INTERVIEW: Chad Future Gives 24-7KPOP A Taste of the Future of KPOP

Ahead of his official international debut into the KPOP World, rookie Chad Future sat down with 24-7KPOP for an exclusive interview that covered his introduction to KPOP, his respect for SISTAR, and how he feels about the negative reactions to his KPOP career thus far.

KIM: How are you today? Pretty busy?
CHAD: Yes, very busy. I’m in the studio editing everything, making sure it’s ready.
KIM: So, first question: Who is Chad Future, in 3 words?
CHAD: (Laughs) Can it be 4 words?
KIM: Sure, I’ll change it to 4.
CHAD: Ok, 4 words: The Future of Music.
KIM: Nice, so the future of music in general or KPOP? Why KPOP and why now?
CHAD: KPOP right now is the TOP of entertainment. The genre, the artists, the production is all so passionate. So creative. Everything has such high production value and thought behind it, and as someone coming from a production background*, I absolutely love that.
KIM: How did you ever get into KPOP? What was the first song/MV you ever heard/saw?
CHAD: Actually, it was back in 2001 that I found KPOP. The internet was just starting to get more and more mainstream and I found a picture of H.O.T. in front of a Mustang, crazy hair and clothes and I was immediately drawn to it. I’ve always liked crazy style. At the beginning, KPOP was all about the style to me. After a while, I got caught up in other things and didn’t rediscover KPOP until about 4 years ago. I was online and found Uhm Jung-hwa’s D.I.S.C.O. featuring T.O.P. and I loved it! It began my love of KPOP all over again. The video was very neon, very fun and I absolutely loved it.

KIM: You seem to truly love KPOP (laughs). Since you are obviously passionate about KPOP, what else are you passionate about? Inspiration?
CHAD: I just want to make things that are entertaining. I want people to enjoy what I am doing.
KIM: Your new single is in Korean. Did you find it hard to pronounce/learn?
CHAD: It was actually a lot of fun to learn. Learning anything from scratch is fun and interesting. Training was really hard, usually training a month or two before recording anything. I had Korean friends in the studio with me and they would never hesitate to have me re-record something if they thought I didn’t do it right. Even outside of the studio I was working on my pronunciation and I enjoy every opportunity to work on it.
KIM: The digital single will be out on August 13th, which just happens to be WorldWide KPOP Day..
CHAD: Wow, really? I have good timing (Laughs)
KIM: Do you have concept for your project?
CHAD: A-KPOP. American music influenced by KPOP.
KIM: With your debut on the 13th, what is the next step? Will you be promoting your work?
CHAD: Getting it out there. I want to get it out there. I want people to check it out and from there I want to get a team together and release all the songs and work I already have finished/in progress. At some point, I do want to have a showcase and to let people see what I have and how passionate I am.

KIM: How do you think debuting in the American music scene is different from debuting in S. Korea?
CHAD: America is just HUGE, with so much going on and so many musical tastes, that no genre is King over here. The American music scene needs time to figure out what it wants. In S. Korea, all the different music genres work together in such harmony. Also, it’s a bit harder to break in over there. I would love to appear on the countdown shows and promote but that takes time and having the right team and that’s what I hope to achieve soon.
KIM: What do you think about the whole Gangnam Style craze right now? Do you think this is a good thing for your upcoming debut?
CHAD: Yeah, I think it’s cool. I saw it on the first day and loved it. I feel the more KPOP that breaks into the U.S. and worldwide, the better. I want KPOP to bring more of its style to the world.
KIM: You’ve managed to somehow get a few critics already. Most of them have voiced their strong negative opinion about a non-Asian foreigner wanting to break out in KPOP. Do you have anything you want to say to them?
CHAD: Honestly, just PROGRESS. It’s all about breaking barriers and positive while you do something you like. If you like what you’re doing and passionate about it, race, nationality, and skin color shouldn’t matter. I love making music, it’s something I like to do. If it’s not in front of the camera, it’s behind it. And in the future, nations and races won’t exist. We’ll just be one world in the future, so we should just start sharing now.
KIM: Heart-to-Heart…
CHAD: Yes… (Laughs)
KIM: A lot of KPOP fans saw that project as a mockery of KPOP. What do you think of this?
CHAD: I made something I thought was fun and cool. It was me and some friends who are normally a part of my crew and we just did it for fun. Like Gangnam Style, just having fun and not being too serious. It was never meant as a mockery.
KIM: Speaking of your friends, what does your family and friends think of your plans for a Korean music career?
CHAD: (Laughs). Well, everyone is so supportive and excited. At the end of the day, it’s about doing something new and fun. People close to me, who really know me, understand that I really want to do this and it matters to me.
KIM: Being from the Midwest, do you feel any empathy for KPOP fans that aren’t in the frequented areas of New York and L.A.?
CHAD: I’m from Detroit. Yes! I totally feel for them! I’m so grateful that I’ve had the chance to participate in so many events since moving here (Los Angeles). I was only watching music videos but now I get to see them live and it’s amazing. It’s a very good thing KPOP videos are so well made, I think. They have the power to hold you over until you get the chance to finally see a live performance.

KIM: I know personally that you’ve been around a lot of KPOP idols and have even had the pleasure of interviewing them (KPOP Masters). Did any of them give you any kind of advice on how to succeed in the KPOP World?
CHAD: Well, when I’ve been around the idols, I didn’t make it about myself, so they never really had a chance to really give me any advice. But I have to say they are all very very respectful, hard-working, and dedicated. Such dedication is very rare with American artists, who sometimes tend to be divas. It is very refreshing to meet the South Korean artists who are there for the fans and have so much dedication to bringing entertainment to fans.
KIM: Given the opportunity, which KPOP artist/group would you want to collaborate with?
CHAD: SISTAR. (Laughs) Hyorin. I have a song, my 3rd single, that is inspired by her and I would love the chance to work with her. I’m inspired by her. She has such a powerful, amazing voice and such a sparkling personality.
KIM: Sounds like a bit of a crush. (Laughs) Who do you have a crush on in KPOP?
CHAD: (Laughs) Wow. If I said one name, I would have to say 10 names. All the idols in KPOP are so beautiful, I would have to give you a Top 10 list. (Laughs) Right now, I would have to say Lime from Hello Venus.
KIM: What songs do you have on repeat?
CHAD: I bought and downloaded Tasty’s new album and I’m really loving it. I tend to listen to a lot of dance and house music. I love how you can just listen to the beat.
KIM: What would you like to say to your fanbase/potential fans out there?
CHAD: I appreciate all the support and am very grateful. I love accepting messages and I try to reply back to each and every one. I’m trying to do something creative and new and I know there are people out there that want what’s comfortable, what they’re used to. But, I appreciate every single person supporting me. In the beginning, love is very important.
KIM: And lastly, what would you like to say to the 24-7KPOP community?
CHAD: I love you guys, the Team and the followers. I think there’s some good, honest reporting and I think everyone appreciates that. It makes for a good environment for sharing a love of KPOP. I see the community and name getting bigger and bigger very soon.
KIM: Thank you.
CHAD: Negativity in KPOP shouldn’t exist.
KIM: I love how you just said that. I wanted to end the interview with a few words from one of our followers, Nikki Hudson. She urges you, “To remain confident in himself because no matter what you do in life, there will always be those that will not agree. As long as you are doing something that you love, let that dislike it be your motivation and may he have many blessings on his journey.”
CHAD: Wow! So sweet. That was very moving. Thank you, Nikki.
KIM: Thanks for sparing the time for this interview. We all know you are super busy right now.
CHAD: Thanks for giving me a platform to communicate with my fans. Thanks everyone, and continue to support me!

* Chad Future aka David Lehre has worked as a successful director and producer for years, including working on music videos and movies for other artists.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHAD FUTURE:

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