While many Singaporeans were still recovering from National Day celebrations, the girls of SKarf were up and going at their press conference and fansign the day after on the 10th of August 2013. The five members, Tasha, Ferlyn, JooA, Hana and maknae Jenny are back in Singapore for their showcase, Dreams Come True. Decked in their Luv Virus outfits, but this time in a bright shade of orange, the girls had definitely lit up the room with their entrance.
Sharing more on their 2nd album, Luv Virus, leader Tasha introduced that it was to showcase a more mature side of them with the exploration of five different genres, including R&B as well as acoustics. The song, Luv Virus, is a song about falling in love and it was later revealed that the music video was filmed during winter but set during spring. The time lapse posed as a difficulty for the girls but had clearly pulled it off nicely, and was left in the girls’ memories as the most memorable event during the filming of the music video.
When asked about the upcoming showcase held at Kallang Theatre, Ferlyn expressed that fans can expect special stages of the girls which will be a chance for them to show the world other hidden talents that they may have. Having only prepared prior to the showcase for about 2 and a half weeks, they made a point to practice everyday till very late at night regardless of any schedule. In the process, the girls had also got injured while practicing and Jenny expressed that she was excited and yet nervous about the showcase, which spells success with the amount of hard work the girls had put in. Ferlyn added they had “personally put in something special” and urged everyone to watch their showcase as after all, “Action is louder than words. Come and see how much effort we put in because it is not all about choreography or singing,” promising an exciting night for all. To the two Singaporean members, Tasha and Ferlyn, this homecoming held special for them as they are back to finally realise their dreams. Having performed in Korea and Singapore, Ferlyn revealed that it had always felt different in the two different countries and with the upcoming showcase, they had returned with a bigger purpose. |
For Tasha, she felt that this time around was more meaningful than any other times, and when looking back from the day they got recruited to be trainees back in 2010, they had indeed come a long way from being an average teenage girl to a member of SKarf and actively pursuing her dream to be a singer. “It felt just like yesterday when we debuted and time really flies. As newbies in the industry, we still have to work very hard,” said Tasha. With their upcoming 1st anniversary on the 14th of August, the girls had made no plans for a big celebration and felt that they should instead, use the time to better improve their skills to return as a better group in the years to come.
The Korean members, JooA and Jenny, and Japanese member, Hana, lived up to their names as Korea ambassadors as Hana felt great introducing Korean food to Singaporeans during their previous stay in Singapore during the Shatec one-day restaurant event. JooA disclosed that SKarf do cook together back in Korea and her favourite foods are the Japchae, a mixed noodle dish and the Pajeon, a green onion pancake. When asked to recommend one place to visit in Korea, Hana chose the Jjimjilbang, a public bathhouse that is affordable to all while JooA chose Insadong Street for the rich Korean culture and history. Ferlyn and Tasha on the other hand, chose Han River and Busan respectively for the scenery and Ferlyn reasoned that the Han River gave her a sense of peace in today’s bustling, fast-paced Seoul. Lastly, Jenny recommended the basement of Gangnam Station as a street for youths to shop for the latest trends and covered all the unique aspects of Korea in a few minutes: cultural, nature and shopping. |
With regards to future plans, Ferlyn dropped the big secret for the day, which is their repackaged album to Luv Virus, with the track, Anymore once they return to Korea. The girls had their lips mum on the repackaged album, and all that was leaked was that the choreography will be their major selling point.
With regards to future plans, Ferlyn dropped the big secret for the day, which is their repackaged album to Luv Virus, with the track, Anymore once they return to Korea. The girls had their lips mum on the repackaged album, and all that was leaked was that the choreography will be their major selling point. Venturing into the future and expanding their wings as an all-rounded idol, all of them expressed interest in acting, but in different aspects. While Hana wishes to be in a sitcom, Ferlyn and Tasha wanted to act in a drama with Ferlyn in an English or Mandarin drama while Tasha is interested acting as a foreigner in a Korean drama. JooA wants to enter the musical scene as the main vocalist with the rise of idols trying their hand at the challenging musical sector where one have to handle both singing and acting equally well.
It is easy to note from the replies of the girls that they do not try to compete with each other and instead, complement each other’s shortcomings with their strengths. The question of competition between members was brought up and all five girls agreed that instead of pitting themselves against each other, they will improve better as a group by learning from each other. Quoting Ferlyn, “Instead of saying we are each other’s competitors, we are actually each other’s teachers instead.” Indeed, the girls will need each other’s shoulders to lay on as they pave their way into the competitive K-Pop world. Ferlyn said, “Before I left for Korea, it was purely just a dream. The moment you step out into the entertainment industry after training to show what you have learned and worked so hard for, it is so different. I prepared 200% of what I can do but I can only show 50% of what I prepared.” Her word of advice to all aspiring K-Pop wannabes? “You have to expect more than what others expect from you.”
While the road ahead may not be easy, the girls of SKarf are working doubly hard to gain a foothold in the K-Pop world. With never-ending vigour and perseverance, it will be interesting to watch the girls grow and scale greater heights with more fans infected with the Luv Virus. Do check out and like our Facebook page for more photos and follow our Twitter for more K-Pop happenings in Singapore! - A big thank-you to Alpha Entertainment and Dream Station for giving us the chance to cover SKarf’s press conference and to all sponsors and supporting companies in making SKarf’s first showcase possible as well! |