“I had my very own imaginative and prescient for what I wished to listen to in Ok-pop,” says Paul Thompson, an Italian American who 11 years in the past moved to South Korea from California to show English, however has since turn out to be higher often known as chart-topping Ok-pop producer MCMZ and founding father of MCMZ Inc., an leisure group primarily based in Seoul. “I knew no different firm was 100% going to let me do the imaginative and prescient I had. It was time for me to attempt to evolve Ok-pop.”
Enter VVS, Thompson’s newly shaped group eyeing October for its official debut, and with 4 albums already mapped out. Embodying his love for The Neptunes, Timbaland co-producer Danja and singer-songwriter-producer Ryan Leslie, Thompson created a streamlined sound for the brand new act, which is called after the diamond class of the identical identify. “I’d say we’re mashing up Ariana [Grande’s] ‘POV’ and Nicki Minaj,” says Thompson, who calls the members of VVS “the fitting 5 to push Ok-pop ahead.”
With one Japanese and 4 Korean members, VVS includes Brittney (20, the group’s chief and English speaker), Ilee (19, a rapper impressed by Blackpink’s Jennie), Rana (18, the primary dancer who’s musically influenced by Lauryn Hill), Jiu (15, the primary vocalist who appears as much as Ok-pop powerhouse Taeyeon) and Liwon (15, a vocalist who admires fellow teen singer Kiana).
For now, the quintet has each day rehearsals, vocal and rap classes, and group exercises. As their debut looms nearer, the members will transfer right into a shared dwelling area and add media coaching and language classes as a part of Ok-pop’s well-known trainee system. However in contrast to different trainees, the members of VVS could have had what Brittney and the women name “tradition lessons” to dig into the roots of R&B and hip-hop.
Learn the complete Billboard story right here.