Time STAGE

Seven boys gathered in a room and sat down. Jeremy, Jason, Jon, Rob, Drew, Sean, and Victor saw a TV screen in front of them. A video of their first stage performance was played. As they watched, they laughed, praised each other, and remembered the stories behind it.

They were interviewed for a segment by a music TV show. This was the interview that happened between the group and the writers.

 

Looking at your first stage performance today, how do you feel?

Jeremy: At least, we look better now.

(laughter from the room)

Rob: We've grown a lot as artists. 

Drew: I'm glad we never gave up for all the times we felt like it.

Jason: I feel proud of what we've come so far.

Sean: As members, we have become family now.

How did you meet and come together as a group?

Victor: We're high school batchmates, and we would perform in school events. Rob, Jeremy, and Sean rapped. I sang with Drew, while Jon and Jason danced. Then, a talent scout found us and asked if we could audition for a record label launching their pioneer boy band. So we tried out and we passed.

Jon: So when we told our parents about it, they were surprised. They were also happy and worried. But thankfully, the company talked with them about our schedule arrangement. So we would train on Saturdays when we don't have exams to study. And after 3 years, we began to debut.

What were the struggles faced when you started your career?

Sean: We thought we would score our first hit with our first song. It was moderately successful, but we were thankful.

Drew: We were criticized for being copycats. But we wanted to prove that we have our own appeal in making music. We were told that we would never make it because our music style is unlike the popular ones.

When you started gaining popularity, how were you feeling?

Jeremy: We were happy, as many people got to know our songs. But we still got those copycat comments. We were accused of manipulating the song charts. Some of us received death threats.

Victor: I entered a moment of depression. It was too much for me to handle them. But I'm glad that the members were there to cheer me up and encourage me to move forward.

Your breakthrough single came, and you had been topping the charts since then. You also won a lot of major awards. How did it go for you?

Jon: It was unexpected. But we were thankful. We credit that to the fans.

Jason: Truly, we wouldn't achieve these without them.

Rob: Really, they were there with all our ups and downs. They gave us the strength to do what we love the most in our lives.

Your fanbase is now global. You're on international charts, international shows, and international stages. Now, you're receiving international awards. How does it feel?

Jeremy: We didn't expect that. We were just okay with what we were achieving. But I realized after that it was a dream we made together.

Sean: I thought, "Is this a dream?" I needed to ask somebody to pinch me to see if it was real.

Drew: We're more than thankful. The love and support from the fans were so unimaginable.

What's the secret to your success?

Rob: We just do what we do from the heart. We're real to ourselves when we create our songs. We write songs to give hope and encouragement to people in what they're going through. And if we can inspire them through these, that's where we feel fulfilled and humbled. It motivates us to work harder.

What's the most important lesson you've learned so far in your career?

Rob: Always have the right attitude in everything.
Victor: Always have a good heart and mind.
Drew: Live life, so that you won't have regrets in the end.

If you met your younger self ten years ago, what would you say to him? 

Sean: Keep working hard. It will be worth it.

Jason: Lift your head up. There's a light coming.

Jeremy: Please change that hairstyle. That's horrible.

(laughter from the room)

Where do you see yourself ten years from now? 

Jon: We'll be mentoring those who want to be on stage.

Drew: We'll have solo albums.

Jason: We'll still be performing.

Jeremy: We'll write a book about our stories.

Rob: We'll still stick together. Whatever the situation.

Sean: We're going to be ten years older.

(laughter from the room)

Victor: I'm going to tell this to my son one day.

And what would you say to your older self?

Jon: You'll be at your best. We'll work hard for you today.
(sounds of agreement)

Please say a message to your fans as you celebrate your 8th anniversary.

Rob: Thank you so much for all the support you gave us through the years. We're looking forward to more songs and performances with you. We prepared something special for you this year. So hope you watch out for that every week. We love you all.

After finishing the interview, the group rode a van back to the dormitory.