Consisting of members CHOYEON, EUNCHAE, YOONA, RAINIE, CYAN and ZIN, bugAboo brings a fresh concept to the Hallyu world. Formed by the famous producer Ryan Jhun, they are the newest group to debut under A Team Entertainment. After over a year of anticipation and lots of TikTok videos, bugAboo debuted October 25, 2021 with the self-titled single album bugAboo. BugAboo made their mark with a new sound consisting of Western and Hallyu elements, bringing something different to the Hallyu game.
The album consists of two tracks that bring variety to the group’s first release. The title track, “bugAboo”, using a combination of Spaghetti Western sounds with K-Pop, brings a catchy and energetic feel to the album. With lyrics like “I’ll do whatever I want, just follow me”, the song brings the listener on a journey to the land of bugAboo, where you can fight your fears and be yourself. The second track, “All Night Play,” brings variety to the album with a cute and fun sound. Get ready to have a blast with bugAboo with the lyrics “Ooh leave your worries behind / Here yeah we’re just dancing/Pour it out all night.” This track will have you ready to dance the night away with your friends by enjoying bugAboo’s perfect harmonies over a light, bubbly sound.
Racking up 14 million views and counting, the music video for title track “bugAboo”, brings vibrant colors to a Ennio Morricone style setting. The music video exudes “A Pistol for Ringo” meets “Gunpowder Milkshake” vibes. In terms of choreography, the members do a fantastic job of utilizing the effect of different levels during the verses. The chorus is easy to learn as well, making this a great song for a lot of cover dancers looking to take on something fun.
KPC: For those who are still getting to know you, could you please introduce yourselves and tell us about BugAboo’s concept?
Choyeon: I’m Cho Yeon, a lovely cherry who is a leader and a main dancer! bugAboo’s concept depicts six ordinary girls fighting against trauma, or bugaboo, in a whole new world.
Eunchae: I’m Eun Chae with a hybrid heart that never gets tired.
Yoona: My name is Yoona, whose charm is a fruity and refreshing smile.
Rainie: This is Rainie, a main vocalist in bugABoo, and I have a charm so you would constantly want to look at me!
Cyan: I’m a clever Tinker Bell Cyan, who is also a sub vocalist in the team.
Zin: My name is Zin, a main vocalist in the team. I’m like an aurora with multiple colors.
KPC: Congratulations on your debut! After your hard training, you’ve finally debuted, congratulations! How does it feel to finally stand on stage and share your music with the public? Did you get to celebrate this milestone moment of your career?
Cyan: It is still surreal that our song is out because we have only listened to it in our training room until now. We have been dreaming of performing on the stage, so every day feels brand new and just so happy.
Zin: It’s unbelievable that it gives me butterflies. I’m very excited to show everyone who I am with bugABoo.
Eunchae: I feel like I could fly! We have been waiting and preparing for this moment every day, now it feels like I’m dreaming. These days, every day is a happy day.
Yoona: Our CEO, Ryan Jhun, wrote the debut song for us himself so I wanted to share it with everyone. I’m very glad the day has finally come.
Rainie: I was a trainee for four years, so the fact that I debuted is still surreal and nervous but I’m very excited about our future. I’ll work harder, so please give lots of love to bugABoo!
Cr. A Team Entertainment Cr. A Team Entertainment
KPC: What was your earliest memory of falling in love with music? Was there a specific artist that influenced your decision to pursue this as a career?
Rainie: I wanted to be a singer because I was a big fan of Girls’ Generation even before I came to Korea. I decided to come to Korea to become a wonderful singer like them.
Cyan: Like Rainie, I wished to be a singer by watching Girls’ Generation. They looked so happy and had a lot of fun on stage, so I wanted to shine on stage like them too.
Choyeon: I was heavily influenced by Chungha. I thought, ‘I want to become a singer who shines and gives chills just by being present’ while watching her perform on Produce 101.
Yoona: My influence was Twice. I grew interested in KPOP artists from watching Twice having fun on stage and showing their various charms.
KPC: What was the most challenging experience you went through during your trainee days?
Cyan: I did not start my training with a singing or dancing background, so I had to challenge myself to follow up with other trainees. It was hard for me to see myself distant from other talented trainees even though I tried very hard every day.
Yoona: It was hard to communicate properly since my Korean was not perfect. Studying language along with singing and dancing was hard for me.
Choyeon: I had a lot of trainee friends. Seeing them debut one by one and thinking ‘Why am I still here?’ was very difficult for me. However, now I think I am here because I had those hard moments.
Rainie: I’m from Taiwan, so it was very lonely and hard not to meet my family regularly
Eunchae: To me, uncertainty about a hopeless future. During my 6-year training, I was always uncertain about tomorrow. It was hard to feel like I’m stuck somewhere when time keeps flying.
KPC: You all have such distinct personalities! Where do you each get your style inspiration from?
Choyeon: I usually monitor performances and photos of other K-Pop artists, then I find and purchase cute accessories and clothes myself.
Eunchae: I enjoy dressing up, so I get inspired by each day’s vibe, weather, location, etc.
Yoona: I don’t like following other people. I love finding new and unique styles for myself.
Cyan: My big influence is characters from dramas or movies, since I enjoy watching them so much!
Cr. A Team Entertainment Cr. A Team Entertainment
KPC: What can we expect to see from you that will set you apart from other groups?
Cyan: We, unlike other groups, share our traumas with you, so you can overcome your own trauma by watching us. I think that’s what sets us apart.
Choyeon: We have various talents including acrobatics and acting. In the choreography of our debut song, bugAboo, you can see us doing acrobatics!
KPC: You spoke about fighting against trauma. Can you go a little deeper as to what kind of trauma?
Cyan: We all have our own traumas. For example, experiencing language barriers, maintaining a healthy diet, or even having the feeling like there is no progression in our lives. And these are not different from the concerns that people have in general. The main point is to face these concerns together with them, and give them hope that they can overcome their traumas as we did. We want to encourage others and grow together.
KPC: Hallyu has been like a tidal wave, taking the globe by storm. Do you feel more pressure because of this?
Cyan: My biggest concerns are how we can deliver our message and how we can spread positive effects to the public, rather than feeling pressured.
Choyeon: A lot of former K-Pop artists played a key role in hallyu. We’re working very hard because we want to spread K-Pop to the world more, continuing proud Korean artists’ legacy.
Rainie: I feel a little pressured, but that’s why we should work harder! There are so many great artists, and I think we can take our next challenge well only if we become better.
Eunchae: I feel thankful rather than pressured. Thanks to our former artists, K-Pop is now spread across the world. bugABoo also wants to share K-Pop all over the world!
Cr. A Team Entertainment Cr. A Team Entertainment
KPC: BugAboo has such a multicultural background. What do you enjoy the most when it comes to learning about different members’ cultures?
Choyeon: It’s so fun to learn their languages from Rainie and Yoona. When we learn a new language, our pronunciations are not too great, but the members find that very cute. We have lots of fun in our house full of laughter.
KPC: For Yoona and Rainie, what were the biggest cultural differences that you experienced when you came to Korea?
Yoona: When I first came to Korea, I found that the way we treat the elderly was a little different from Japan, so it was quite difficult.
Rainie: When I came, I made a few mistakes because Korean formal and informal languages were a bit confusing.
@i_bug_u ##버가부 ##bugaboo ##입덕포인트댄스 입덕했나요??👻
♬ 오리지널 사운드 – BUG
@in_my_boo ##버가부 ##bugaboo ##low 즐겁게 씰룩씰룩 (۶•̀ᴗ•́)۶
♬ 오리지널 사운드 – BOO
KPC: Even before you debuted you have been garnering a lot of attention from international fans through your TikToks! What has it been like to receive so much love from an international audience so early in your career?
Eunchae: Feels like a dream! We all screamed from surprise when we saw our music video reach 10 million views. We promise to try our best and become better bugAboo!
Choyeon: We’re so happy to receive so much love even before debut. We want to return the love we get, that’s why we want to push ourselves.
Rainie: Thank you so much for your attention prior to our debut! We will work hard to become better singers.
KPC: Could you tell us more about the “Bug” and “Boo” subunits on TikTok and how you were each divided into those units?
Eunchae: We were discussing how we could showcase bugAboo in a more versatile way while preparing for TikTok recording. Then we decided to split teams, bug/boo.
Choyeon: Unit bug shows strong, charismatic performance, while unit boo focuses more on bubbly and lovely feels. As soon as we heard concepts of each unit, all six of us unanimously chose Choyeon, Eunchae, Zin as unit bug and Yoona, Rainie, Cyan as unit boo.
KPC: BugAboo released a medley of debut songs from different groups in September that has around 700K views so far. Are there any songs or dances you wish to cover in the future?
Eunchae: It was an honor to cover songs by groups that we respect, and to even get great reactions! I want to cover boy group artists so I can show a strong performance.
Choyeon: I wish to cover our CEO Ryan Jhun’s songs that will come out in the future. Looking forward to his upcoming works, because he is ‘the’ Ryan Jhun!
Yoona: I want to make a medley of Twice’s fresh and cute songs so I can show a variety of dance genres!
Zin: I want to cover f(x)s’ medley because bugAboo members also have refreshing and dreamy sides.
KPC: What other artists would you like to collaborate with whether in Korea or internationally?
Cyan: I’d like to collaborate with Little Mix. I listen to them a lot, and I think Little Mix’s music has a similar vibe to K-Pop.
Rainie: For me, I want to work with Selena Gomez. I gained a lot of courage by listening to her song Who Say, and she’s got an awesome voice.
Choyeon: I’ve always looked up to Hyunah and Chungha, so I’d love to collaborate with them.
Yoona: I want to try a very unique, unordinary, surprising performance with Hwasa from Mamamoo!
Zin: I’d like to do a collaboration stage with Blackpink. Somewhere abroad, with a bursting stage presence!
KPC: Thank you for your time! Is there anything you want to say to your fans?
Cyan: I want to thank our longtime fans who have waited for us for so long, and also our new fans who recently discovered us. We will be the bugAboo who can give back all your love.
Choyeon: We will be the team that tries our best and grows, as much as your attention and love. Please continue supporting us! Thank you
Yoona: Thank you always for your love. I’ll share much more love and energy, so please look forward to it! Love you!
Rainie: Our debut song “bugAboo” is a very unique and addictive song. We will show you many more sides of us! Hope you love it, thank you!
Zin: Thank you for being with us in the beginning. I hope you stay with us, bugAboo!
Eunchae: Thanks to our fans who have been waiting and loving bugAboo. We promise you to give back your constant support and love. Thank you!
Congrats to bugAboo on their successful debut and please continue to support the group with their projects in the future!