There's no denying that there's been a flood of idol groups over the past few years. With groups debuting left, right, and center, it's taking more and more to impress the public and earn a place in the sun.

EXID (pronounced "ee-ex-ID"), a rookie girl group formed by producer Shinsadong Tiger, is one of the new idol groups who are well aware of the situation. The members stated, "Thanks to Shinsadong Tiger oppa, we have been one of the top-searched groups online, and we received a lot of attention. It seems that they're giving us attention before our debut because of our association with such a famous composer. Although it's a little uncomfortable being in the spotlight before our debut, we are really thankful."

The girls also addressed the hate comments that they've come across. "We looked for articles on ourselves and read the comments; we also saw that there were a lot of negative replies. Since there are so many rookies coming out, there were a lot of comments that went along the lines of, 'Another rookie?' or 'Probably another auto-tuned group'."

However, EXID isn't discouraged -- rather, they feel excited and thankful for the attention. They stated, "When we see negative comments like that, we get excited. The excitement rise from the thought of being able to show them our performances and changing their minds. None of the members have been hurt by the negative comments."

"Truthfully, there are more hateful comments about Tiger oppa than there are about us. He was pained by them," they added with laughter.

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Despite the public's negative view, the members seem confident that they could become a group that will stand out from the rest. They asserted, "We think that we have our own distinguishing factor."

The members point out that one factor that could distinguish them from most idol groups came from Shinsadong Tiger and his willingness to give the girls freedom in the way they practice; he also gives them creative liberties in their music and choreography.

EXID stated, "Tiger oppa has a loose training policy, so he gives us freedom in the way we practice. There is no 'Do this, do that, there's a lesson at this time'. On the contrary, it's us who asks him to find us instructors. He lets us practice in the way we want."

They continued, "As a result, we bonded together to practice, and write up our opinions on hair and costumes to submit to him. He helps us find a color of our own. We have also participated in our album, and even wrote our own songs."

"It's an atmosphere in which we can put in our own ideas. Rather than just assigning us a concept or choreography, he helps us come up with our own, and thus, we end up trying harder due to a sense of responsibility. Couldn't this be something that distinguishes us?"

Source + Photo: Newsen