
TY: Yeah.

MNET: (Oh no!) Do you tend speak less because you're expressing yourself in music and dance?
TY: No. I can be very shy at first and also, other BB members speak so well.

MNET: I heard this mini-album was prepared a long time ago.
TY: We were going to release the mini-album this time last year, but it was pushed back because it coincided with BB schedule. We were really busy last year. I also wanted to prepare a little bit more since this is my solo effort.

MNET: YG first suggested your solo album. What did he say?
TY: (Imitating YG) Uh... he needs to release a solo album (Everyone laughing). I was really surprised. We had only debuted a short time ago and it was before the first official BB album came out.

MNET: Why do you think he suggested a solo album to you?
TY: Because the other members are good at other things. GD is doing well in producing. DS in variety shows, SR and TOP in acting. I only had music. I think YG knew that.

MNET: Didn't you receive acting offers? Didn't you want to try acting when you saw SR or TOP acting?
TY: I guess I can go into acting if the opportunity rises, but I don't have any specific plans right now. TOP is very random and playful when he's with us so I was worried that he wouldn't be able to pull off a serious scene, but he did surprisingly well. SR is also doing really well. He really likes acting and practiced a lot.

MNET: So did you want to do different music than what BB did?
TY: When you listen to BB's first single, you can tell it's more black and deep. I wanted to do similar music. I wanted to show everyone that BB hasn't lost its original color (My note: Ha. no pun intended)

MNET: There has been great response already...
TY: Most people responded positively. I'm happier because this is the music I wanted to do. It's good to do mainstream music, but I wanted to do music that I liked.

MNET: When did you first start liking black music?
TY: I think when I first joined YG. When I was young, I liked MJ, Brian McKnight, Boys II Men, Stevie Wonder, etc. I wasn't influenced by one artist, but I was really into that genre.

MNET: You were first going to do rap right?
TY: I joined YG because I wanted to rap, but as I listened to more and more music, I realized I also wanted to sing. I think my image as a vocalist was solidified after BB's debut.

MNET: Singing, dancing, rapping... what's your favorite?
TY: Singing and dancing. I can't choose between the two .

MNET: You had solo performances before right? How is performing by yourself different than performing with BB members?
TY: I think I was more nervous. When you perform with others, you can depend on them. But this was my lone effort, so I was more pressured. But it was good because I was able to perform 100% the way I only wanted to.

MNET: I saw your pictures and your body is incredible. Did you work out a lot for your solo debut?
TY: Yeah. I worked out ^^. I had worked out regularly before, but I wanted to give off a more mature image as a solo artist, so I worked harder. About two hours a day.

MNET: I heard that Rain, who went to Hollywood, only ate chicken breast and worked out...
TY: I ate all three meals a day ^^ But I avoided stuff like fast food. The most important thing is working out regularly.

MNET: Do you like working out?
TY: To be honest, it's hard. And there are times when I don't want to. But I did because I wanted to increase my endurance. Last year when our schedule was hectic, all the other members had to go to the hospital except me and DS. I think it's because of our endurance from working out. Since I am going to be working alone, I thought having endurance was crucial.

MNET: That's right. We only thought about the superficial. Anyways, you're officially an adult now. You had your Sung In Shik. What did you do? (My note: I don't know if non-koreans are aware of this, but there is a day in Korea that signifies that you're an adult now. Its May 19th of the year that you turn 20. you usually get a bunch of roses and perfume)
TY: A lot of roses. Mostly roses. I also got miniature cologne. I honestly didn't know. The day before Sung In Shik was my birthday so I was playing around and practicing and I kept receiving flowers. I was like Oh right, it's Sung In Shik.

MNET: Do you know what articles come up when you search TY online?
TY: [articles relating to] Girlfriend (Looking at one YG worker) Oh! I was also surprised.

MNET: You didn't bring up the subject yourself?
TY: Yeah. Honestly, I get embarrassed when the subject comes up. It's not something to be proud of, not having a girlfriend. Of course, I would like to have a girlfriend. But right now I'm so busy that I don't think that I'll be a good boyfriend. So I don't want one right now.

MNET: But your title song, "Look at Me" is about a selfish guy's love life. It's the total opposite of you?
TY: Even Teddy, who wrote the song, was concerned that the lyrics didn't match me. I mean he didn't write the song specifically for me, but I loved the overall feel of the song, so I said that I wanted to do the song. If you watch the music video, it's about a girl who cheats on her boyfriend. I understood the meaning of the lyrics as that and I sung the song with that in my mind.

MNET: What do the members do in their spare time? Shopping since all the BB members have a good sense of style?
TY: It's not that we have an incredible sense of style, we all just like clothes. GD is especially interested in fashion. And TOP too. For example, say we're in Japan. If we have a hectic schedule and have only one hour to eat lunch, we would go shopping instead of eating.

MNET: You're probably going to debut in America some day... Are you studying English?
TY: My English teacher is Danny from 1TYM, but since my schedule so hectic, I only had two lessons. But all the fans seem to think I'm good at English. I really want to learn.

MNET: You're 20 now. Even 40 years later, will we be able to see BB and TY up on stage?
TY: I thought about it. Of course I want to perform for a long time. But what's more important than longevity is making people anticipate for your next album.

MNET: Last question. During the day, when are you the happiest?
TY: When am I the happiest? (10 seconds later) When I'm going to bed after doing a good job at a concert or on stage. After showing everyone a good performance, I think about that moment when I'm going to sleep. Then I can keep that memory for a long time.