K-Pop Girl Group KiiiKiii on ‘Uncut Gem’ and Debut Success

When K-Pop girl group KiiiKiii unexpectedly burst onto the scene last month with their pre-release single, “I Do Me,” it was clear there was something special about the five-member group.

The group’s company, Starship Entertainment, a subsidiary of Kakao Entertainment, started teasing the teen group with late ’00s Tumblr blog-worthy photos on their social media account, calling the content “KiiiKiii-core.” KiiiKiii’s fresh and youthful presence doesn’t stop with their social media accounts — the girl group has a sense of whimsy and fun that the K-Pop scene can always use more of.

The group — made up of members Jiyu, Leesol, Sui, Haum and Kya — have released their first EP, Uncut Gem, featuring the light and fun “I Do Me” along with the quirky, tongue-in-cheek “Debut Song” and rap-heavy “BTG.”

Below, the members of KiiiKiii speak with The Hollywood Reporter for one of their first U.S. interviews about Uncut Gem, their excitement about the early success of “I Do Me” and what sets them apart as a group.

How have things been since you debuted with “I Do Me” and have been preparing to release your EP?

JIYU We’re very excited about everything. Performing on stage or meeting our fans, everything is exciting and we’re so happy. We prepared very hard for our album.

How are you finding working together as a team, especially as you prepare for the album to come out?

LEESOL It’s good to prepare our album with these five members because we can give each other feedback and improve our skills. We can check out what is wrong and what is correct and keep improving as a team.

JIYU I think these five members met and made a perfect KiiiKiii.

How are you feeling about the album?

LEESOL We wanted to show a different point of view with our first pre-release song “I Do Me,” and now we’ve released five more songs. They’re all different types of songs, and the genre of music is different, so we can show different expressions, vocals and rapping.

Does anyone have a favorite song from Uncut Gem?

ALL Our favorite songs are “BTG” and “I Do Me.”

Were you surprised by how much people loved “I Do Me?” It’s doing well on the charts in Korea [it sits at No. 15 on the Melon Top 100 chart] and has had a big response internationally.

JIYU We didn’t expect how much people would love the song. We’re really honored that the masses like our songs and concept. We want to grow bigger and challenge ourselves more. We can’t believe it.

What do you think sets you apart and makes you special as a group?

SUI Our teamwork.

KYA [We’re] friendly.

HAUM [We’re] always smiling.

LEESOL We can send people good vibes and energy. We’re also always happy while performing, so we’re thankful that people can feel our happiness.

How was it filming the “I Do Me” video?

LEESOL We went to New Zealand to shoot our music video. The scenery was really beautiful.

JIYU Really amazing.

LEESOL We were able to enjoy it more because the scenery was beautiful. We just played and laughed and joked with each other. Our director took that and filmed it.

Can you talk a bit about songs like “Groundwork” that show a different side of yourselves as a group than “I Do Me.”

KYA It’s really [the] opposite.

JIYU ”I Do Me” is telling the group’s story, but “Groundwork” is about our individual personalities, our individual story. The lyrics are about each member’s personality.

LEESOL In terms of performance, “I Do Me” is more focused on freedom and good vibes but “Groundwork” is focused on power and energy.

Is there anything you hope to kind of accomplish in these first few months or in the first year as a group?

JIYU We want to grow as much as we can, and we want to make people happy when they watch our performances or listen to our music.

Is there anything you want to share that you think is important for potential fans in the U.S. to know about you as a group?

LEESOL First of all, we’re different than other teams. We have KiiiKiii-core, and I hope that you guys love KiiiKiii-core.

JIYU We really want to visit the U.S., so we hope to see you at a concert or something or [at] a great performance. (Group laughs.)

Have you received any advice in this early stage of your career from either other artists at your company, or just in general, that you found to be really helpful?

LEESOL Our senior artists at Starship Entertainment told us to be healthy and happy and to just enjoy the stage.

What do you hope that people take away from Uncut Gem?

LEESOL We hope that people might be curious about KiiiKiii. After listening to our EP, then people might think, “Oh, KiiiKiii?”

JIYU We hope that people will see our potential, and keep looking forward to KiiiKiii and become our fan.

What is it about music or the industry that made you want to become an idol in the first place? Was there a specific artist or a moment that you decided this is what you wanted to do?

LEESOL When I was a student, during the small break I’d get in between studying, I watched lots of artists’ performance videos. I’d get energy and happiness from them. After I felt that kind of emotion, I decided to become an idol and send out the happiness and energy that I felt.

KYA When I was 12, I went to Charlie Puth’s concert. I watched Charlie’s fans use their phone flashlight [during the concert] and thought it was really beautiful. I thought to myself, I want to be on that stage.

If you could go back in time to when you started your trainee journey, what would it be?

JIYU Actually, I didn’t expect to live this life. I’m really satisfied with my job. I noticed that when I’m on stage and meeting fans, I felt true happiness — so keep watching us and loving us.