How K-pop’s Treasure spent US$420,000 on Jikjin MV: the 12-piece group talk dancing with supercars and new EP ‘The Second Step: Chapter One’ ahead of first-ever live shows
- After gaining confidence with web series Mysterious Class, Treasure members showcase stunning chorography amid luxury supercars in YG’s blinging new music video
- ‘I already prepared my acceptance speech’ says member Bang of hopes Treasure will bag TV awards, with a world tour tipped following debut gigs at Seoul’s Olympic Hall
But groups like Treasure refused to stay idle. The 12-piece act, which burst onto the K-pop scene in 2020, has continued to put out new releases throughout the pandemic, and honed its skills to seek musical maturity while waiting for the pandemic to end. And the group’s growth is highly visible in its new EP “The Second Step: Chapter One”.
“[The EP] will be a stepping stone for us to take a further leap,” member Jihoon said during an online press conference marking its February 15 release. “As we worked on different albums, we came to discover the styles we prefer and became even more serious with our music and performance. This time, we will strive to show our unique colour, especially through the lead track Jikjin, which we believe is the perfect fit for us.”
Bang Ye-dam elaborated, “When we practised choreography in the past, we were mostly busy following instructions. But now, we can dance with more ease and display different gestures and facial expressions at the same time. We also became more familiar with cameras and enhanced our acting skills after filming our web drama, Mysterious Class. I think we are gradually deepening our degree of experience.”
It was so thrilling to dance next to these expensive automobiles and I had to pay extra care not to leave any scratches
It was so thrilling to dance next to these expensive automobiles and I had to pay extra care not to leave any scratches
As the opening track, Jikjin is a powerful and dynamic hip-hop-influenced piece revealing the group’s determination to proceed and tackle different challenges – tellingly, the Korean word means “go straight”.
“All of us wanted to have Jikjin as our lead single as soon as we heard it,” Choi Hyun-suk revealed. “I think it is an impactful song that fascinatingly blends different sounds to give some twists. It is a catchy and addictive earworm.”
According to YG Entertainment, the company invested 500 million won (US$420,000) in the track’s music video. What stands out in the clip is the array of supercars that bring a sense of speed and luxury.
“I was quite tired on the filming day, but my fatigue went away as soon as I saw these supercars,” Junkyu said. “It was so thrilling to dance next to these expensive automobiles and I had to pay extra care not to leave any scratches.”
The EP also offers the members’ some of their first self-written songs, with Choi and Bang taking part in the creative process of BFF (Best Friend Forever) and Darari, respectively.