"We want to get rid of our label as the idol group that Rain raised."

MBLAQ, who has gained popularity with the release of their new album, confidently stated, "We want to be accepted for our skills rather than being known only because of Rain".

The label 'the idols that Rain raised' has been tagged onto them even before debut. Thanks to this, it was easy to get their faces out to the masses, but it came with a large burden. They did not get to show their abilities 100% during their promotions for their first album.

"At first, the burden to do well weighed really heavily. As the burden got bigger, we felt that we didn't get to show off all the talent that we have. So we tried to throw away those burdens as much as possible and worked hard to show everyone our development as new idols. Our hard work must have paid off, because we hear from people around us that we're doing well, and that we now seem relaxed on stage. We don't mind being called 'the idols that Rain raised', but we would like 'the MBLAQ that works hard' better."

MBLAQ released their second single album title track 'Y' in the middle of May, and after only two weeks of comeback, won first place on Mnet's 'M! Countdown', succeeding in getting rid of about half of their label as Rain's idols.

"All of us were really surprised by the unexpected first place win. Thoughts of how hard we prepared for this album came up, but our CEO Rain's face came to mind especially. After the broadcast, we spoke to Rain hyung, and he told us we did a good job, saying that this was just the beginning and that we should work harder. And he said that because we were now 'first place singers', we should all grab a drink. It felt a bit strange hearing that. We did get first place, but we're still lacking a lot to be called 'first place singers'."

Debuting with 'Oh Yeah' in October of last year, MBLAQ has been running forward without much rest. They weren't seen on music programs for a while, but they made themselves known on various variety programs on both cable and terrestrial channels. Recently, they have also shown us that they are 'entertainment-dols', appearing on variety shows with Rain.

"All five members are fun on a regular basis. In fact, on television, we tend to level it down. (laugh) We're all really close and live together in a dorm, so there's a lot of funny stories between us and it helps us increase our sense for variety. When we're filming for television, a lot of sunbaes treat us well to get us noticed. We think that's why we've been getting more attention lately."

MBLAQ has many young fans as idol singers, but they also have their fair share of older (nuna) fans. It's not just civilians?even celebrity nunas don't hide their love for MBLAQ when they meet them on television.

"Our fans are of diverse ages. Online, we have a lot of younger fans, and on music programs, the nunas come to cheer us on quietly. We're idols, but none of us are underage, so we don't fear ruining our image and being honest, and we think that's why our nuna fans love us so much. (laugh) We want to show charisma on stage and a friendly, next-door-neighbor image off stage."

Although they have already grabbed first place with just their second album, MBLAQ still has a lot to show us. They are preparing for their first full-length album and considering entering overseas activities as well.

"We need to show a different image than our idol groups. We're working hard so that, as musicians, our own creations can be a part of our next album."

Source: Asia Today
Translator: ilovepocky @ AbsoluteMBLAQ

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