AA's Aoora discusses dropping out of school + his dramatic physical transformation

AA's Aoora is a multi-talented rookie who's already received high praise from respected figures in the music industry, such asfamous Japanese composer and DJ, Daishi Dance. In addition to his great vocals and rapping, he also possesses the ability to write, compose, and produce his own songs. AA's debut title track, "Because I'm Crazy", is Aoora's own work. Aoora sat down with Newsen to discuss his past and the road he's taken to follow his dream."In high school, I was a model student and the president of my class. We weren't well off so I studied even harder for my parents. However, I really wanted to do music," he said. He continued, "The school I went to had a system where if you don't attend for 3 days in a row, you are automatically unenrolled from the school. I thought to myself that I have to take the road I want, and ripped up my school uniforms and stopped attending school. My teacher tried to persuade me and gave me 2 months to make my decision. However, in the end, I was unenrolled. I wanted to focus on my musical studies." Aoora's affection for his parents were revealed when he stated, "It was then that I wanted to start helping out our household financially. I wanted to become a [music] producer in the future, so I started taking up part time jobs in the field of video-editing or music. My family is very supportive of me now. My mother was still upset about me dropping out of high school, so I took the GED and got into college." In 2009, Aoora had the chance to record a duet with KARA's former member, Kim Sung Hee, with the song he produced himself. He stated, "I was proud of my achievement, but others thought it was funny. But that was when I started gaining fans who told me they would wait for me, which I was amazed and touched by." He also discussed his dramatic physical transformation between his past and now. He revealed that he was once 120 kg (267 lbs), but went through a shocking and almost unbelievable weight loss. "It was during the time when I was burning my school uniforms that I lost weight out of spite. I think I was possessed by something because I lost 51kg (112 lbs) in one and half months. After I tore up my uniform, I started feeling a sense of responsibility as I thought about making money. My mother is ill, so I felt that I needed to take care of her." After this serious confession, he lightened up the mood when he stated with a laugh, "I'm a little worried about my pictures from back then." Source + Photos: Newsen Tip: Timo