[INTERVIEW] Girl group miss A - Part 1

Before their debut, they were better known as the 'Chinese version' or 'second version' of female idol group the Wonder Girls, the Korean pop sensation from their agency JYP Entertainment who late last year became the first local talent to break into Billboard's Hot100 chart.

They proved they were actually quite different from their predecessor in terms of style of music and group image but the first week of their singing career has proven they could be headed toward winning the same reputation.

miss A, composed of Chinese members Fei and Jia, and Koreans Suzy and Min, strutted into the local music scene last Thursday with "Bad Girl, Good Girl" which had secured the top spot on numerous web-based music charts including MelOn, social networking site Cyworld, Mnet, Soribada, Bugs, Hanteo, Monkey 3, in just five days of its release.

The powerful vocals and dance moves the quartet has revealed to the public, while singing of a strong-minded and confident woman who wants a man that likes her for who she is, has shown they are not the typical newcomer group.

The quartet sat down with Asia Economic Daily for an interview on Wednesday, speaking of their hopes and aspirations for becoming the next big name in Asia.

Q: Did you expect the song to do so well?
All: No, not at all.

Q: But you were hoping it would, right?
Suzy: Yes, very much. And it's doing much better than we had expected it to do. I didn't know we would reach No. 1 on music charts.

Q: Suzy, you must've been even more happy since you trained for a relatively shorter time compared to the other members of your group.
Suzy: I prepared for a little over a year but everyone has trained for quite a while, Min for seven years, so I'm inexperienced while everyone else has had a lot of experience. Hence I lack in many ways compared to them which has more disadvantages than advantages.

Q: Min, didn't you have a hard time waiting for your debut? Is there anything you wish was different?
Min: I'm disappointed that I didn't get to go to school properly but I learned a lot while in the United States, a lot about their culture and English too. I also made good friends and met good people so although there are some things I missed out on, I think the sacrifices I made were necessary.

Q: How old were you went to went to the U.S.?
Min: In seventh grade, 2004. I was there for three years in a row, then I came to Korea every one or two years after that.

Q: And how long has it been since your group formed?
All: It's been three months.
Q: That's very short.
Jia: We were together the whole time though during those three months, day and night. I was worried in the beginning because we had so little time so we tried really hard to become a team quickly.

Q: What were your first impressions of each other?
Suzy: When I first met Min three months ago, she was wearing a huge zip-up hoodie and ugg boots. She looked really cute. And I asked her to eat with me because I was trying to become friends with her but she walked past me, saying she had already eaten. So I was like, 'Oh....' (laugh) And Fei and Jia, they were always busy going back and forth between China and Korea so I hadn't gotten to talk to them a lot in the beginning but I had always thought they were very cool.
Fei: I came to Korea with Jia three years ago and back then, my first impression of her was that she dances very well. Suzy, she was so cute and pretty. I was jealous of her fair skin because I'm on the darker side. And Min seemed very talented and cool... Cool was my first impression of her but she turns out to be very cute.

Q: What's everyone's strength? Min, would you like to start by telling me what your strength is?
Min: My strength is... I wonder what it is... (laugh)
Jia: Her charisma and facial expressions. She has the expressions and vibe that is good for expressing this song in particular.
Min: Jia is a bad girl when she's dancing but otherwise is a good girl. She's very cute and she likes cute things, like pink, Hello Kitty...

Q: Is that why your hair is pink too?
Jia: No. I don't like pink that much. Producer Park Jin-young just suggested it, I thought it would be fun to try and I liked it once I got it done.

Q: And did you say okay to it on the spot?
Jia: Yes, I like trying new things, unique things.
Suzy: Jia has this boyish charm about her and she has fair skin so she looks the best in unique looks.

Reporter : Cho Bum-ja anju1015@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@