[Exclusive] Interview and Video Shout-Out with Blush!

Blush is back! Having just released the music video for their new single “Miss Out,” the girls kindly sat down with Soompi to give our members an exclusive shout-out and answer some questions. The best-selling pan-Asian quintet consists of Jihae from South Korea, Alisha from India, Natsuko from Japan, Victoria from China, and Angeli from the Philippines. Watch the shout-out below and read on as they discuss the meaning behind “Miss Out,” how they reacted to reaching #1 on the Billboard Dance Chart, and their fans from all around the world!

First of all, where does the name “Blush” come from?

FarWest Entertainment, our management, created the name because it is universally understood to be feminine, sweet, and easy to remember. We like the name because we like to make people blush when we sing to them!

You’re coming out with your new music video, “Miss Out.” Who or what is “Miss Out,” and what’s the message of the song?

This is a total girl power and sisterhood song. It’s also about survival and being confident that you can go forward on your own successfully without a man involved. Lastly, it’s about not putting up with it if a boyfriend isn’t loyal or isn’t treating you right.

The styling for “Miss Out” seems very retro and 1980’s, but in other pictures, each of you seems to retain an individual style. How would you describe everyone’s personal fashion styles? Is there someone who’s considered the most or least fashion-forward of the group?

The Miss Out wardrobe is very dancer/streetwear. We wanted to do something consistent with the dance in Miss Out and the NYC vibe. In general, each of us has our own style which reflects our personality, but we’re not afraid to try new things and have fun and show different sides of ourselves. We love to share our clothes. Nacho for sure will say she has the swagger! Victoria loves classically elegant clothing. Jihae swings from girly to sexy to boho. Angeli loves changing her style. Alisha loves bright colors – she is one of those people who can actually look good in neon bright colors.

You’ve done a number of collaborations in the past. How was it to perform with international superstars such as Snoop Dogg?

Honestly, we never would have expected to say this ourselves, but Snoop Dogg was amazing to work with, as he really is the consummate professional. The director never even has to say anything to him or direct him really, Snoop just knows what to do each time the camera is on – and always different and unique and it was fascinating to watch him – he really is so talented!  And a great guy as well – so nice and fun to talk with!

Being from five different countries, do you communicate through English? What are the good and bad points of being a multicultural group?

Actually, we’ve created our own “Blush-speak” which is a combination of our languages and English, but yes, our primary language is English. We love being a multicultural group, and actually we don’t stick to our five cultures at all, but instead we also explore Thai, Vietnamese, Australian, French, etc. We love experiencing all the cultures of the globe!

The “Miss Out” video was choreographed by Sheryl Murakami, who has worked with Beyonce and Lady Gaga. When it comes to singing and dancing, which of the two holds a dearer place in your heart?

Alisha and Nacho love dancing. Angeli, Jihae, and Victoria love singing!

You’ve obviously already achieved a lot at a young age. What professional or personal aspirations are you still working toward achieving?

Alisha: I’ll let you know when I’ve achieved it 😉

Angeli: I want to be more involved with our music, writing, and producing!

Jihae: I  want to learn more about making music and learn to play more instruments (I currently play the piano). I want to grow from a singer into a musician.

Victoria: In the future I’d love to be in an action movie and kick some booty! And Blush sings the theme song!

Have you have the chance to meet your international fans around the world yet? What kind of gifts have they given you?

We were very lucky to be back in Manila recently to perform for the NBA and got to meet fans that have been messaging us on Facebook and Twitter. A fan even assembled a scrapbook for Blush with letters from fans all around the world!  That was sooo sweet! In Singapore we have fans who always greet us at the airport with food – those girls mean so much to us!

How did you react when you learned that you reached the top of the Billboard Dance Chart with your recent single “Dance On”?

Lots of screaming and jumping up and down for joy!

What kind of music and artists do you listen to the most? Who would you most like to collaborate with in the future?

We listen to a wide variety of music from Wisin y Yandel, Alicia Keys, Joss Stone, Lil Wayne, and John Mayer among a long list of others. But if we were to collaborate with someone in the future we’d love to collaborate with Bruno Mars, One Direction, The Wanted, and Pink.

What are your plans in terms of album release or performances? What can we expect from Blush in the near future? 

We will either release a second EP or a full album this year. For performances, we want to perform more in the USA, as so many of our performances end up in Asia, so we are working on a tour here.

Do you listen to any K-Pop? Can you do the dance for “Gangnam Style?”

Yes, we love 2NE1 – we love their music and their music videos. Nacho was so lucky she got the chance to see them Live in LA just the other week… and we went for Karaoke in K-Town where we rocked out to Gangnam Style — more than once!

How would you like Soompiers to remember you? Please say a last word for us! Thank you!

We hope we inspire Soompiers to reach for their dreams and put a smile on their face every time they hear our music. Keep Blushing!

Check out Blush’s official Facebook!