EXCLUSIVE: LUMINOUS plays 2 Truths, 1 Lie, shares TMI, future goals & plans to tour India

The 4-member group has released their introspective 2nd mini-album.

Written by Ayushi Agrawal , Journalist

Updated on Mar 03, 2022 | 02:22 PM IST | 175K

LUMINOUS: courtesy of Barunson WIP

Representing the youth, their ideologies, passion, their beliefs and unfaltering will to triumph are the boys of group LUMINOUS. They first arrived baring their souls in September 2021 with a distinctive sound and dynamic performance in place that set their own pace. Now, returning with their second EP, the super rookies have knocked it off the park.

Shouldering themselves ‘Between Light and Darkness’ they teeter between their ‘Self’ and ‘Ego’ as two integral parts of their journey. Their insights offer a deeper understanding of a group that wishes to spread their unending brightness, in tandem with a desire to be relatable they put their skills to test. Coming out on top with a release that boasts of a fierce concept, one cannot deny their intensity and enthusiasm oozing with each beat on the 5-track album.

The music video for title song ‘All eyes down’ takes you through a cinematic experience complete with reverberating rap, vivacious vocals and a performance that is sure to leave you in awe, LUMINOUS has far crossed any notions of them being new to the game by a large mark, earning them a splendid record of over 11.1 million views as of this moment.

Youngbin, Suil, Steven and Woobin, the formidable future of K-pop are a humble bunch of laid back boys as compared to the unrelenting powerhouse we see through their art. Their intriguing thoughts pave way into the minds of youth who are so different yet so similar. Their tricks and constant bickering is a one-way street into the hearts of young boys who have their goals set. An embodiment of shining light, watch LUMINOUS get candid with us.

Congratulations on the release of your mini-album. Please tell us how you feel about sharing your music with the world.

Youngbin: Firstly, we are surprised that we already released our second album. Also we had pressure to do better than our debut and expectations for ourselves to show a release that is different from our debut.

How do you believe one can absorb the dark light of the world?

Suil: I think everyone has a different capacity to absorb people’s darkness so I think everyone can absorb a certain amount, but it’s not like a single person can take this on alone. I think we need to be considerate and share this, which I think would be the most ideal and once you share, some people will take on more and some will take on less but that is up to the individual traits which no one can help.

Youngbin: I think the same as Suil, one person can’t absorb all the darkness because it’s not possible to take on so much. So, I think people should share this and absorb the darkness together, then I think the team would be brighter as a whole.

How do you work as a team to achieve your goals as a group and advance as a group?

Woobin: I think we (Steven and himself) try to lift up the mood and atmosphere. When we practice as a group or live together. We try to make it fun and enjoyable without trying to intrude on each other.

Steven: When we are exhausted, every now and then saying ‘fighting’ or ‘let’s give it our all’, doing that does help even if it’s a little bit.

How would you place yourself between self and ego? Why is the presence of both important in the world?

Suil: I think self is an important part of your personality as it’s me as how I naturally am. It’s the identity that I was born with so I think it’s quite important and precious as it is. However, I can’t just live in this world as my ‘Self’. So my ‘Ego’ is like an identity made for me to survive in this world. I want to put myself in between those and I think the existence of both concepts are most important socially. When you are stressed you need the ‘Self’ and when you live life in society you need ‘Ego’, so I’d like to be in between.

You wish to channel the feelings of the youth through your music. How is the process so far?

Youngbin: We are trying our best and making the music the best we can so I think the process is actually going well. The only part that might be a little lacking is that we can’t express everything and put in everything and satisfy all needs but in general we try our best to deliver the feelings of youth.

Were you able to channel these feelings for this album?

Youngbin: Yes, I think we succeeded in expressing the idea of fighting against reality in our current album

How have you paid homage to the quintessential image of ‘Joker’? How does he fit your concept?

Woobin: Firstly, the theme, choreography and the music video - we paid homage in many different ways. That’s because ‘Joker’ as a character portrays the concept of ‘Self n Ego’ well. The ’Self’ is a soft kid and the fake identity that was made to not be hurt is the ‘Ego’. This seems to be similar to Joker.

Which song on the album resonates the most with each member? Why?

Steven: Firstly, the one I personally like is ‘Trouble’ but something that is the closest to me is perhaps ‘Want It More’.

Woobin: I think ‘Trouble’ fits me the most. Because when we were recording ‘Trouble’ I thought that vocally I did well so that made me think that the song is quite fitting for me. I was thinking it sounded like vocally I did well because it’s a song that fits me personally.

Suil: I think ‘Scintillation’ because the lyrics express my feelings well.

Youngbin: For me, I think ‘All Eyes Down’ actually fits me. I like how the lyrics express such a resolution which fits me. So I will choose that one.

What is each member’s personal New Year’s Resolution?

Woobin: I have one, to be more relaxed.

Youngbin: I want to be 2 cm taller.

Steven: I want to change my MBTI results - last letter from P to J.

Suil: I don’t have a resolution. I want to say it’s okay to not have resolutions. I wanted to share this. I have goals for this year but I didn’t make any resolutions.

What are your goals in the future? Do you have any plans to visit India?

Youngbin: My goal is to have plans to visit India. It really is a goal and I want to plan because I really want to visit India if I have the opportunity, and also meet Indian fans and perform in front of them.

Woobin: Our goal of course is to actually meet Indian fans and have a concert and enjoy it together and also I thought a lot about a trip to India, especially having a train ride in India. I want to visit a temple, stay there to sleep and eat there, I want to experience that. Indian teas are famous and they serve it in these clay pots and then when you throw these pots on the ground, they just become part of the earth. I watched a lot of these things.

Please share a message for your fans.

Suil: To all the Indian fans, our second album ‘Between Light and Darkness (Self n Ego)’ and ‘All Eyes Down’ are out, please give them lots of love and we will work hard till we get to India, so please keep checking us out.

Steven: Our second mini album ‘Self n Ego’ has come out, please show a lot of love to our title song and music video ‘All Eyes Down’. If all goes well, hopefully we will get time to visit India, yes, and meet everyone and try some Indian curry!

LUMINOUS: Thank you!

Watch the full interview as they share some ineteresting TMI and play a game of ‘2 Truths, 1 Lie’ below.