Much like the British invasion in the 1960s world of rock’n’roll, South Korea is creating its own global invasion of sorts. But K-Pop is something of an anomaly. The explosion of Korean pop groups selling out arenas across the world with fans singing along to lyrics they don’t understand is a phenomena one almost can’t explain. From Los Angeles to Saudi Arabia, they are sweeping the globe, and RIIZE is just the latest installment determined for world takeover.
Having debuted as a band just a few months ago in September 2023 with their album, Get a Guitar, their, for lack of a better word, immediate rise to the top, has been nothing short of spectacular. Their fan base has quickly grown in the Middle East, and doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon.
Esquire: How did you first dream of becoming a K-pop group and artist?
SUNGCHAN: As I grew up watching SHINee and EXO, I became interested in K-POP for the first time. As I learned singing and dancing as a trainee, I gradually developed my dream of becoming an artist.
ANTON: I think my passion for music started from a young age, but my interest in the idea of becoming a singer myself began around the time K-POP became more mainstream. I would see people around my area knowing who Korean celebrities were, and was fascinated by the growing popularity of Korean culture as a whole worldwide. The idea that I also can have a large impact on many diverse people through music was something that I realized I wanted to do.
Esquire: You’ve already become global ambassadors for iconic fashion brands, but what do the RIIZE members wear on a daily basis?
WONBIN: All of us are paying a lot of attention to bags and outerwear. While I used to enjoy wearing multiple earrings in the past, these days, I find it neater and appealing to have just one earring on each ear.
ANTON: All our members in general are all interested in fashion, but in different styles. I for one have recently been interested in accessories, especially rings.
Esquire: When working on this album, was there anything that reflected the different opinions of each member? And tell us about your new song LOVE 119?
SHOTARO: I’m thrilled to share that Wonbin and I collaborated on creating the choreography for the chorus part of Love 119. I loved it. We had worked together on choreography before our debut, and this collaboration brought back those memories after a long time. Considering the song’s theme of ‘first love’ and the main sound, we aimed to create choreography that many people could follow. While brainstorming in the practice room with Wonbin, we came up with dance moves like the ‘1-1-9’ gesture, that you see in the video. Just like our song Memories, this song has a bright vibe, making it a fun dance for us and the members.
Esquire: Individually, what are some of your personal influences or inspirations?
WONBIN: I want to deliver a performance on stage someday that captivates people like Michael Jackson, with a sophisticated and overwhelming presence.
SOHEE : Members and our fans, BRIIZE. They are my greatest source of strength and motivation, driving me to work hard as hard as possible to always deliver.
Esquire: You recently visited Saudi Arabia for KCON. Tell us about the experience, and how are Arabic fans different from Korean fans? What does it mean to have such a big fan base in this region of the world?
EUNSEOK : Thanks to the enthusiastic cheers, we felt a tremendous amount of energy on the stage. Even though Saudi Arabia is a distant country from Korea, we are grateful that many people love and support us, and we look forward to repaying this gratitude again, hopefully soon.
SOHEE : I loved the passionate energy, you could really feel it. And It was fascinating to see that so many people in Saudi Arabia supported us, which made me so curious about their culture too, making me even more eager to meet more fans from the region.
Esquire: What are some interesting facts about each member that fans may not know?
EUNSEOK: Even though I’m younger than Shotaro, he always steals my jokes from me. Sungchan may come off as quite tough on the outside, but deep down he’s just a big softie. Wonbin is always talking. Sohee is definitely the one who takes care of all of us, and Anton is the youngest and the funniest.
Esquire: K-pop has quickly become a global phenomenon. What kind of music and performances do RIIZE want to show their fans as a new K-pop group?
SUNGCHAN: I hope that those who listen to, and watch us, just gain positive energy and vibes. We always aim to deliver excitement and joy through our performances, wanting to inspire and entertain our audience.
Esquire: What does 2024 hold in store?
SHOTARO: We can’t reveal all the detailed plans yet, but stay tuned!
Follow RIIZE on Instagram here
