Sweet as a snack, meet PRETZELLE
In our interview, the Thai pop girl group sharesmore about their music and their dream collaborations
Inc, Ice, Aumaim, and Grace. Aka, Pretzelle. The Thai pop group formed under 54 Entertainment debuted in 2020 with their single album, Pretzelle Day. If their name reminds you of a pretzel, you are on the right path. The group name comes indeed from the snack, as revealed before by the group members. Why a pretzel, though? «Because of its gracious shape that looks a lot like the infinity symbol», they revealed.
The girls’ last release, “U R MINE”, is a T-pop song written by the members themselves and mixed by Shin Bongwon, the Korean recording engineer that worked on NewJean's “Ditto” and with BamBam from GOT7 and Mew Suppasit, to name a few.
“U R MINE” is a song about the sweetest side of love. While evoking R&B vibes, the pop melody itself and the lyrics tell a story about being truly madly deeply in love with someone to the point of being able to shut down the outside world only to focus on this fairytale-like relationship.
We had the chance to sit with the girls to know them better.
Nice to meet you, girls. Can you please introduce yourselves to our readers?
Grace: Hi, we're Pretzelle, a girl group from Thailand. I'm Grace, the lead rapper and the youngest.
Inc: Hi, I'm Inc, and I'm the main vocal in Pretzelle.
Aum: Hi, I'm Aum, and I'm the lead vocal and main dancer in Pretzelle.
Ice: Hi, I'm Ice, the main rapper and sub-vocal.
If you had to describe your Thai pop music with one word, what would it be?
Inc: Unique
Grace: Cheerful
Aum: Bright
Ice: Enjoy
Can we talk about your single U R MINE? What kind of song is it for you?
Aum: It's a love song about someone who is charming and adored by many. We want him to be our boyfriend, but it's difficult, so we call them our lovers without caring about others' opinions.
Ice: It's a cute and captivating song that encourages confidence in one's feelings.
The song showcases your signature charm. You completely composed the lyrics. What was the creative process behind it?
Aum: It started with the producer creating the melody, and then we brainstormed ideas about what would be suitable for the song. We came up with the concept of not caring about others' opinions, and that led to the lyrics. Ice and Grace then wrote the rap.
Ice: Once we got the lyrics from Aum, Grace and I came up with the idea that aligned with the song's direction and wrote the rap.
How does U R MINE differ from your four previous works, and what can we expect next from you?
Inc: The first difference is the look and content of the song, which is more playful.
Grace: This song has more of our personality, as we were involved in the creation process. It makes the content more modern and unique compared to our other songs. It also features different singing techniques and unique adlib.
With the popularity of K-pop and J-pop, do you think Thai-pop could be the next big revelation?
Inc: I believe T-pop will grow significantly in the future, as many Thai artists are very talented. I hope our T-pop will gain more recognition worldwide.
Ice: I agree with Inc because Thai artists are very talented. In the last two or three years, many new girl groups and boy bands have emerged after T-pop's popularity had waned (in the past decade). We should see more new music styles soon.
Do you have any role models in the Thai entertainment industry?
Inc: I would say Violette Wautier because I love her voice and her versatility. She can act, sing, and compose songs. I hope to achieve success like her someday.
Grace: I admire Poly Cat, a self-composing artist with a unique style that sets them apart from other groups. I had the chance to see them perform at a concert, and they were powerful. I want to perform and create music like them.
Aum: I look up to Earth Patravee because I love her singing style, and she's talented in various aspects of music, including playing instruments and songwriting. I want to be as skilled as her.
Ice: Jeff Satur is my role model. He's incredibly talented, has a distinctive voice, and can convey the emotions of a song very effectively. He's also able to express his personality through various music styles and concepts.
And in the K-pop one?
Inc: Honestly, I love so many K-pop artists, but if I had to choose right now, I'd say Stray Kids and The Boyz are my favorites.
Grace: I adore Blackpink! They are so charming and talented. I wish I could be as captivating and skillful as them.
Aum: I'm a fan of (G)I-dle because each member has a unique and distinctive voice. They have such strong and captivating female characters, and I love watching their performances. I also admire how Soyeon writes and produces her own music – she's incredibly talented.
Ice: As for girl groups, I really like Red Velvet because they have a diverse range of concepts in their music and music videos.
If you could choose a dream producer/lyricist for your next song to work with, who would it be and why?
Inc: I'd love to work with Teddy from YG Entertainment because he has produced so many songs for artists I adore. I think it would be amazing to collaborate with him.
Grace: I'd like to work with Gray. I love the genre of music he produces, and I think he's incredibly cool. I'm a fan of his songs and would be thrilled to collaborate.
Aum: I agree with Inc; Teddy would be my choice too. He's very talented, and I feel that a song with him would be refreshingly unique.
Who would you want to collaborate with?
Inc: Definitely Stray Kids!
Grace: Ariana Grande
Aum: Among Thai artists, I'd pick Milli.
Ice: Milli for me as well.