CUBE Entertainment's girl group, CLC made their strong comeback in September with a such a lit, stunning, incredible track, "HELICOPTER" and captured every K-pop fans' eyes and ears.

A year was passed since their last release, 'ME(美)'  and CLC have taken their time to prepare for this one, making this comeback even more special to both the fans and themselves.  Moreover, this comeback was a great success for the group and was yet again listed in TOP 10 World Digital Song Sales on BILLBOARD charts, making it the 6th single to be on the charts.

In this interview, CLC shared with Kpopmap what they were up to for the past year as they prepare for 'HELICOPTER,' and other queries that Kpopmap was curious about!

CUBE Entertainment

Congratulations on your amazing comeback! This comeback must be exciting for both the fans and for the group as well! How did you spend your past year?

For me, it's been a year full of trying many kinds of new things and making self-improvements. When I didn't have schedules, I learned how to edit videos and tried to communicate with our fans more. So although it was a long time, I got to learn more about myself from consistently uploading covers, and it helped me prepare for this album.
SEUNGHEE
I worked out a lot and spent time doing vocal training so I can show our fans a better me. And I went to school too!
YUJIN
Over the past year, I worked hard to figure out how to show a better side of me to CHESHIRE. Every one of us practiced singing, dancing, working on self-development, and self-care! Along with those, I tried my best to actively communicate with CHESHIRE via social media, contents, and individual promotions. I think we were able to make 'HELICOPTER' high quality because we went through these.
SEUNGYEON
I spent my year working on my personal social media accounts and tried my best to stay connected with my fans as much as possible through them. I also recently started my own TikTokaccountand I’ve been really enjoying making new content with the app.
SORN
I got some rest, and I also tried to come up with ways to meet our fans sooner and more frequently.
YEEUN
I wanted to be able to show something better to our fans, so I dedicated time to make self-improvements.
ELKIE
We started working on our album pretty early, and I was also on a TV series! I was fairly busy but a part of me felt empty because I missed our fans.
EUNBIN

CUBE Entertainment

During the showcase, Seungyeon mentioned that it will be great if ‘HELICOPTER’ can be on BILLBOARD charts and it was placed in the TOP 10 World Digital Song Sales! How do you feel about this amazing outcome?

I’m truly delighted and I just want to meet our international fans who are always cheering for us from abroad as soon as possible.
SEUNGHEE
I never knew we would get such a great outcome. I’m very thankful and I will give back to our fans with better music in the future too!
YUJIN
I was very happy to be able to interact with our fans across the globe by charting on Billboard, and I’m proud we were able to contribute to promoting K-pop. It’s a pleasure to see many people sending love for ‘HELICOPTER’.
SEUNGYEON
We all are very blessed to have this amazing outcome because it goes to show that our international fans really have our backs and really like our music. It also encourages us to work harder for our fans and to thank them for always supporting us in whatever we do.
SORN
It’s a result of everyone’s efforts, so I feel very proud. It also makes me think that we were able to give CHESHIRE good music so I’m delighted.
YEEUN
It’s such a surprising outcome that I still can’t believe it. I want to visit our international fans to share this gratefulness directly.
ELKIE
I got so hyped after seeing the Billboard chart I bragged about it to everyone! I hope I can travel overseas soon so I can actually feel it. It feels unreal right now.
EUNBIN

CUBE Entertainment

‘HELICOPTER’ was a perfect song for CLC and it felt like it was just meant for the group! What were your favorite parts of the song? And why?

I like the group choreography for the last chorus. There is a move where everyone moves forward together, it’s a key move that gives off great synergy.
SEUNGHEE
I like the line that goes “woo woo” in the bridge. It makes me feel relaxed.
YUJIN
The most key part is the hook. Us singing “I go up helicopter” powerfully altogether and the choreography combined gets me excited! Also, I personally like SEUNGHEE’s adlibs👍🏽
SEUNGYEON
I really like the lyrics of this song because it really tells the story of CLC and also encourages the listeners to never give up on their dreams and always fight for their beliefs. I personally think that music should be more than just some beats with good melody—it should leave them with some feelings, and I think ‘HELICOPTER’ did that really well.
SORN
I like the whole song, but my personal favorite is my rap! The fact that I wrote it myself makes me relate to it more.
YEEUN
I like the chorus! It gives me energy and gets me excited because everyone sings it together.
ELKIE
For me, it’s the last chorus! Our energy hits the peak during that part when we're on stage.
EUNBIN

CUBE Entertainment

It seems that CLC has found their true color, that is, a passionate, power overwhelming girl crush group. How did this concept change CLC as a group in general? What were the pros and cons?

It set the mood which allows us to focus more on the performance and the stage. The advantage is that we can always show a confident and edgy performance, and the downside is that it requires us to give off more energy.
SEUNGHEE
It's a concept that we've preferred since we were trainees, so we get more ambitious about it and have more fun on stage.
YUJIN
There are many people who like strong CLC, so I'm thankful. Also, people tend to look forward to our performance when they think of CLC, so there is a bit of pressure but I get motivated too. I think we're going for a different kind of "strong" every time!
SEUNGYEON
Through our music, we were able to grow a lot as seven young, independent women. I don’t think there are any cons to this change at all. Every concept we tried gave us a chance to experiment and challenge ourselves as artists, and going through these concept changes allowed us to find our true color for our music!
SORN
I think each person made themselves stronger and more refined. The pro is the music and concept that gives me the courage to push myself every time.
YEEUN
I'm more than happy that the public thinks of CLC when it comes to "fierceness." Now that we are doing something that suits us better, we enjoy our performances more too. The downside is that I kind of feel awkward when I try to put on a bright smile now, haha.
ELKIE
It has made me more confident. I guess I can express more things now? If I have to think of a con, it would be that we can’t avoid this image anymore, but I’m happy with it.
EUNBIN

CUBE Entertainment

Global fans are highly interested in CLC's hair color change. What was each members' favorite hair color? And what is the overall hair concept for 'HELICOPTER'?
The overall hair concept for “HELICOPTER” consists of classy colors and hairstyles. My favorite hairstyle for this album is SEUNGYEON’s experimental hair.
SEUNGHEE
SORN’s hair color looks so pretty and so good on her when you see her on-screen. The overall concept was to have hairstyles that suit each of us. I wear a ponytail or wear my hair down and change the hairstyle based on my outfit.
YUJIN
I love my hair for “HELICOPTER”! It was my idea to do this hair, and I like how this hair allows me to wear many kinds of styles. I wanted to go for a fierce and unique look.
SEUNGYEON
The overall hair concept for this comeback is chic and charismatic. The hair color that I had chosen to do for this comeback is silver and purple. The reason is a lot of fans were requesting me to change my hair color, and I really wanted my fans to feel engaged in this comeback, so I decided to do the hair color everyone requested!
SORN
Recently I added layers to my hair for the first time! It looks better than I expected so I’m very pleased.
YEEUN
I guess our hairstyles this time emphasize fierceness and maturity? Haha.
ELKIE
My favorites are the bright blonde hair I had for “ME(美)” and my red hair now! I wanted to go for a charismatic vibe this time, so I tried the wet hair look.
EUNBIN

CUBE Entertainment

If you had the opportunity, what other genre /concept do you want to try?
I want to present a performance with a funky and free vibe. I hope I can make a stage full of chill and fun atmosphere with my members.
SEUNGHEE
I hope we can put outa fan song. We’ve done the girl crush concept many times, so I want to try making a bright song just for our fans.
YUJIN
I want to try an energetic and fun song with summer vibes, something like our seniors Sistar's 'Shake It'!
SEUNGYEON
I think we as a team have experimented with all types of musical genres. What I would like to try next time is maybe... Hip-hop? I’m not really sure if we can actually pull it off, but I really enjoy listening to hip-hop music, so it would be an interesting experience to create one in the future if possible.
SORN
I wish we can try a light, easy-listening song sometime.
ELKIE

CUBE Entertainment

With the current pandemic, it must be hard to meet your global fans in person. As an alternative, do you have any plans for online events or concerts in the future?
We don’t have detailed plans yet, but if we’re given the chance, I would love to interact with our fans through an online concert or event! I hope we can show something new by performing not just our title songs but also our B-sides or covers. It’s such a bummer and so sad that we can’t meet our fans much these days.
SEUNGYEON
We would love to do an online concert in the future where all of our fans from all around the world can tune into and enjoy. If we are given the opportunity, we would LOVE to make it happen!
SORN
We’recontinuously sharing ideas and having discussions with our label. I miss our fans so much!
ELKIE

CUBE Entertainment

What does CLC want to be recognized as by the global fans?
I want us to be recognized as a talented K-pop group that always brings quality performances and stage presence.
SEUNGHEE
A group with great performances and energy.
YUJIN
Performance and teamwork!
SEUNGYEON
We want to be recognized as a global group with multiple talents and multiple colors. We want people to remember our music and our powerful performances. I hope people think of us as one of the top “girl crush” girl groups on the charts.
SORN
Of course we want to be recognized for our talents and skills, but my biggest hope is to be recognized for our teamwork.
YEEUN
Performance and our love for CHESHIRE!
ELKIE
Our performances! My goal is to be recognized for that one thing at least.
EUNBIN

CUBE Entertainment

Lastly, any words for your fans?

Thank you for your unconditional love at all times from both near and afar 🙂 CHESHIRE is our motivation at all times. Please stay healthy, and let's meet up as soon as possible!
SEUNGHEE
Hey CHESHIRE! Thank you for always waiting for us and giving us endless love. We will try to come to you with many kinds of video content! Love you❤❤❤❤
YUJIN
Thank you again and again for always supporting us despite the distance. I'm the one who knows the passion you have for us best! I miss all of our international CHESHIRE and I'm working hard for you! I'm hoping the day we can meet in person and have fun comes soon. Until then, please stay safe, and let's continue to support, communicate with, and love each other just like now. Thank you💜
SEUNGYEON
I would like to thank our fans from all around the world for supporting us for this comeback. Also, thank you so much for waiting for us for almost a year. We promise to make better music and release it soon because we know how much you guys miss all of us. Until then, please stay healthy and take care, everyone!
SORN
Hi CHESHIRE! I want to give back to all the love you give to CLC regardless of time and place with no rush. Let’s stay healthy everybody! I like you 🙂
YEEUN
Thanks to you, we were able to wrap up ‘HELICOPTER’promotions on a good note. I’m so grateful for all the love you give us, and I promise to be an artist who always gives their best! Please keep supporting us, and let’s spend every day safely, and with happiness, as we wait for the day, we can meet. I love you!
ELKIE
EUNBIN: CHESHIRE, I love you and miss you❤You know you’re always on my mind, right CHESHIRE?
EUNBIN