#rkmga4interview

the staff reminds him to get back on track, asking the question “who do you think is the best singer?” daniel nods in acknowledgement, and starts picking out pictures of contestants that stand out to him, and putting them in a separate group as he narrows his decision down. “this is hard,” he whines, but he finally makes up his mind.

“i just want to say that yongsun noona, luda, yongguk and sungyeol hyung are really good too, but-- i have a top three, and they didn’t make it,” he laughs. he looks over the pictures in his hand again, as if second guessing himself, and truly, for one contestant in particular,he isn’t sure if he wants to put her in the best vocalists category, or save her for someone he thinks could win. in the end, he supposes he can mention the same person twice.

“third, moon bin! i haven’t been in a group with him, but just from watching performances, he has a voice that’s really moving? you can tell her really enjoys singing, and i admire that.” he puts his picture down, then lifts another, smile immediately spreading across his face. “second, is jung jinsoul! her voice is really nice. she can hit high notes, but it also has a really gentle, soothing quality, in my opinion. i could listen to her sing forever,” he admits with a bashful laugh.

“the best singer in the competition, though,” he begins, and he lifts sungwoon’s picture proudly. “ha sungwoon hyung, no doubt! his voice is really powerful, and suits a variety of styles. he hits notes i didn’t know were possible for humans to hit. maybe he’s part dolphin or something,” he laughs. “i look up to hyung a lot, so even if i’m biased, i really think he’s the best, and i’m glad so many other people get to hear him sing now, too.”

“i’m excited for sungwoon hyung and jinsoulie especially to get to show off more of their singing this week,” he remarks, and he’s met with confused looks from the staff members.

“they’re on dancing teams this week though,” one of them says, and daniel’s expression darkens in realization.

“oh no,” he laughs a moment later, and he buries his face in his hands in dismay.

“dancers next,” the staff urges him, and daniel nods. he goes through the same process, gathering up pictures of the contenders as he tries to narrow down the list. “there are so many dancers,” he laments, scratching his head. finally, he comes to his decision.

“i should add a disclaimer that i don’t know much about dancing, as i’m sure you’ve seen, so this is all just based on who i’ve liked watching the most this season. honorable mentions to rosie noona, chungha noona, and somi-- it was really close! --but my pick for third best dancer in the competition is doyeon. i feel like her dancing is just...really graceful? but she can be powerful too! it’s hard to look away from her, even though i was never on a team with her.” he nods, as if in approval of his own choice. “my pick for second best dance is sua noona. her dancing just stands out, right? she could make it through the entire competition just based on dancing alone, as far as i’m concerned, but my pick for best dancer is jei noona. “

“she’s not just good at dancing, she also has a certain creativity, it makes me feel like she’s really an artist. her choreography for the first round was really cool, and her dancing throughout the entire competition has been, too. aside from that, she’s really helpful, and good at teaching those of us bad at dancing how to,” and he laughs once again.

“all that’s left are the rappers,” he observes-- and his final picks to win, of course. he once again begins gathering pictures to make his decisions, though this one comes more quickly than the others.

“shoutout to yoongi hyung and guanlinie for this category. i feel bad about not including them in my top three,” he admits, unable to meet the lens of the camera with his eyes until he lifts the picture of his third pick, kim taehyung. “i pick taehyung for my #3 rapper. he’s really good, and aside from that, an interesting character. even though i don’t know much about rap, i feel like that’s just as important as being able to rap well, right?”

he lifts up the second photo now, this time, kim mingyu. “mingyu is my second best rapper in the competition. i feel like his talent probably goes without saying, right? it’s funny, because he’s really nice and kind of quiet off-stage, but on stage he’s like-- fierce!” he chuckles to himself, then lifts up the final photo. “the best rapper in the competition is kim hyuna-ssi. i think her talent is obvious even to me and my lack of experience. she’s just leagues better than everyone else, isn’t she? her experience in the industry is obvious, not just in her rapping, but also her stage presence. didn’t she already win one season of the mgas, too? aish...her ability is seriously scary.”

next comes his final picks to win the competition, and thankfully, he’s put thought into this while narrowing down all of his other picks, and already has their photos at the ready-- two this time. “i picked two winners. aren’t there usually multiple?” he asks, but he receives no answer. “my first pick to win is seola noona! she’s really just good at everything. it’s hard to tell if she’s a better singer or dancer, because she’s so skilled in both areas-- definitely better than me at both,” he admits with a laugh. “you would think because of that, she’d be lacking in some other area, but she’s really not! her stage presence is crazy too. she could already be an idol. i think that any company would want her, for sure.”

“my final pick, and the contestant i really really think is going to win for sure, is joo haknyeon!” he announces proudly, and he beams as he holds up his friend’s photo. “haknyeon-ah is really good, i considered picking him for both the best dancers category and the best rappers category, that’s just how good he is. he’s also really charming, and looks after his friends and teammates well. i’m sad i wasn’t on a team with him yet. is there still a chance?” he asks, once again, to be left hanging.

it is, of course. he should have known. sungwoon’s pretty new to the world of survival shows, but even he expected something like this to happen eventually. he just didn’t think it would be now. he’s stressed enough as it is; the last thing he wants to do is choose between talented people who all deserve to be here. it’s too bad this interview doesn’t seem to be optional. swallowing his protests, he takes a seat and stares down at the pictures spread over the table. “i really don’t think i’m qualified to pick who’s the most talented in anything,” he shrugs, passing a hand over the pictures of his former teammates. “i hope nobody takes my opinion seriously; i’m just going with my gut here.”

the staff ask him about the most talented dancer first, and without a moment of hesitation, he picks up kim jinhee’s picture and turns it towards the camera with a smile. “listen, i know this might seem predictable seeing as we were on a team together, but i genuinely think jinhee is a fantastic performer. she’s always in complete control of the stage, and you really can’t take your eyes off her when she’s performing.” maybe sungwoon is making a general statement about a very personal feeling here, but he knows his eyes, at least, follow her the most during her stages.

“i think she’s also insanely creative too; when we were on the same team, she basically put together our whole stage on her own—the concept, the individual choreography, everything.” one of the staff members raises an eyebrow and sungwoon splutters over whatever he was going to say next, letting the picture fall from his hands. his face is the slightest bit warm, but he’ll blame it on the seoul heat if anyone asks. “she’s a pretty overlooked dancer in the competition too,” he continues after a pause, clapping his hands together. “so please pay attention to her! support kim jinhee!”

it takes him longer to settle on his rapper pick. before revealing the picture, sungwoon clears his throat. “i don’t know anything about rap,” he says frankly. “i don’t listen to it and i haven’t worked with many rappers in the competition so far either, so this isn’t really based on anything.” as he finishes, he turns the picture around to reveal kim mingyu. “i like mingyu’s tone and flow from what i’ve heard, and i think he has a lot of hidden potential. he’s also a really good kid who works hard to improve himself.”

but again, he knows nothing about rap, so his choice is entirely motivated by personal sentiment. sungwoon sets the picture down and leans forward. “i don’t think mingyu has been able to show everything he can do yet in this competition, so i hope he gets a chance to move forward and showcase his skills. mingyu, fighting!”

if his selection for most talented rapper took a while, choosing a singer takes even longer. when a staff member politely asks him to hurry up, sungwoon lets out a sheepish laugh while shuffling through a couple of pictures. “i actually do have some experience here, so i’ll be a little bit more picky. sorry.” he finally ends up with three picks and refuses to go down to a single one (“all these are important for different reasons! don’t do this to me!”). “for best singers, i think kim yongsun has a powerful voice and good control. i would listen to her sing ballads or drama osts or even rock songs. she’s versatile and can suit many genres.” he trades yongsun’s picture for lee luda’s next. “luda’s voice is just a pleasure to listen to, simple as that. i think she would do really well in a girl group with her visuals and personality too.”

his final pick for singer is koo junhoe. “i think our vocal tones are opposites, but he’s very skilled and i’ve been enjoying the way he’s utilized his falsettos during the competition.” when the staff member asks why he didn’t pick himself as one of the best singers, sungwoon blinks, then bursts into laughter. “oh man, no way. i don’t think i would put myself on that list in a million years.” he doesn’t want to say more than that on camera, but he fidgets with the rip in his pants for the rest of the interview, unable to shake off the unease that spread through him at the question.

as for who sungwoon thinks will win the competition? “i really don’t know,” he replies honestly. it changes week to week, and who he would have named last week is seeming pretty uncertain now. “i think any of the people i already mentioned could win, but if i’m being truthful, i don’t think being the most talented in any catagory will help you secure the win in the end. if you don’t have a strong balance of skills…” he shrugs, staring off at something in the distance. one of the staff have to gently nudge him to get him back on track. “ah, right.” sungwoon scans through more of the pictures and selects a few people he feels have what it takes. “i pick kim junmyeon, of course. he’s charismatic and a fair singer. i think out of everyone here, he’s probably the most solid contender for the ideal ‘idol’ type.”

next is jung jinsoul, and sungwoon holds her picture up for the camera with both hands. “jinsoul’s a really good singer, a decent dancer, and she’s got a great personality. she could really shine if given the chance, and i think she could be exactly what the ceos are looking for in a trainee.” he’s reluctant to put it down because he wants to give jinsoul as much screentime as possible. “i can’t find her picture, but i hear there’s been a lot of buzz around kim hyuna as well. she’s probably a strong contender.”

finally, sungwoon picks up one last picture with a grin and unveils it with a flourish. “and kang daniel!” he lets out a short, loud cheer for his friend before laughing at himself and turning back to the camera. “i know some people out there think he’s just lucky, but daniel is really talented and he’s more than proved himself up on stage. i hope people will keep an open mind about him and recognize his hard work. i’m looking forward to him surprising all the people who doubt him and taking the whole thing.”

“I’m terribly indecisive - so please bear with me”. Staring down at the photos laid out before him, Hyunjin slowly sifts through them, unearthing a few photos that had been covered by others in the process. “Oh, Haknyeon-ie’s face was hidden. We can’t have that now can we?” He sets Haknyeon’s photo on an empty part of the table, giving the photo’s cheek a few gentle taps before returning to looking through the contestants.

“I’ll admit now, it’s likely that my choices won’t be completely neutral. Everyone here is really, very talented. But I do tend to be more influenced by those I meet in person. There’s a lot of factors that go into making a ‘talented’ artist, and being able to witness those qualities in person really appeals to me”.

“The best singer? Lee Luda”. Hyunjin holds up the photo, wiggling it back and forth in front of the camera with a smile, “I’ve had the opportunity to perform with Luda several times, and I’ve always been impressed with her singing. Singing is far from my best skill, so I really admire her singing abilities. Even when dancing, her voice remains very stable which means she can perform live very well”.

“The best dancer.... This one was a little harder”. Motioning to the table of photos before him, Hyunjin points to a small cluster of photos, “There are a lot of amazing dancers here. Noona,” he doesn’t refer to her by name, and doesn’t realise it either, “Really has impressive charisma on stage, and she dances well too. I heard some people think she looks a little intimidating from time to time, but she’s actually very kind. Noona has fed me at least half of the ice cream flavours in her shop - at this rate I might become addicted to ice cream”.

“However....” There’s a short pause before Hyunjin finally picks up a photo from the group of dancers, “I think the best dancer is Jeon Won”. Taking a moment to look at the photo in his hand, he gives a second affirmative nod at his choice, “I’ve actually only met him in person recently, but even from before he stood out as very hardworking. In addition, he seems to be very creative, which I believe is an important trait for a dancer. Dancing has the most variability when you express music, so being able to fully explore the different ways to approach one piece using creativity is definitely a must. I’d like to hope to achieve a similar mix of dance and creativity as I grow and improve myself”.

“As for rap....” Looking down at the display of photos, the dancer eventually picks up a photo after a rather length deliberation and shows it to the camera, “I haven’t actually met this person before, but their performances always stand out to me. Kim Taehyung. The flow of his rap is very smooth, and he seems to possess a lot of charisma when he performs which is definitely important for a rapper. You could definitely see it during his team’s introduction this past week,” with a laugh, Hyunjin imitates the dramatic tossing of Taehyung’s fur coat.

he sits down slowly, eyeing all the images with an unreadable expression before looking straight ahead at the camera. “you’re going to make me pick, huh?” he flashes a knowing smile, shaking his head and chuckling under his breath. he really... really  does not want to do this. especially considering this is his first week back on the show, he doesn’t really think his opinion has much validation. but this is a broadcasted show, and he supposes that’s exactly what they intend on giving people-- a show. “okay well. ask away.”

best singer

jaewon purses his lips, worrying at his bottom lip with his teeth as his hand hovers over all the photos. he doesn’t know many singers on the show-- in fact, he doesn’t know very many people at all. he suspects this gives him more credibility, in the fact that he’s judging purely on what he’s seen, as if he were a viewer. he picks up two photos, turning them around to show koo junhoe and kang daniel. “these two. their performances are good,” he pauses, “their voices are unique as well.”

best dancer

he stares at the table full of images once more, placing the first two off to the side. he studies the table meticulously until he finds the photo he’s looking for, triumphantly holding up the picture of kim jei. “i think this one is obvious-- even though it’s an opinion still, of course. but i think her talent is apparent. she always puts on a good stage,” he nods. “this one, i’ll be honest, contains a bit of bias,” he admits with a sheepish grin. “but,” he continues, hand reaching out and finding another, holding up kim bora, “in an unbiased opinion, bora is up there in dancing talent too.” he stacks their photos and puts them aside as well, already knowing what’s coming next and reaching out to the photo he’s already spotted.

best rapper

“kim taehyung,” jaewon states, holding the picture up for the camera to see. “i think he’s one to be reckoned with. he’s got a nice tone overall, and i think he’s one to watch out for.” this is the section he’s a little more critical about-- but he picks up another photo and turns it around as well. “and kim hyuna. this one’s a no-brainer, huh?” he gives wry smile, neatly stacking them both and putting them with his other picks, just for organization. he leans back in the chair, hands clasped together as he hums, knowing this part probably won’t be aired but deciding to say it anyway. 

“there are definitely people already eliminated that i would’ve chosen. also, there is an immense amount of talent this season-- and i’m saying this as a contestant. i think anyone has a good chance of winning.”

the interviewer raises an eyebrow at this, and next they ask

“well, you should pick one. who, in your honest opinion, do you think could win it all?”

halfway through this question, jaewon’s hand is already poised at the ready. he picks up one last photo, holding it to him before he turns it around to show the camera to show the face of min yoongi. “as a viewer,” he starts, slowly deliberating each sentence, “i’m always drawn into his performances. his dancing is amazing, of course, and his other skills are on par, in my opinion. also, i don’t think being eliminated once should discredit him either,” he sets the photo down, licking his lips before he stares straight into the camera and offers a small smile. “i think it means he is one to pay attention to even more.”

he finishes like that, standing up to bow at the camera crew, the interviewer, as well as the camera, and takes his leave without another word.

mentioned: 

“the best singer?” he hums under his breath as he looks at the faces. “ah... we have so many good singers though. pd-nim this is just cruel! how can i choose!” his laughter is soft as a smile makes it way across his lips. though he picks up a photo though and holds it against his chest.

“if it comes to best singers... actually, i think it’s jung jinsoul!” haknyeon’s never actually been in a group with jinsoul –– which was a little sad considering that he always thought the both of them were close. “aside from having a really pretty heart, i think jinsoul has a really pretty voice too! we haven’t been able to be on the same team but i’ve always really liked her voice. jinsoul... fighting! let’s collab one day!”

he places the photo down before he’s asked to pick the best dancer. “oh boy,” he laughs, eyes scanning every photo. playfully he picks up a photo of himself and turns it towards the camera. “can i pick this boy? can i pick him?” he asks jokingly before he places the photo down. “actually, i’ll pick... this guy!” he faces the photo towards the camera and his smile is bright. “hwang hyunjin! my best friend,” he adds the last part cheekily. “hyunjin and i got really close when we were in the same team and i discovered that he’s a really good dancer! i think his skills are really good!” he puts the photo down and before he goes on to the list of rappers, he picks another photo up. “there’s someone else who’s my pick for dancers,” he shows the photo towards the camera. “ji changmin!” haknyeon beams. “changmin and i go to the same school and we’re both under the dance department! we’ve actually performed a few times together and let me tell you –– changmin is really good at dancing! i think his dancing is kind of underrated. changmin, hyung is cheering you on!”

it’s time for him to pick the best rapper now and haknyeon hums under his breath. it’s harder for him to pick a rapper. “when it comes to rapping though...” he picks up a photo, “wouldn’t it be this person?” he holds the photo and smiles. “kim hyuna is a really talented rapper! i actually don’t think there’s anyone that can rival her...” he says, “she’s really really good! i want to learn how to rap as well as her one day! noona, please teach me to be as talented as you,” he bows to the camera, soft giggle leaving his lips.

 What he doesn’t expect is to be escorted to a nearby room to find a camera set up, bright studio lighting, and a stool sat against a crisp white background, and to be asked to sit. 

 They hadn’t done reality television style show “confessionals” or any such thing before, so he’s curious; are they starting now, or is this something different? 

 After a bit of set-up, and a quick camera test, one of the staff finally clear their throat and ask him: who do you think are the best dancer, singer, and rapper currently competing in this competition? And Sicheng is taken aback; it’s really not something he’d thought much about. He was a person of focus, and the truth was, he focused on himself. He’d never given much thought to judging the skills of the game’s other players for himself.

 It takes a few seconds for him to sort through everyone in his head, but truthfully, it’s not really a task he’s comfortable with, and he doesn’t exactly he’s the most qualified to speak on this subject. Isn’t that what the judges were for? The production staff?

 “I...think the best singer is Soojin,” he speaks, warmly recalling her help several weeks ago, opting to be a little biased, perhaps, in his evaluation.

 “The best dancer...Hyunjinnie,” he says, recalling the boy’s incorporation of sign language into his dance. 

 “And for best rapper,” he pauses, giving a little giggle, “Marko would be mad if I didn’t say him, but I really do think that...in spite of his age, he’s still so good? He has the most potential.” 

 Okay. And what about the winner? Who do you think that will be?