NCT Dream's Chenle, iKON's Bobby, And TWICE's Momo And Mina Reveal Which Senior K-Pop Stars They Look Up To

During the September 15 broadcast of MBC’s annual “Korean Music Wave” concert, NCT Dream’s Chenle, iKON’s Bobby, and TWICE’s Momo and Mina talked about the senior K-pop stars that had inspired them to pursue their dreams in Korea.

In a special video aired during the highlight concert of the 2018 DMC Festival, the four idols talked about why they had chosen to pursue careers in K-pop and which senior artists they admired.

When asked to choose his most memorable moment since debut, Chenle talked about performing at the same concert as EXO. He remarked, “I got to perform with EXO, whom I had seen on TV, and it was like a dream. K-pop is my dream.” He also talked about his experience attending an EXO concert during his trainee days, recalling, “Their songs and performances were so cool.”

TWICE’s Momo said that Rain had inspired her dream of becoming a K-pop singer, while TWICE’s Mina said that she had been introduced to K-pop by a close friend who was a fan of Girls’ Generation. Mina explained, “I didn’t understand what any of the lyrics meant, but I liked the music. Dancing [to their songs] made me feel happy.”

She added, “I used to dislike standing [on stage] in front of people. It made me nervous and scared. But I saw K-pop artists standing on stage and thought they were really cool, and I wanted to be like them. I’m proud that I can now help others dream of being K-pop stars, just like how I dreamed of it while watching [other artists’] performances.”

Meanwhile, iKON’s Bobby, who came to Korea from America, said, “[After becoming an idol,] I was able to bring my parents and grandmother to Korea. K-pop is a medium that helps you achieve your dreams.” He also revealed that he had become a K-pop artist because he “thought it would be fun to be able to say everything I wanted to say through lyrics and have many people listen to my music.”

Watch the full “Korean Music Wave” concert from this year’s DMC Festival below!

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