'More than just idols': Behind the scenes with K-pop boyband Treasure

Treasure — the latest boyband retired of YG Entertainment — whitethorn beryllium rather caller to the K-pop scene, but its members already person large dreams.

"I privation [us] to beryllium much than conscionable idols. I privation each and each subordinate of the radical to beryllium an creator of their own," said co-leader Choi Hyun Suk, sharing his imaginativeness with The CNBC Conversation.

His imagination has ever been to execute astatine the U.S. Superbowl halftime show, said the 24-year-old artist, the oldest subordinate of the band.

"I cognize it's truly hard, but that benignant of dream, adjacent if I conscionable scope the brink of that dream, I truly privation america to clasp connected to that imagination and not fto it slice distant — conscionable similar however I envision our group, Treasure."

Treasure made its debut successful 2020 while Covid-19 was spreading wildly astir the world. It started retired arsenic a 12-member set but 2 of them near successful November past year, leaving the lad set with conscionable 10 members.

Three of its members — Choi and his co-leader Park Jihoon (who goes by the signifier sanction Jihoon), arsenic good arsenic rapper Yoshinori Kanemoto, amended known arsenic Yoshi — spoke to CNBC astir the humble beginnings of the group.

Treasure was trained and groomed by YG Entertainment, a South Korean amusement institution that besides operates arsenic a a grounds and euphony accumulation company.

The lad set was formed done a reality-survival programme called YG Treasure Box, wherever trainees competed for a spot connected what would go the lad set present called Treasure.

Each of the contestants trained with YG for a antithetic fig of years — with the longest being 6 years, earlier they competed successful YG's Treasure Box.

Other South Korean amusement companies, similar SM Entertainment and Hybe, besides behaviour K-pop grooming programs.

YG's show reappraisal for the trainees "tests our idiosyncratic quality to perform," Jihoon said, adding that they typically look for radical who lucifer the company's imaginativeness for an artist.

"It seems elemental but it's besides rather a hard process," the 23-year-old said.

The amusement ended successful January 2019 and Treasure debuted 1 twelvemonth later, releasing their archetypal debut azygous medium successful August 2020.

The debut happened arsenic the Covid pandemic was inactive raging astir the satellite and unrecorded concerts were not allowed. It forced the radical to trust connected promoting their euphony online — an acquisition that was caller for the band.

"I deliberation arsenic artists, it's a 'human-to-human' job, which is wherefore broadcasts and signifier performances are antithetic erstwhile determination aren't fans lasting successful beforehand of us, and alternatively we person to upload videos," Jihoon said.

"There were immoderate moments wherever it felt that enactment was lacking a bit."

Asked astir immoderate of the biggest lessons learned truthful far, they said spending much clip to signifier is paramount.

"In the past, we decidedly regretted not having spent our clip [wisely.] But arsenic clip went by, we are [learning] however to amended walk our clip and usage our clip much wisely," Jihoon said, adding they've realized however important skills similar rapping, dancing and singing are for performing artists.

"The elder artists [told] america that erstwhile we debut, we're going to regret not having practiced more," Hyun Suk added. "I deliberation we've decidedly felt that directly. And that's what's getting america to signifier more."

What volition they accidental to aspiring artists who privation to beryllium similar them? Overcome your failures.

"Just due to the fact that you failed, don't bushed yourself up implicit it. I've truly failed a lot, I think," Jihoon said. "Every clip I went done that failure, I consciousness similar I've learned however to get up and determination on, and that's wherefore I'm wherever I'm astatine today."

Yoshi, the group's 23-year-old Japanese-Korean rapper, added that clip spent with loved ones volition beryllium sacrificed connected the journey.

"If you started this travel due to the fact that you wanted to execute this imagination that much, you person to bask it to marque it worthy it — nary substance however hard it is."

Earlier this month, YG announced Treasure's 2nd afloat medium volition beryllium released July 28. Their past afloat medium was successful 2021.