KYUNGMIN says he has faith in the time and effort he’s put in. It’s the kind of unshakeable belief that only someone who always gives their best can hold.
You’re wearing your school uniform. Did you have a good day at school?
KYUNGMIN: Yes, I just got back. (laughs)
On a recent Weverse LIVE, you were asked whether it’s lonely going to school now that JIHOON graduated, but you said it’s still fun because you have other friends there.
KYUNGMIN: Right. I even filmed the “plot twist” dance challenge with my friends there. It should be uploaded soon. [Note: This interview took place on March 20.] You keep moving up with the same classmates every year when you’re in school for music, so our class never changes, and because of that, I naturally end up talking to my classmates a lot. They usually start conversations with me first.
Your goal for this year was to make two new friends at school. How’s that going?
KYUNGMIN: Oh, I already … (laughs) And not just two. I’ve become really close with around … 20 people or so? My friends said they want to do another challenge video with me when our new album drops.
It sounds like you’re really making the most of school life. (laughs) And that’s despite all the year-end performances and your comeback. There was the “Last Festival” promotion at the end of the year, and you also did the opening dance break solo for “MBC Music Festival.”
KYUNGMIN: I was so happy I got to do the dance break for the last big performance of the year on December 31. Two years ago on New Year’s Eve, I was watching “MBC Music Festival” with DOHOON at his place, and then suddenly he’s the host, and I’m doing the dance break. Things really came full circle. (laughs) I stayed behind with my dance instructor and practiced so much for that dance break. I still think there’s a lot I can improve on, but I feel like I would’ve regretted it if I didn’t put in all that effort.
Was it because you really wanted to nail it?
KYUNGMIN: I mean, it was my first solo dance break. I still ran through it in my head one more time right before getting onstage, and told myself, “Alright, let’s go.” Then I gave it my all onstage. Since it was going to exist forever on video, I just wanted to do my very best in the moment.
You really plan quite meticulously for your performances. Everyone was talking about how politely you called out to the crowd at the KBS Entertainment Awards: “Make some noise … please!” Was that scripted? (laughs)
KYUNGMIN: Oh, so you saw that? (laughs) It was planned, actually. I absolutely screamed it, but the mic didn’t really pick it up, which is why it sounded like that. The other members and I talked beforehand about how we should probably say something in the middle of the performance. Originally, it was just going to be, “Make some noise!” But saying that to the audience without the “please” didn’t feel quite right to me, so we changed it to, “Make some noise, please!” Then before we went out there, they said, “KYUNGMIN, you should make it funny and say, ‘Make some noise, please!’—like you’re tripping over your words.” And they weren’t even the ones doing it! They make me do things like that. (laughs)
And you always do. (laughs)
KYUNGMIN: That’s true. They like it when I do it. (laughs)
You’ve said before that you had just two dreams growing up: to debut, and to debut as the youngest member of a group. How does it feel now that you’ve made both dreams come true?
KYUNGMIN: I’m a huge fan of Jung Kook from BTS, and as you know, he’s the youngest in his group, too. That’s what made me want to be the youngest member too. And since I don’t have an older brother, I always really liked hanging out with the older guys during my trainee days. And I really wanted to debut alongside those amazing guys. I feel like there’s so much I can do as the youngest. It makes it a little easier for me to share my thoughts with the group, and I can be a source of energy for the other members, too.
It seems like the others know you give them energy and also take extra special care of you.
KYUNGMIN: They really try and look out for me. Whenever I’m having a hard time, they always notice right away and reach out to help. I’m incredibly grateful for that. But at the same time, I don’t want to take it for granted since I won’t always be able to rely on them when things get tough. These days, I try to face my problems head-on and figure out solutions by myself. As a result, I’ve been spending a lot of time talking with myself lately.
Having those conversations with yourself sounds like a really healthy way to work things out.
KYUNGMIN: I want to get to know myself better and discover more of what I’m good at and enjoy doing. And grow a backbone! (laughs) I think I have to so that once I’m onstage I can give people what I want with confidence.
How do those thoughts manifest in your latest lead single, “Countdown!”?
KYUNGMIN: The choreo has so many fun highlights. There’s moves where we point here and there and parts where we high-five each other. I especially love the ending “la la las” where JIHOON and I high-five. I think it’s important to make it look natural and show we’re really having fun. It also looks really cool when we all move forward together going “boom, boom, boom” during the “can’t explain these changes” part. I’m in the center for that part, so I’ve been practicing hard to really bring it to life.
The lead single is playful like that, but “Lucky to be loved” brings out more tender emotions.
KYUNGMIN: Exactly. I’ve been thinking about how to give it the right vibe without overdoing it—something that feels authentic for my age. I’d love to be able to capture that dreamy, wistful emotion in “Lucky to be loved.” Ever since I heard the demo version, I was so eager to sing the “feels like I’m up on the moon” part, and being able to sing it twice now is great. I switch between falsetto and back for that part, so I tried to focus on letting my bright vocals shine during the recording.
It sounds like you even thought carefully about the vocal techniques to match the mood of the song. Why was that so important to you?
KYUNGMIN: I’ve been reflecting on my vocal technique a lot lately. I keep wondering, “Does it sound unique? Does it come across as captivating?” For the opening line, “Somehow it doesn’t scare me,” I even tried lowering my voice on purpose to give my vocals more weight. I feel like experimenting like this will help me discover my strengths and make me better at tackling other songs down the line.
You had your first-ever fan meeting event in February, and you performed “Make A Wish (Birthday Song),” which you revealed you had covered as a trainee. Could you feel you’d developed some while you were practicing it again this time?
KYUNGMIN: I think I’ve developed a lot. I used to find the bridge difficult, but it felt a little easier to sing this time. Even choreo-wise, my dance instructor said, “KYUNGMIN, there’s no comparison between then and now.” Hearing that really made my day. When I first did that song, 42 loved it so much that it motivated me to practice even harder for the second and third days.
That performance was particularly special because it showcased a fresh side of the Maknaez.
KYUNGMIN: JIHOON, HANJIN, and I kept brainstorming how we could put on a great show for 42. We really wanted it to look cool. And since the older members were doing a “CBZ (Prime time)” cover, we decided it’d be fun to switch the mood up a bit with “Make A Wish.”
Do you also pay close attention to things like the angle of your face when performing onstage? Judging by the “Make A Wish” bridge, it seems like you’re a oen-eol-sa [“left face defender”].
KYUNGMIN: Totally. These days, I think a lot about angles, too. And fans talk about how I’m a oen-eol-sa all the time. (laughs) To be honest, the most important thing is to find an attractive angle, so I favor the left side of my face. Luckily, a lot of my choreo involves showing my left side. For example, in “plot twist,” there’s a part where I sing, “Look at my expression in the mirror,” and that starts with my left side. But that’s not always the case, so I’m working on using my right side more. (laughs)
You really seem to put a lot of thought and effort into putting on the best performances possible.
KYUNGMIN: I seriously prepare so much. I spend a lot of time rehearsing in my mind. I listen to the music when I’m alone and keep imagining how I’ll perform it, constantly working on my hand movements and facial expressions in my head.
That amount of preparation can’t be easy, though.
KYUNGMIN: I actually need to put in even more effort. And putting the effort in is never easy. No matter how much effort you put in, sometimes it feels like it just isn’t paying off. I didn’t even see it as effort back in the day. I danced out of passion and ambition, so effort was something that just came naturally. I consider myself lucky for that. But lately, I’ve felt like there’s something of a perfectionist in me. It’s like, once I come up with an idea, I have to make it happen. That’s a kind of stressful mindset you just can’t get rid of. So instead, I try to fully enjoy the sense of accomplishment and happiness that comes when I achieve something. If you don’t put in the effort, you’re no better than someone who didn’t do it at all, but as long as you give it your best shot, you’ll be able to push your way through the next big thing that comes your way. I’m trying to think positive like that.
In a behind-the-scenes video for your interview with “Arena Homme+,” the other members chose you as “a sparkling child born for the stage who makes up his mind to do it and achieves it with effort.”
KYUNGMIN: It means a lot that they feel that way. They know because they’ve seen my efforts up close from the very beginning. When I was rehearsing the “our first encounter, you and I” part in “plot twist,” I actually really struggled at first, but now I’m good at singing it, including with a mic in hand. I think they said that because they’ve seen how I’ve grown and the things I’ve accomplished.
What do you think’s more important: putting in the effort, or what you get out of it in the end?
KYUNGMIN: Probably … the end result? (laughs) Hmm … but I think I have faith in the process. Or I try to, at least. You only get to see what you get out of a performance once, and you never really know how it’ll turn out. But I trust that all the work I put in during rehearsals will translate onstage somehow—because I gave it my all when practicing. I try to have faith in the time and effort I’ve invested.
At the end of the fan meeting, you said you want to become “a singer who can have a good influence on lots of people by giving them an even cooler side of myself.” What are you looking to be when you say you want to be “cool”?
KYUNGMIN: When I’m having a hard time, I watch performances by artists I admire, and just seeing them give it their all lifts me up and gives me energy, so I try to give my all onstage, too. Thinking that my passion might comfort or energize 42 in some way always motivates me. “I want to be good. I want to be even better”—it’s really endless. I feel like it’s my responsibility to put on better and better performances and show people that I’m improving.
On Weverse, you once asked, “42, I’m really curious—do you like seeing me grow, or do you want me to stay the way I am?”
KYUNGMIN: I asked that out of genuine curiosity. (laughs) I can show them so many different sides of myself, but I want to show what 42 loves the most, so I just asked. I mean, I think it’s up to me whether I keep being cute or whether I suddenly show off a more grown-up version of me. But some people said they liked seeing me grow, others me not growing, and others both … so honestly, I’m not sure. (laughs)
After reading the comments, you said you were most touched by one that said, “You just existing is enough.”
KYUNGMIN: It’s my desire to show off a cool, more mature side to me, but the whole reason I like that is because of 42. I could see the whole audience during the fan meeting, and just the fact that it was 42 everywhere I looked was enough to double my happiness. And I was really moved by the way they were looking at me. It was something I’d only imagined before, and seeing it come true felt unreal. Holding a fan meeting has always been a dream of mine. A year ago, I was practicing a lot for some future fan meeting. 42 shows me so much love, and that makes me want to give back by putting on worthy performances and motivates me to keep improving. When I’m onstage, I want to be able to give people good energy.
I’m sure TWS’s performances will always be there to uplift someone down the road, even years from now.
KYUNGMIN: They really will. For someone, somewhere.