One Way to K-Pop street

MANILA, Philippines - “We actually sing (songs) in Korean and we have English versions.” That’s perhaps a piece of good news shared by Peter, member of the Korean trio One Way during the presscon organized by Universal Records. The two other members are Chance and Young Sky.

They are in Manila to promote their debut album One Way Street. Chance, Peter and Young Sky treat K-Pop loving Filipinos to their music today, 5 p.m. at SM Megamall Activity Center and tomorrow, Aug. 1 at SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.

Like other K-Pop groups, One Way’s music is danceable and catchy. However, it sounds like the mainstream R&B and hip-hop music we know and love. They speak English. Thus, the One Way boys connect more with Filipino followers for them to understand their music.

No doubt about it. One Way is another alternative way to appreciate K-Pop music.

“It is the music (we listened to) when growing up,” says Chance of their R&B and hip-hop leanings. “It makes us happy. There are hundreds of genres and even thousands. Hip-hop and R&B, for some reason, are realist and that makes us happy. That defines our expression and our soul in music.”

The trio composes and arranges their songs. One Way explores R&B in such ditties as One Way, U Drag, Magic and Wrong Number. As songwriters and composers, they love “different themes, different occasions, different events” to talk about through their music. The topics are not just about “love and break love.” The inspiration to write comes from anywhere. There’s no specific time. It just happens anytime.

One Way also values fans’ feedback. Chance, Peter and Young Sky use Twitter as a venue for that.

Peter says, “we feel blessed to have our fans’ feedback — good or bad.” They help One Way give that extra push with their career.

Why has K-Pop never ceased to amaze music enthusiasts?

“It is a very trendy music,” answers Chance. “It is creating new sounds. (It is) experimenting a lot of new stuff just like the music in the States. There are new experiments and sounds that are coming out. And that makes it a little bit different from different things coming out from anywhere else.”

“Songwriters from America and Europe say K-Pop is a whole fusion of everything together. You have the European R&B stuff. You have the American R&B. I don’t want to generalize it but it has a bit of Asian style with a bit of everything. It has catchy melodies,” adds Peter.

Is music first before love life, or the other way around?

“We love women,” replies Chance. “We’re single. But we focus on our music right now. Filipina (girls) are beautiful and I find them attractive.”