Earlier this year, BLITZERS performed twice on the competitive reality show Britain’s Got Talent, making it all the way to the semifinals. Every step along the way, from when they first received that fateful call from the show’s producers to their ultimate decision to get up on stage and give it their all, offered new and exciting challenges for the group to take on. We talked to group members SYA and CHRIS about their journey to perform on BGT as well as what they’re planning to take on next.
Is this really happening?
SYA: When we first heard about the offer to appear on Britain’s Got Talent, we all were like, “Is this really happening?” We couldn’t believe it. (laughs) Their producers told us they were really drawn to the unique concept of our “Macarena” music video. The fact that the producers of a popular show from a different country watched our music video was pretty surreal to begin with. (laughs)
CHRIS: I was skeptical, too, at first. (laughs) I used to like to watch America’s Got Talent when I was younger since I lived in the States, so naturally I already knew all about Britain’s Got Talent. It’s such a popular show, and I felt really nervous being up there on such a big stage. At the same time, I felt like it was an amazing opportunity and that we couldn’t just pass it up.
SYA: Unlike CHRIS, I was more worried than anything else. Honestly, our schedule was busier than I thought, and we only had 10 days to practice the performance for our audition and get it just right. I mean, it was a great opportunity and I wanted to go, but I was worried if we could really pull it off.
First BGT performance and the coveted “All Yes” verdict
SYA: We were waiting and waiting, and then suddenly it was our turn to go onstage. It felt just like a dream right then. I was super nervous. (laughs) It was something else recognizing all the judges in front of us. For our audition, we performed the Shawn Mendes song “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back,” which was choreographed by Korean dance crew DOKTEUK CREW, who were on America’s Got Talent. Since that show has the same format and they personally appeared on it, they gave us lots of helpful advice. They said, “There’s a lot of different variables once you get there, so just be prepared to react and do it just like we practiced, and you’ll do a good job.” They also paid us a lot of compliments, which I was thankful for. (laughs) There were so many last-minute changes on the day, just like they told us there would be. We ended up getting a “yes” from every single one of the judges, but we were a little shocked by how many unexpected little things came up. We were a little more pumped up when it came time for the semifinals.
CHRIS: Every single second of our audition was nerve-racking. Since it’s such a big show with many people performing, there were lots of sound issues with our in-ears and mics during the real performance. We had to communicate with the producers and staff there in English, so I was checking with the group members one by one to see if their sound was okay. And now that we can talk about what went on behind the scenes, I can say that I was originally supposed to come in after SYA raps. Except I had an issue with my mic during the performance where the sound wasn’t working at all! So my part was edited out from the episode, which was a real bummer.
Perseverance in the face of difficulty
SYA: We went all the way to the UK and got up on that stage, so of course we were going to perform. My main thought was, ‘There’s no turning back now. Let’s just do this.’ A lot of it was really chaotic, but I quickly found my footing and focused on what needed to be done and what I was capable of in the moment. I used to just focus on myself when reviewing a performance, but after Britain’s Got Talent, I started looking at the performance as a whole, seeing which parts don’t work overall and where we could stand to improve. It’s not something I went out of my way to start doing—it just happened. (laughs)
CHRIS: I got a lot of help from our label’s president, who uses a lot of sarcasm. (laughs) We actually went through a lot of trial and error on the day of the show, with things not going the way we expected a lot of the time. And then he would always go, “That’s perfect! Don’t change a thing!” But he was really doing that to encourage us. It lightened the mood and boosted our spirits when he said those things.
“Bring That Fire”
SYA: Every contestant got an equal amount of support from Britain’s Got Talent for the semi finals. When you choose a song from the options the network provides, you explain the concept you’re going for, then they take care of everything from outfits and makeup to props, special effects, backup dancers, and more. We went with “Bring That Fire” by WAR*HALL because we wanted to choose a high-energy song the audience could get into as much as us. I remember we all unanimously decided on it—all six of us. (laughs) With the song’s deep lyrics and all our experience dancing to energetic songs, we were confident we would nail it. I brought up ideas involving fire, while JINHWA, who’s the leader, said we should have flags so it would feel like announcing, “BLITZERS has arrived at Britain’s Got Talent”. JUHAN talked about handing little flags out to the audience so they could all wave them together, but the producers weren’t sure it could be done, so the idea changed to backup dancers waving them around instead. And then CHRIS suggested we move down to where the stage sticks out so we could interact with the audience.
CHRIS: That part of the stage that juts out lets you interact more closely with the audience. We wanted to show them how much fun we’re having on stage, so we absolutely had to make use of that part of the stage. (laughs) The staff at their network did our hair and makeup for us, but the British styling is different from the kind we’re used to in K-pop. Parts of it were a little different from the makeup design our label gave us, so we made some little adjustments based on what we picked up from watching our makeup artists. (laughs) The costumes they gave us were also a lot different from what we had in mind, but actually, the backup dancers’ outfits were closer to what we were picturing. I felt apologetic, but I politely asked the costume designer who did ours, “I’m so sorry, but can we just change that?” I had to be really diplomatic about it since we were asking them to change something they already put so much effort into, but I just kept saying “sorry” and asking for their understanding because we wanted to be sure we would feel confident.
“We are family”
SYA: Simon Cowell, the judge, asked us, “You’re friends?” And we told him, “We are family.” After spending 10 grueling days together staying up all night prepping for the audition and barely getting any sleep, I guess the word “family” just came out without thinking about it. (laughs) The first time I felt BLITZERS was like a family was after “Macarena” came out in 2023. Before that, we all had our own ideas for the direction we should take, but with “Macarena,” we all felt it was a song in the genre we’re best at, and we all really wanted to do it. It felt like everyone was completely united at that point, and it’s been like that to this day.
CHRIS: Friends are important, too, but there’s nothing more important than family. When the judges asked if we were friends, memories of my time with the other BLITZERS members flashed through my mind. I don’t know about the rest of them, but at the time, I thought “Macarena” was our last chance. JINHWA put a lot of thought into it every day to work out the choreography, and I would put everything I had into adapting it into changing the freestyle choreography. All those moments flashed before my eyes. It really made me feel that we’re just like family! Especially for me, my family’s all in the U.S., so without BLITZERS here, I’d feel like I didn’t have any family in Korea. BLITZERS is my everything. Spending more than three years together made us feel even closer than actual family. (laughs) So “family” was the first word that came to mind to describe us.
Britain’s Got Talent, and BGT’s got a human touch
SYA: Britain’s Got Talent feels like a TV drama made out of the lives of all the people who go on to audition. They kept asking us in the pre-interviews if we’re famous in Korea. We told them we’re not famous here yet, but that we wanted to use Britain’s Got Talent as an opportunity to become better known, and that we wanted to work that into our journey. Everybody on the show’s got a different story, so it felt less like a fierce competition and more like it was emphasizing how hard everyone works to make it to the next round together. I remember there was a Japanese group called HARIBOW on the same day as us who came up and talked to us and we cheered each other on, yelling out, “Fighting!” We really appreciated that. (laughs)
CHRIS: Britain’s Got Talent is all about focusing on the touching moments from everyone who goes on the show. They all go on to demonstrate their talents and tell their stories. I saw it as less of a competition show and more of a way for people to showcase their talents. The overall vibe was, “Show us everything you’ve got and we’ll all cheer you on.” The wait time was really, really long, but everyone telling each other “Good luck!” was a major confidence boost. And the Taekwondo performance team SSAULABI from Jeonju University were also there this year, meaning both of us were essentially representing Korea on the show. We were boosting each other’s spirits right from rehearsals and took photos together. I’d say we were able to put on a good show, too, thanks to the boost we got from those amazingly talented people.
BLITZERS’s got talent. What’s next?
SYA: Ever since Britain’s Got Talent, we’ve been even more determined to show the world what makes BLITZERS so special. We weren’t as involved in our albums before, but we were closely involved with making our new mini album, LUNCH-BOX. The lyrics to the lead single, “SUPERPOWER,” are about keeping your spirits up throughout the day, and that’s on top of the exciting, energetic music. We focused on getting into the groove and keeping it free and easy, and we felt it needed some choreo that would get everybody excited, so we gave it a key move where we put our arms out to the sides. Then we felt like we needed something visual for the climax after the second chorus, so we added some moves where we all jump into the air together and stomp our feet. We were all pretty good with “SUPERPOWER” after practicing it alongside getting ready for Britain’s Got Talent, but we wanted to put on a really good show, so we recorded ourselves rehearsing it over and over and kept practicing until we could dance while keeping good control of our vocals.
CHRIS: We’re usually all pumped up and supportive when we practice and joke around with each other, but sometimes someone gets tired out as the choreo intensifies. At those times, I usually try to keep spirits up by joking around with something like, “This is mandatory! Just do it!” Then they say, “Yeah, you’re right!” and get back up and the mood’s restored. (laughs) It’s been a year and two months since our last comeback, so everyone pushed themselves to prepare. I worked with JUHAN on the lyrics for the tracks “RING RING” and “Race Up,” and wrote lyrics in English for the first time for the English versions of “SUPERPOWER” and “Macarena.” It was really hard taking the same context the Korean lyrics are in and trying to make that work in English. I drew inspiration from my experience in the U.S. to write in a way that our international fans could relate with.
BLITZERS’ true SUPERPOWER is BLEE
SYA: It feels awesome hearing [our fandom] BLEE say, “I became a fan because of your amazing performances.” It’s really motivating to get compliments like that, saying we’re talented. And we want to be more than just a group and their fans—we want to be like friends. That’s why we joke around with them and share little stories all the time. I’m grateful the fans always have such a good response to that. Sometimes I recognize one of their usernames, and they’re amazed by that. It’s not like I’m going out of my way to memorize them one by one—they’re just a part of my everyday life, so it happens automatically.
CHRIS: When Britain’s Got Talent was over, BLEE left comments saying, “You’ll have all kinds of great opportunities besides BGT. Don’t worry about how you placed.” Lots of them sent us funny messages to make us feel better, and they did make me laugh, but they were also so touching that I nearly cried. (laughs) And, you know, I’m fluent in English, so I talk with international fans in English quite a bit. There’s BLEE in many different countries, so I try to discuss topics everyone can relate to, and I try to say hi to them in the morning and at night, too. And when they say it’s their birthday or some other special occasion, I do my best to send them congratulations.
What will BLITZERS tackle next?
SYA: It’s already halfway through 2024. With practicing for Britain’s Got Talent from January, visiting India during that time, and the comeback, the first half year flew by. What I learned from pushing myself to do all these things is that we’re at our best when we’re pursuing our interests. The outcomes are always good when we’re doing what we love together. In a way, I think BLITZERS is almost defined by how we keep challenging ourselves. Everything from going on Britain’s Got Talent to shooting a music video in Pakistan and performing in India’s all in the realm of challenging ourselves, I think. And I think now’s the time we can get ourselves up to the next level if we don’t let ourselves get tired and keep pushing forward. I want to tell the other members, “Let’s just keep going for a little bit more.”
CHRIS: We’ve put ourselves up to a number of challenges, but I’ll tell you: We’re still thirsty for more. (laughs) We want to travel to more places so we can see and learn even more. We were the first K-pop group to audition for Britain’s Got Talent and the first to film a music video in Pakistan. We have this image of being the first in many ways, and I want us to keep climbing higher and higher towards our dreams. “Let’s stay in shape and keep our chins up! Then we can achieve greatness!”