NCT’s JAEHYUN Discusses Coming Into His Own As A Solo Act

Being part of a 25-member group has got to be tough when it comes to showcasing your individuality and what you can offer to fans as a solo act or even as part of a group.

But JAEHYUN is determined to pave his own way in the burgeoning K-pop industry, and his debut album ‘J’ is only the beginning of the process.

JAEHYUN Opens Up About His Songwriting Process: “I Like Making Music From Nothing”

Not many creatives would openly say that they prefer working on a song from scratch, but for K-pop idol Jeong Jaehyun, who is known mononymously by fans as JAEHYUN, it’s his favorite way of writing a song.

According to him, there’s something that’s exhilarating about working on something from the ground up, figuring out the emotional layers of each lyric, as well as getting to decide the overall message you want the song to have.“That’s why I like participating, I enjoy making music from nothing,” JAEHYUN told Dazed Magazine.

Sometimes, he turns to images to help him hold on to a feeling. For example, his happy cheery song ‘Dandelions’ actually sprung from the images of the flower on his phone, as he reveals, “photos in my phone of dandelions where they’re growing between cement in a random place. I looked to those [often].”

‘Dandelions’ was dropped as a pre-release track at the time, alongside the more moodier ‘Roses.’

“After I finished the album I was like, ‘Am I that into flowers?’” he jokes. “But that was the start. ‘Dandelion’ could be the moment where you’re really pure in soul, that happy vibe when you’re young, and ‘Roses’ is the moment where you miss something so hard.

It’s interesting that both songs have such a different story but the feeling where they could be related.”

JAEHYUN On How Fans Perceive His Switching Personality

JAEHYUN is not your average idol; he’s neither cool and collected, nor fun snd fierce. He could be one, the other, or even both at any one time, and that’s something that fans have noticed.

It also means that his songwriting has a level of pliability that allows him to capture a range of emotions. “I don’t think it really matters what feeling it is in that moment, I listen to the beat and I go into the vibe, whether it’s bright or dark,” he said.

As for fan perception of his character, he adds, “I really love how the fans make those memes, I really enjoy watching them. I don’t try to be calm or try to fool around. I guess I just have those two people inside me where they’re always messing about.”

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