Girl group Lovelyz has been through many ups and downs ever since their debut because of malicious rumors that prevented member Seo Ji Soo from performing with the group.

In a recent exclusive interview with HeraldPOP, Seo Ji Soo and the rest of Lovelyz confessed how they felt during the whole rumor controversy for the first time.

Q: It must’ve been hard for you to go through such an overwhelming controversy.

Seo Ji Soo: I would be lying if I said it wasn’t hard. But the other members went through harder times than I did. We all practiced for our showcase even till the day before, but I wasn’t able to debut because that unfortunate thing happened. It was such a sudden event that it affected the members even more. The stage choreography and individual singing parts all had to be rearranged. I felt really bad about the whole thing. I know we all worked hard, but seeing them have to work even harder made it so difficult to watch.

Q: Even after the rumor controversy, we found out that Seo Ji Soo has lived in the same dorm with the other members.

Baby Soul: Ji Soo is the brightest person in our practice room even now. She is naturally energetic and full of smiles, so I was worried about her after that controversy broke out. I know that those scars won’t fully heal even with time. Nevertheless, I felt so proud of her trying to hide her feelings. Reversely, she was the one to lighten the mood whenever we were tired. I feel very thankful for that side of Ji Soo.

Q: Did you stay bright on purpose for the members?

Seo Ji Soo: Living our lives together, we know when a member is tired without even saying it out loud. I was tired, of course, and the other members were, too, because of their hectic schedules. I don’t think there’s a certain measurement to ‘tiredness.’ Everyone has gone though experiences that no one else has before. We are all going through hard times together, so I didn’t feel that it was necessary to show that I was tired. That’s why I greeted the Lovelyz members with joy and cheered for them.

Q: We heard that there was special support from your fans.

Seo Ji Soo: A lot of people sent me warm messages. I received so many letters. Honestly, I wondered if I should be allowed to receive that much love from fans. It pained me because I haven’t shown anything to them. I believe that singers and their fans should build a relationship by giving and receiving things back and forth. However, I didn’t give anything and I was solely receiving things, so I was always apologetic. I’ve made up my mind to give back to the fans everything that I’ve received thus far.

Q: You’ve decided to join the group again. Are there any problems with teamwork?

Seo Ji Soo: Lovelyz has already released two albums now. I know that I am lacking because of the time I spent being away from the group. That’s why I am trying to overcome it by being hardworking. I will do my best to stay strong and bright and show good sides of myself to fans.

Q: Tell us your thoughts on coming back as an 8-member group.

Jin: I’ve filled Ji Soo’s spot when she couldn’t perform with us. That emptiness that I felt when performing our debut stage can now be filled. I’m really glad that we can show the eight colors of Lovelyz to our fans. Please look forward to our performances as a complete group now.

Baby Soul: I think this is my first time wanting to perform so badly. I’m excited. Please watch us with joy.

Kei: We’re having such a great time preparing for our comeback. We want to show our fans exactly the way we are right now. I think promoting as an 8-member group will be fun. We want to spread the love, like our group name, and also be loved.

Mijoo: I hope everyone is looking forward to our 8-member comeback. Ji Soo is the same age as me. It felt like a friend had moved away, and I was really happy to prepare our comeback with her. I’ll show you my close relationship with her so please look forward to it.

Soojung: There were many things that we practiced as we prepared for Lovelyz’ debut. From cover songs to acapella, there are so many talents that we haven’t been able to show yet. Now, we really want to show what Lovelyz is all about.

Yein: Actually, I was the last member to join Lovelyz. I was sad that we weren’t able to show everything that I’ve seen [members do] before our debut. I’m excited now because we’re able to really reveal ourselves. I feel like I’ve gone back to my roots.

Jin: Every member has her own unique charm. Our vocals are all different and everyone has their own dance color. I want to show the public how natural we can be as an 8-member group as soon as possible.

Yoo Jiae: We originally had eight members. I know that we, and the fans, were disappointed just showing seven members. Now we’re coming back as the complete group. I really want to stage an amazing Lovelyz performance.

Are you excited to see Lovelyz come back as an 8-member group?

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