Charming, bright, and like a buzz of energy, LIGHTSUM are a never-ending source of light in the vast world of K-pop. While they're one of the genre's newest acts, they've proven to be quite the show-stopper with their quaint collection of party anthems and bops that you can't help but dance to. 

Comprising SANGAH, CHOWON, NAYOUNG, HINA, JUHYEON, YUJEONG, HUIYEON, and JIAN, the Cube Entertainment act debuted last June with their single 'Vanilla' and since then, they've been anything but plain.

LIGHTSUM are on a mission to spread light and positivity, while concurrently expanding the universe they've created in their music. Most recently, the eight-piece released their first-ever mini-album Into The Light, which showcases the group's wide range of talents and sounds. 

Bandwagon caught up with LIGHTSUM to talk about how they got into K-pop, their first impressions of one another, their favourite artists, and of course, the work that went into their first-ever mini-album. 

Hi, LIGHTSUM! Tell us how each of you first got started in music and what inspired you to become a K-pop idol. 

SANGAH: I enjoyed dancing on stage, and I started dreaming to become an idol quite naturally by watching senior K-pop idols.

CHOWON: I originally joined Cube Entertainment via open audition for actors and actresses. At that time, one staff who has heard my singing told me that I could be an artist who can both act and sing in the future. After hearing that, I thought that such an artist is exactly someone I want to be.

NAYOUNG: I started training after passing the audition which my parents have recommended to me. Then a good opportunity came up, which led me to participate in an audition program and have good experiences. I believe the passionate moments on stages at that time guided me to where I am now!!

HINA: I started dreaming to become an idol by watching a senior group, TWICE. I wanted to shine on stages just like them.

JUHYEON: I remember falling in love with performing in front of an audience when I joined a cheerleading team with a friend at a young age. After joining Cube Entertainment via audition, I got to grow my dream of being a singer by getting various lessons and watching older trainees.

YUJEONG: I’ve always been a happy child who was interested in K-pop and loved dancing. For me, the dream of becoming an idol was quite natural.

HUIYEON: I started going to an academy because I got interested in dancing and singing. The academy actually recommended going to auditions, and I fell in love with dancing and singing after each audition. Then I went to concerts by a senior group BTS and other famous foreign artists, and I truly decided that I want to be a K-pop artist!

JIAN: I started dreaming of becoming an idol because I really enjoyed dancing and singing.

What were your first impressions of everyone? What is the group dynamic between everyone like? 

SANGAH: One of the most memorable members was HINA. When I first saw her, I thought she has the opposite mood from me. I thought she was really pretty and cute, so I still remember her first impression.

CHOWON: All members had such strong first impressions, none of them was ordinary! Haha. But I still remember the first interaction with HUIYEON clearly. When she joined, we had to say hello and get right into learning choreography because we were busy prepping for the evaluation at the time. It was a little hectic and not a common situation, so I can still remember that day.

Also, because we are of different ages and have different charms, we have various chemistries among the members. I think it would be fun for you to discover each chemistry!

NAYOUNG: HINA was most memorable! I was introduced that she’s from Japan, and I just wanted to be close to her because she was so cute!

HINA: I remember meeting each member clearly. Also, there can be different chemistries among different members because we know each other very well now and we’re comfortable around each other.

JUHYEON: I was thankful for my members being very friendly to me because I’m usually shy around strangers. Now that we live together, we’re so comfortable with each other. These days, I want to show more chemistry with my friend YUJEONG and with my girl-crush partner SANGAH.

YUJEONG: I clearly remember each member’s first impression, but the most memorable member was JUHYEON. I thought she is older than me at first because she had this aura of a long-time trainee, but after getting close to her I could talk to her very easily and we have great chemistry as same-age friends.

HUIYEON: I definitely remember everyone’s first impression, but I think HINA was especially memorable because she was so kind and caring when I first came to this company!

JIAN: When I joined the company, everyone was very bright and kind so I was very thankful. Now that we’re getting close to our first anniversary as a team, our chemistry has definitely improved over time.

How would you describe LIGHTSUM’s sound? How do you feel you stand out compared to other groups? 

CHOWON: I think our team stands out because we can create a sound that works well with any genre by combining each LIGHTSUM member’s unique vocals into one.

NAYOUNG: In addition, LIGHTSUM can perform one stage in eight different charms because each member has a unique dance move while performing synchronized group choreography.

Congratulations on the release of Into The Light! Could you tell us more about the album and concept? 

JIAN: LIGHTSUM’s Into The Light expressed the feeling between ‘us now’ in LIGHTSUM’s own honest and confident voice! I hope you enjoy the album while focusing on the message we’re trying to deliver! Especially, we included our energy and individuality in two different concepts, ‘The Team’ and ‘The Class.’

What is the story behind your title track ‘Alive’? 

SANGAH: ‘ALIVE’ is LIGHTSUM’s honest, confident, and lovely way to describe the process of a monotonous world transforming with vibrant energy. It is a magical song that will make your normal daily life into something special.

JUHYEON: It is a song with LIGHTSUM’s unique energy and a message of my boring, monotonous life shining brightly like a rainbow after meeting you, as implied from the line ‘You make me feel ALIVE.’

What was it like recording Into The Light? What were some new things you learned that you brought to the studio this time around? 

SANGAH: For this album, I tried to blend my voice in for each track because there were many genres in one album. I eventually learned how to use sounds in different ways.

CHOWON: We recorded with maximum focus on each track since it is our first mini-album and it has various genres of music. It was a good chance to consider how to create different vibes or feels for each genre.

Also, ‘ALIVE’ is our first title track to have a dance break which means our performance is even more important. So we practised hard for it. 

NAYOUNG: I tried hard to express a bold and confident character.

JUHYEON: In this album, there were more parts that required singing as if I was rapping. In order to express a confident attitude and relaxed vibe, I did a lot of imagery rehearsal and discussed the character with producers and composers. I wanted to record while keeping richer, fuller expressions.

HINA: I wanted to show a more confident side in this concept, so personally I practised a lot to make my voice clear!

YUJEONG: We paid a lot of attention to not only the title track but also the b-side tracks since it is our first mini album. I particularly practiced hard to master higher pitch range in my parts.

HUIYEON: Since there are many genres in this album, I attempted to express various feelings or vibes for all tracks.

JIAN: I really enjoyed recording this album. The composer really liked my voice tone and rap style, so I could really fill up the song with my style.

What are some goals you have for LIGHTSUM? 

YUJEONG: Foremost, I want to share our music with more people, and let LIGHTSUM be known even more!

HINA: Rather than focusing on rankings or achievements, I wish to share our music with more people. Also, I hope to promote K-pop’s charms with our team and our music to people who have not experienced K-pop before.

What is the best thing about being in LIGHTSUM? 

SANGAH: The best part is being able to share LIGHTSUM’s positive energy through our music and performance!

CHOWON: I love that I can do what I love with my beloved members and fans. I feel alive with fans and members.

NAYOUNG: There’s nothing happier than hearing SUMIT’s loud cheers.

JUHYEON: Our members are the best part of being LIGHTSUM! We have so much fun together during practice, and we’re so comfortable around each other because we understand each other very well.

HINA: The fact that we can have special experiences, all thanks to love and support from SUMIT!

YUJEONG: For every comeback, we receive so much love from our SUMIT. I’m very excited and happy to finally meet them offline from this album.

HUIYEON: Creating LIGHTSUM’s own energetic performances!

JIAN: We always have bright energy, and that’s my favourite part.

Outside of music, what do you guys enjoy doing together? 

SANGAH: I usually watch drama or take a walk.

CHOWON: Thinking of casual hobbies, all of us really like drama so we would recommend popular dramas to each other. We have our own popular dramas at different times, and we love watching dramas together so no one misses out.

NAYOUNG: Everyone has different hobbies, but most of us like shopping so we usually go shopping together on our off days.

HINA: Talking with members! When we’re together, we’re supposed to practice but we just can’t stop talking, haha.

JUHYEON: I usually enjoy reading books or watching movies and YouTube videos while sitting or lying down. I enjoy all genres, including documentary, drama, action, and fantasy! I think I like everything that I can be immersed in. I also like drawing!

YUJEONG: I enjoy watching LIGHTSUM fancams!

HUIYEON: I recently got flowers as a gift, and since then I got to enjoy taking care of flowers! Even though I only have one bouquet, it feels soothing to take care of it.

JIAN: I really like watching dramas and movies, so I enjoy discovering films and shows in various genres.

[💝] LIGHTSUM 1st Anniversary Special Photo for SUMIT#LIGHTSUM #라잇썸#Lightsum1stAnniversary#여덟_개의_빛_라잇썸의_1주년을_축하해 pic.twitter.com/R4nwTKGwkf

— LIGHTSUM·라잇썸 (@CUBE_LIGHTSUM) June 10, 2022

Who are the artists on your playlists? 

SANGAH: Recently I listen to ‘Square (2017)’ by a senior Yerin Baek a lot. Also, I love the album I NEVER DIE by our senior (G)I-DLE! 

CHOWON: I listen to a lot of songs by Ariana Grande. There are so many things I want to learn from her vocal style, so I tend to listen to her music a lot to practice and study.

NAYOUNG: Etham's '12:45 (Stripped)'. This song has a mood that I love the most.

HINA: I’m listening to the songs from a senior IU’s early albums!

JUHYEON: I’ve been listening to Conan Gray and Lauv a lot these days. They’re very easy to listen to but the melodies are so addictive and charming!

YUJEONG: These days, I love listening to ‘TOMBOY’ and ‘Never Stop Me’ by our senior (G)I-DLE.

HUIYEON: ‘Darl+ing’ by our senior SEVENTEEN is on top of my playlist these days.

JIAN: I listen to songs by the senior (G)I-DLE a lot these days, so their songs are always on my playlist.

What message do you have for SUMIT all over the world? 

SANGAH: SUMIT~! Thank you so much for supporting us from everywhere. I believe we’ll have more days to meet each other, so I hope you stay healthy and happy! Thank you SUMIT~!

CHOWON: Our SUMIT! Thank you so much for always supporting and loving us from everywhere all the time. We couldn’t meet so far but now there will be more days to see each other, so I hope we all stay safe for that day. Our precious, dear SUMIT! Let’s stay together forever. Thank you and love you always!!

NAYOUNG: SUMIT! It’s been a while! Thank you for trusting us and waiting for us during our hiatus. We’ll become better artists so you can be proud to call yourselves fans of LIGHTSUM. Please stay with us and cheer for us until then. Love you.

HINA: Thank you so much for supporting us, I love you guys!!! Please look forward to our future activities.

[📸] 220524 @ 1st Mini Album [Into The Light] COMEBACK SHOWCASE

첫 활동! 첫 대면 쇼케이스를 마친 우리 라잇썸과 썸잇 💛
이번 활동도 서로에게 무지개 같은 존재가 되기로 약속해요! 🌈 #LIGHTSUM #라잇썸#Into_The_Light #ALIVE pic.twitter.com/WyHZfMxqi8

— LIGHTSUM·라잇썸 (@CUBE_LIGHTSUM) May 24, 2022

JUHYEON: It’s been a while since we made a comeback and perform. Every day and every moment, I feel alive when I’m with SUMIT. Thank you for supporting and loving us all the time from far away. We’ll return your love with better performances for a long time! Hope to meet you all soon, love you!

YUJEONG: SUMIT!! You’ve been waiting so long~~ We missed you! Thank you so much for waiting, and we’re very excited and happy to do this album’s activities with our SUMIT. Please stay with us for a long, long time~

HUIYEON: SUMIT around the world! I can’t wait to meet you all since there are more offline stages!! Let’s have fun with this album too!

JIAN: SUMIT around the world, thank you for always supporting us. Please look forward as we’ll have more opportunities to meet, perform, and talk soon! Hope you stay healthy always :)

Listen to LIGHTSUM's Into The Light here.