Prior to popularity, THIS group was looked down on by a senior idol for "not doing well" in their career — but with their top-tier skills, combined with good music and hard work, A PLOT TWIST happened!
On December 28, the YouTube web show "Joka Jini" posted a new video featuring INFINITE Sungjong as its guest. There, the idol drew attention by talking about his group, and looked back on their struggles, heyday, and relationship after 13 years.
Sungjong Reveals Senior Idol Criticized INFINITE's Status After 'Be Mine' Release
In the interview, Sungjong especially shared an anecdote when they received harsh words from their senior idol shortly after the release of their song, "Be Mine," in July 2011.
The celebrity narrated that during the first week of their promotion activities, the team approached a senior to give them a copy of their CD, but to their surprise, the senior looked down on INFINITE.
"When I was young, there were more great seniors (of course), but there is this one senior. When we released a song called 'Be Mine,' we didn't get first place as soon as it was released.
We gave a CD to this senior and when they saw it, they said, 'It's not doing well because it's you. If another idol sang it, it would have been famous right away."
Hearing this, Sungjong had a heartbreaking reaction, as he could only say nothing aside from "thank you."
"I didn't cry after hearing this. So I just said, 'Thank you!' and 'Yes! I should work harder.' No matter what anyone says, only saying, 'Thank you,' is what comes out of my mouth. Since I've been an idol for a long time, it's sad (looking back at it)."
INFINITE Flips Table by Rising to Fame With 'Be Mine'
While the senior criticized the rookie INFINITE for not doing well after releasing their song, "Be Mine," the world was on the group's side after their much-awaited popularity finally came to them, thanks to this release.
While "Be Mine," the title track of their first studio album, "Over the Top," was released in July 2011, it took about more than a week before it finally reached music fans.
The group went viral for performing the song's choreography in sync while flaunting "knife-like" sharp movements. Both their dance practice video and 2x speed versions of the song massively spread online, praising their synchronization despite hard dance steps.
Their stable vocals and good music also contributed to their rapid rise in the K-pop scene and popularity among fans.
Thanks to "Be Mine," they finally achieved their first-ever music show win in September 2011, a year after their debut.
Later on, it was revealed that they were on the brink of disbanding in 2011 as well due to Woollim Entertainment's almost bankruptcy. In fact, the former label's CEO had to sell his house just to fund the album.
With INFINITE's hard work and passion, everything worked well for them and is now known as as one of the most iconic second-gen boy groups.
They also saved their former agency from ultimately going bankrupt and even built them a building.
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Written by Eunice Dawson.
