Jay Park’s first boy group, LNGSHOT, has officially entered the K-pop game. Nearly 20 years after debuting with 2PM, Park introduced the act he’s been building with a simple mission: make a group that chases what it loves first―and lets authenticity win over the crowd.
LNGSHOT premiered their title track “Moonwalkin” at a showcase for their debut EP, “SHOT CALLERS,” held at Myeonghwa Live Hall in Seoul on Jan. 13. Compared to many idol debuts, the quartet kept the vibe loose and unbuttoned.
“Our name means that even if the odds are low, we’re taking the game-changing shot,” OHYUL explained, noting Jay Park coined “LNGSHOT” to signal the group’s go-for-broke style. WOOJIN admitted the English phrase felt unfamiliar at first in Korea, “but after promoting with it, nothing else fits us. We’ve really grown to love it.”
“Moonwalkin” dates back to their trainee evaluations and was quickly locked as the title track. The music video stitches together each member’s nightmares. “There’s a scene where LOUIS dances on a towering structure―that came straight from those dream themes,” OHYUL said.
Asked if they’ve watched footage from Park’s idol days, WOOJIN cracked, “I was born in 2008―I was basically just arriving on Earth,” adding that to them, Park registers more as a hip-hop figure than an idol icon.
WOOJIN also shared Park’s core mantra. “He always talks about authenticity. We once asked what that really means, and he said: even if people doubt you, as long as you’re not hurting anyone, keep doing what you want―push through, keep trying, and convince them. That process can be hard, but if we keep pressing, we’ll score like a long shot. That’s the goal.”
Park, for his part, drew a line between his past and present. “I was an idol 20 years ago, and I’ve been far from the idol lane since,” he said. “What we did back then worked, but you can’t just replicate it―it’s risky as a business model. So we decided to build a group we genuinely love. That said, I don’t want to flop. It’s about finding the right balance.”
LNGSHOT’s debut EP includes five tracks: the title “Moonwalkin,” pre-release “Saucin,” plus “Backseat,” “FaceTime,” and “Never Let Go.” Rooted in hip-hop and R&B, the project mirrors Park’s taste and instincts as a producer. The EP drops Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. KST.
Photo: More Vision
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)