During the beautiful spring of Mayβfittingly, as βMay(ηΎ)β means beauty in Chineseβwe interviewed A2O May following their debut under A2O Entertainment, the new label founded by legendary K-pop producer Lee Soo Man. The interview took place in Los Angeles after their first-ever live festival performance at the iconic iHeartRadio Wango Tango.
After quite literally shaking the floor with their performances of βBOSSβ and βUnder My Skinβ at the festivalβtwo confident, high-energy bangersβ we had plenty of questions for the members: Kat, Miche, Shijie, Quchang, and Chenyu.Β
From China, and now going global, each member brought their own unique talent and excitement, eager to showcase the hard work behind their debut and the stages they had prepared.
We sat down with the five members to talk about the overwhelming love they’ve received, the message behind their unique soundβdubbed βZalpha Popββand the sisterhood that binds them together.Β
Watch the full interview above or read the conversation below!
The conversation below has been slightly revised for clarity.
THE KNOCKTURNAL: You guys are fresh off your Wango Tango performance and the release of your second single, “BOSS.” There’s so much to dive into. Let’s start with LA. You guys have been here for maybe like the past week now. Can you tell me about what it’s beenlike to be out here, performing at Wango Tango and at the premiere? What has stood out to you during this whole time, this experience being here as a group?
SHIJE: It’s so nice because it’s our first time to come to LA as a group! So it’s really, really exciting. We had Wango Tango and also Mr. Lee’s premiere. We’re actually here for two weeks, but weβve experienced a lot. So it’s really, really fun. And also we have a lot of schedules, so we went to many places. The twins and QUCHANG have already gone to Six Flags. Yeah, so if we have free time, we want to go to Six Flags again!
MICHE: Last week, we got the chance to perform at Wango Tango, and it was actually our first stage where we got to interact with our fans. Having our first music festival in America was so amazing. We werenβt expecting that fans would enjoy it so muchβwe could hear them singing and dancing to our songs. We had our first fan meeting, so it was a really big moment for us.Β
CHENYU: It felt surreal because we had been waiting for those chants for so long, and we finally got the chance to show the US audience our songs. So we are so grateful.Β
QUCHANG: We also performed on KTLA and at the LAPD. So even though it wasnβt a public live stage or in front of a big audience, it was still so memorable.
THE KNOCKTURNAL:Β Yeah, for sure. That’s so amazing to see your hard work pay off. You guys are out there on stages globally, one after the otherβyou just debuted, and now you’re out here. As someone who was in the audience, it was so loud for you guys. Trust me, the reaction was incredibleβso well deserved.
My next question is gonna be about your Zalpha Pop. You guys have this interpretation of your own sound, and it’s called Zalpha Pop. I want to hear more about that. Tell the audience what Zalpha Pop is and how A2O May is incorporating that into your own sound.
QUCHANG: The music we do is called βZalpha Pop.β It’s a combination of Gen Z and Gen Alpha Pop. Itβs coming up with the generation. We try to represent our generation by telling our stories, giving our spirit. We want to bring you guys our confidence and energy! We are trying to connect those generations together.
THE KNOCKTURNAL: With your second single “BOSS,β it’s like a confidence anthem for any type of person. You guys each brought vocals, rap, and dance into that track. Can you also walk me through why you chose to debut with songs like “Under My Skin” and “BOSSβ specifically to launch your journey?
KAT: I think the songs actually picked us, because when we first heard the two songs, we immediately knew that they were going to be our songs. We always try to embrace that fierce and bold energy, and I think through “BOSSβ and “Under My Skin,” it really expresses that. Thatβs why we chose those songs, and weβre glad that we made those decisions!
THE KNOCKTURNAL: Destiny, for sure. Letβs talk a little bit about “BOSSβ right now. Itβs a confidence anthem, itβs something that makes you feel good. What makes each of you feel like a boss? Either through the music you put out or in your everyday lives, what helps improve your confidence?
KAT: For me, I feel like a boss when I can make my own decisions and be responsible for it. I like to have control over my own life, so those are the moments when I can truly feel like a boss.
CHENYU: My βbossyβ moment is every time I turn things I canβt do into things I can do well.
MICHE: For me, itβs when Iβm satisfied with both my good and bad sides, and Iβm satisfied just being me. Thatβs when I feel like Iβm a boss.
CHENYU: Letβs talk about everybody, yes. Because during rehearsals, we all want to be our own bosses. Everyone knows what they want. So thatβs my bossy momentβmy bossy boss!
SHIJE: For me, itβs when the five of us come together, standing on stage performing with amazing dance and amazing songs. At that time, I think weβre five bossy bosses!
THE KNOCKTURNAL: Oh, I love those messages so much, and they translate into your music. Iβm excited to see how it continues to translate into your whole journey. You guys spoke a little bit about dance for “BOSS,β incredible choreography. It was by Kirsten Dodgen. Tell me how it was to work with such an incredible choreographer. What was that experience like?
SHIJE: The first time we heard the song, Mr. Lee and Mr. Yu said, βOh, this song is really high-level and powerful,β so it really matched the royal family energy. Mr. Yu highly recommended Kirsten Dodge to help us create the dance for βBoss.β We were very happy and honored to work with her. It was an amazing experience, we learned a lot because the dance moves are not easy. They require strength. So we learned and experienced a lot.
MICHE: Every move fits perfectly with the beats. She designed every part really well. We were so happy performingβit was fun because each part brought out the best of us. We loved every single part and every moment shined, so we love the dance.
THE KNOCKTURNAL: I want to move it over to a fun question and a question about you guys as a whole and your relationship. We have twins in the group, Cas and Miche. You debuted together. Sisterhood is such a big part of my lifeβI have a sister myself. Itβs her birthday today, actually.
A2O May: Happy birthday!
THE KNOCKTURNAL: Thank you! You guys came in as sisters, you have this ultimate dream, and youβre doing it together, but now you all are like a big group of family. What has it been like to debut as sisters and then create this family, this sisterhood, with everyone else?
KAT: We grew up together, so we know each other kind of too much. When weβre always together doing everything together, we want something new and fresh. Weβre glad that we have the three other members. Each member brought something passionate and creative. Weβre glad we get to receive something else, aside from my sister. So now weβre like five sisters.
MICHE: For me, because Iβm not actually very extroverted, before I joined this group, I was very introverted. But since joining, Iβve become more open and extroverted. So thanks to them, I love that side of me now.
SHIJE: Weβre so happy and so glad to have twins. Theyβre all beautiful.
THE KNOCKTURNAL:Β Lastly, to all the fans and new listeners checking out A2O May for the first time, what is the story you want to translate as A2O May? What message would you like to send to them as they continue to support you?
KAT: We always try to share with the world and encourage everyone to stand for themselves, be confident, and stay true to who they are. I think thatβs very important. Through our song “BOSS,β we try to embrace that energy. Never be afraid to break the mold.
SHIJE: Our group name is A2O May, and βMayβ means beauty in Chinese. So we want to celebrate that May is beautiful. Itβs not just about appearanceβitβs about your power, your strength, and your confidence. We really want everyone to be confident!
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