Dreamcatcher Opens Up About Their Punk-Rock Sound and Their Initial Worries It Wouldn't Be Accepted in K-Pop
Dreamcatcher might find some inspiration from nightmares as well, but it hasn't scared off potential fans. Instead, the K-pop group's unique identity has helped catapult them to being one of the most buzzed-about acts.
When it comes to their sound, Dreamcatcher combines K-pop's charming, earworm-y melodies with edgy rock and metal productions. While South Korea has seen a slew of male acts finding mainstream success as proper bands (see acts such as FTISLAND, CNBLUE, and Day6) or by boy bands embracing rock music (BTS' "Spring Day" or B.A.P's "Bang X2"), women are still rather unrepresented in the scene. Visually, the girls of Dreamcatcher bring an intriguing dark energy with their music videos with undeniably beautiful, at-times-creepy imagery that displays the girls as everything from mischievous spirits (like in their debut "Chase Me" video) to mystical forest lurkers ("Good Night") to butterfly princesses ("Fly High"). While their aesthetic may lean more horror than cutesy, the visuals have the high-quality K-pop craftsmanship one can expect from any entertainer. Meanwhile, Dreamcatcher fans are hooked on the girl group's larger, developing story that grows with each music video and album release.
When it comes to K-pop vocabulary, "concept" is one of the key terms fans absolutely need to know. In such a competitive music scene where new boy bands, girl groups, and solo stars seem like they're debuting on the daily, every act needs to establish an identity — or their own unique concept. And female septet Dreamcatcher are rocking an ambitious concept that makes them peerless in the K-pop scene.
At KCON 2018 Los Angeles in August, Dreamcatcher's JiU, SuA, Handong, Siyeon, Yoohyeon, Dami, and Gahyeon were some of the most anticipated stars of the 19 acts visiting from Korea. Previously, the group toured Asia, Europe, and South America, but the Los Angeles convention and festival marked their first-ever U.S. appearance after a year-and-a-half on the scene. The ladies made the most of their time at KCON, not only delivering their racing rock cuts but also a sultry cover of Camila Cabello's "Havana" to prove that these goth glamazons can also slay some of pop's biggest hits.
Backstage before earning some of the most roaring screams of the night at the Staples Center concert, Dreamcatcher talked about the response to their haunting concept so far, their initial concerns with the sound, ambitions for the future, and more.
Teen Vogue: This is your first time coming to the United States, but it feels like Dreamcatcher is one of the most anticipated acts at KCON this year. Did you expect that?
JiU: We didn't know at all. We held a fan meeting [in Los Angeles] just yesterday and we were later told that it sold out in one minute. As soon as I heard that, I felt like we must be receiving a lot of love.
SuA: So, I actually did have some expectations because one of our songs "You and I" charted slightly well on the Billboard charts. [Laughs]
TV: Dreamcatcher's concept is obviously very inspired by rock and metal music. What were your reactions when it was first introduced to you?
JiU: Honestly, when I first heard about it I was a little bit worried because rock isn't as popular in Korea [as other genres]. So, I was wondering, "Will this work for the public? Will they accept it?" But I feel better now that I've seen the concept through.
Yoohyeon: We feel much better. [Laughs]
Siyeon: I was originally a fan of the Japanese group ONE OK ROCK. Before my debut, I actually went to their concert in Korea and had so much fun. I've always liked rock music. When I heard that we were going to have a rock concept, I was actually really excited.
TV: You've been able to meet fans around the world throughout your tours. What are they like? Do you have any memorable memories?
JiU: For our song "Mayday," we actually filmed a special music video with some of our fans where they played backup for us. They were so great at playing the instruments that we were actually learning from the fans.
SuA: Before our concerts start, our songs and videos play and the fans always scream. That always gives us goosebumps and a real excitement. That energy then gives us a lot more energy when we get on stage to perform even better. It really is the screaming of the fans that are most memorable.
JiU: The fans in Colombia screamed really loud. Actually, arriving in the airport in Colombia, it felt like a concert because people were screaming so loud for us from the beginning. From the beginning to the end of that trip, it was like a concert.
TV: You've been traveling and touring so much. What's your top tip for self-care?
Gahyeon: For me, my tip is that whenever you have time to rest, get as much sleep as possible. Don't distract yourself, take advantage of that time.
TV: Do you think there will be opportunities to showcase sides of yourselves that aren't based in Dreamcatcher's rock sound?
Siyeon: I actually did a solo cover of Alan Walker's "Faded" in Dreamcatcher's style and I performed it at our concert as well. If given the opportunity, I would love to do something solo —lately I've been loving and listening to a lot of Ariana Grande so something like that would be perfect.
Dami: Since my position is the rapper, I would like to release a solo project where, beginning to end, it's just rap. All hip-hop.
TV: What else is coming in 2018?
JiU: We've teased the beginning of a new era, so it should be starting soon, right? [Laughs] As long as we're performing as Dreamcatcher, we're going to continue to show a very powerful image that we've been showing up until now.
TV: Do you have a message you'd like to share with fans around the world?
Yoohyeon: First of all, thank you for loving our music and our performances of Dreamcatcher. And thank you for not just ending at liking us, but requesting us to perform and allowing us to tour around the world. It's thanks to you we've had such great experiences and we just want to thank our fans for providing that to us.
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Related: TWICE Reflect on How Their K-Pop Brand Connects Around the World at KCON 2018 Los Angeles
