K-pop girl group Lapillus pose for photos at a media conference in Quezon City, September 5, 2022 as part of its promotional activities in the Philippines. Jaehwa Bernardo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — A debut is a special moment for any K-pop idol, marking their entry into the globally popular music scene after years of intense training.
But when rookie group Lapillus dropped its first single "Hit Ya!" last June 20, the members' initial reaction was disbelief and it took a while before they considered themselves as actual K-pop stars.
"It didn't feel like we were K-pop idols. I was thinking, 'Am I really debuting today? I'm not going to be a trainee tomorrow?'" Seowon, one of the group's six members, told ABS-CBN News via an interpreter.
"But once we started having more fans and schedules, that's when I realized we're like real idols. I was so happy and I thought I should work harder," she said.
Lapillus is the latest K-pop act from label MLD Entertainment, home to fellow girl group Momoland who rose to fame in the Philippines for its 2018 hit "Bboom Bboom."
The sextet has been marketed as a "global" girl group for having members with different nationalities, including Chanty, a Filipino-Argentinian who formerly worked as an actress under ABS-CBN.
Aside from Chanty, the group also includes Japanese leader Shana, Chinese-American Yue, and Koreans Seowon, Bessie and Haeun.
The girls recently kicked off a series of media engagements, TV appearances and fan meets in the Philippines.
The activities come ahead of Lapillus' first comeback with the single album "Gratata" — a song that Yue said would show a new "side" of the group.
"We're gonna show you a complete, different side of Lapillus with strong performances and really great vocals," Yue said of the album scheduled to drop on Sept. 22.
Speaking with ABS-CBN News, the girls talk about their debut promotions and what fans should expect from their first comeback. Chanty also shares where she would like to bring her members for a vacation in the Philippines.
More K-pop interviews on ABS-CBN News