Interview Corner: Meeghan Henry of Girl Radical

Interview Corner returns with Indonesian American guest Meeghan Henry of Girl Radical, the newly-formed AKB48-inspired girl group based in the United States. At the age of 18, Meeghan could have been a member of JKT48 had she not moved the States.

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Thanks for agreeing to an interview! It’s always great to hear about the achievements of Indonesians in the US.
Hi! Thanks for contacting me. So excited to do this interview.

What is Girl Radical, and how did you come to join the group?
Girl Radical is a super girl group! But I guess it’s not that super compared to the Asian groups with 48 people. Haha. I auditioned in March of 2012, I believe, and that’s when I first met JC [Chasez] and Jimmy [Harry]. It was a while before I heard back from them since I know that they were searching for girls in a wide area, but when I did, I was so excited. Of course, there were plenty of meetings before it was made final, but I signed the contract around October and I was officially part of Girl Radical.

What are the other members of Girl Radical like?
Every girl in the group is different, which is what makes the group so awesome. Everyone is an individual in their own way and everyone has their own style, but somehow we all still fit as a group. We mesh and we…we’re just Girl Radical. Haha. I think you can see every girl’s different personality in our first video, which is a cover video of No Doubt’s “Just A Girl”.

You mentioned individuality among members. How would you describe your own personality?
People already refer to me as the Asian radical, as I am the only full Asian in the group, as well as the baby radical because I’m the youngest. The fans give me nicknames left and right, but my personality is probably just bubbly and upbeat and young. Oh, and “boy-crazy”. Haha. I guess I just really like to have fun and always want to have a smile on my face and share that with others.

What is it like to be an Asian American in the entertainment industry?
You don’t see many Asian Americans in the entertainment industry, but when you do, it’s so empowering for me, and I just wanna be one of those people. I want to be in the business representing Indonesians and Asians everywhere. It’s just saying that if I can do it, so can you. It’s pretty humbling to be where I am today, and I wouldn’t be here without the support of my fellow Indonesians, so my work is as much for them as it is for me.

You moved to the US at a very young age. How closely do you relate to Indonesian culture?
I moved to the States when I was four, but I still go back to Indonesia every other year, if not every year. My little sister, Veeghan, and my dad live in Jakarta, and I know my aunt and uncle in Palembang, and my grandpa lives in Surabaya. I go to visit my family and to some old friends, but even when I’m in America, I’m very involved in the Indonesian community here, which is very big. I’ve made a lot of Indonesian American friends and I’ve definitely stayed in touch with the culture through Indonesian events and things like that. And definitely still stay in touch with Indonesian food. Haha. Can’t live without it.

Have you played any traditional musical instruments?
I have an angklung! Haha. Don’t know if it’s a very good one, but I bought it while I was in Jakarta (I think), and I’ve tried playing it, but it’s quite confusing. But it’s still sitting right here next to me.

JC Chasez said that Girl Radical is inspired by Japan’s AKB48. Are you familiar with them or the Indonesian counterpart JKT48?
JC told everyone about AKB48, but I had never heard of the group nor its Indonesian counterpart before then. I only knew of Girls’ Generation, and I thought nine girls was a lot, but wow! 48 is crazy big! Haha. It’s pretty cool, and I’m sure it puts on a great show for everyone.

Has anything in your career changed after joining Girl Radical?
I was a solo artist before Girl Radical, but nothing has really changed since I joined. I mean, besides the fact that I get 10 new sisters and I get to work with JC Chasez from NSync! Haha. It’s pretty cool getting to work with so many amazing artists, and to have so much talent in one room just working hard to make something happen is fantastic. It’s an energy you can’t find anywhere else, so, in that sense, it’s very different from being a solo artist.

I listened to some of your songs on iTunes and noticed “Jatuh Cinta“. Is there a reason why that particular song was chosen to be translated from English to Indonesian?
“Fallin’ For You” is one of my favorite songs. I wrote it while I was with my family in Surabaya and I think it’s just a song close to me, and I wanted to share it with as many people as possible so I chose this song to translate so that Indonesians could understand the song and message in it.

Who has been your biggest inspiration in becoming an artist?
Artist wise, I look up to a lot of people. Obviously JC is a huge inspiration not only because he’s my mentor in the group, but also because I grew up listening to him in NSync and dancing to his music in the car. But I think my number one idol would be Britney Spears. When I was younger, she was all I could listen to and I wanted to be just like her, dancing and performing all over the world.

What can you tell us about the projects JC and Jimmy have in store for Girl Radical? I hear you are filming a reality TV show and have recorded an original single.
We aren’t going down the route of the reality TV show anymore, however we do have a couple songs already recorded and we’re planning to release our first single very soon.

Out of curiosity, since I’m a fan of Indonesian American actress Tania Gunadi, have you met her by any chance?
Me and Tania are good friends. We always run into each other at Indonesian events and we hang out a lot. She’s pretty awesome.

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Banner courtesy of LoveMeeghan.com.