Girl group Blingone’s latest single is a testament to K-pop’s increasingly blurred boundaries, as it is a remake of girl group KARA’s 2012 hit “Mister” blended with British garage rock flair performed by five Chinese members.

It was a bit intimidating to take on a song as iconic as “Mister,” member Cassie admitted, but there was an equal amount of excitement as well.


“It’s a familiar song, but we also wanted to add something new to it,” she said, during a press showcase held at the World K-pop Center in central Seoul on Wednesday.

“It’s such an honor to do a remake,” Cassie added, “And I’m really excited to perform the song on stage.”

The digital single is Blingone’s third release under the group’s name, and the second by its Chinese unit, consisting of Cassie, Katrina, Ranee, Chloe and Allie, following “BubbleGum,” which dropped in February.

Blingone’s first single, “Kiss & Call,” was released in June last year by its three Peruvian members.

The five members of the Blingone subunit were selected through the Chinese edition of the “Click the Star” audition program last year, which drew some 26,000 applicants. Hosted by the World K-pop Center, the audition project aims to open doors for those from regions with limited access to K-pop who dream of being an idol.

The World K-pop Center, a K-pop education institute, has been acting as the agency for the Blingone groups so far, and plans to host “Click the Star” across 32 countries, which means that there will be 30 more “Blingones” to come.

“K-pop has been increasingly embracing many acts from all around the world, promoting diversity,” said member Chloe.

“I want to learn more about different cultures from other teams and be able to deliver better performance [through such experience],” she added.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]