The group RIIZE decorated the cover of fashion lifestyle magazine Esquire. The group wore boot-cut trousers, embroidered denim jackets, and western fedoras in a concept that references American western culture.
Shotaro, the eldest member, spoke about his daily routine amidst his busy schedule. ‘Sometimes I think of the motto ‘be kind to others and strict with yourself’. I'm still hard on myself, but I've also learned to encourage myself after every activity.’ As for his recent absence, Shotaro said, ‘I take pictures with a film camera. I also take it overseas to take pictures of the members,’ he said, adding, ’I want to improve my English, so when I have time off, I'd like to study abroad for a while. I want to learn well and communicate freely with fans overseas.’
Member Eunseok shared his views on the relationship between fans and the group. He said, ‘Fans and Rise are the ones who make each other happy and change each other's lives,’ adding, ‘It's rare to have a relationship like this where you motivate each other and achieve something with the help of each other.’ ‘Before my debut, I didn't know much about it because I was only practising,’ he said, ’but after I started performing and seeing the fans who liked me and meeting them, I started to enjoy it. It gave me a sense that I was doing something, and that over time, our efforts would accumulate and become something.’
Sungchan opened up about the rumour that he is the quietest idol in the waiting room. ‘Me and Shotaro are extroverts, but we tend to hide our faces, and a lot of the other members are introverts and shy,’ he said, “so when we're together, we don't talk as much.” However, he added, ’We're still playful and goofy, and we're not loud, but we do what we need to do.’
Won Bin said that the idol stage is similar to athletics in terms of its tension. ‘The first performance of ‘Siren’ was at K-Con in LA, and I remember feeling a little bit of a butterflies in my stomach on stage. I loved that feeling of extreme nervousness and excitement,’ he said. ’I was a runner until middle school, and the nervousness I felt on stage was very similar to how you feel when you're at the starting line of a track and field race and your body is shaking.’ ‘For me, that first performance was the best of the many ‘Siren’ performances,’ he added.
‘I'm attached to the song ‘Honestly’ from ‘One Kiss’ which became our first fan song on the mini album,’ Sohee said, ’I thought it was a challenge because I had to sing it in an R&B style, and it was very difficult when I sang it, but when I saw the result, I was satisfied that it came out well.’ ‘I try to listen to almost every song recommended by fans,’ Sohee said, adding that he listens to a variety of vocal styles.
The youngest, Anton, has even revealed his desire to play an instrument. He recently uploaded a video of his father, singer and famous producer Yoon Sang playing Rise's ‘Boom Boom Bass’ and said, ‘My dad is a bassist. I grew up watching him play and work from a young age, so I was definitely influenced by him,’ he said. ’Recently, I also fell in love with the bass, so I bought a model called Music Man's Stingray and am practising.’ ‘I learnt to play the cello as a child and I performed at the MAMA awards in 2023, so I hope to play the bass (on stage) next time,’ Anton said.
You can read more about Riize on Esquire Korea's website.
