[Hanteo News = Reporter KANG SUYOUNG] MONSTA X KIHYUN revealed the way he creates albums based on a clear and objective understanding of himself.

 

KIHYUN met with Hanteo News at STARSHIP ENTERTAINMENT’s headquarters in Seoul on the 1st and talked about his 2nd mini album 'BORDERLINE.' On this day, KIHYUN said, “This is an album I made with the mindset that this is the time I have to show something.”

 

As it is his solo comeback after a long time, his mindset was also different. KIHYUN said, “This album felt a bit like homework to me,” adding, “Since it is my third solo album, I thought there could be some fatigue if I came back with the same thing, so I thought a lot about what I should fill that sense of anticipation with.” He continued, “‘So Good’ is a song that is delicate, requires a lot of care, is high, really difficult, and cannot be sung however I want, but I deliberately chose it,” adding, “I also included a lot of things like R&B, which I am not very good at, and made the album with the mindset that now is the time to show something.”

 

At first, there were worries, but after completing the album, he felt highly satisfied. KIHYUN said, “I gathered the demos for the album in one folder and looked through them, wondering whether I would be able to pull off these songs well,” adding, “But once the album was completed, although there may be likes and dislikes, it became an album that I personally really love.” He added, “It feels like I absorbed something difficult and something that did not suit me into my own thing, like I got over one hurdle.”

 

The album title 'BORDERLINE' carries a clear meaning. KIHYUN explained, “When you cross a borderline, you are on the other side,” adding, “I named it 'BORDERLINE' to express myself crossing the line and moving forward while trusting my own choice.”

 

He also introduced the lyrics of the title track that run through the entire album. KIHYUN said, “At the start of the second verse, there is a lyric that says, ‘Trust the map that is me,’ and that is the lyric that runs through the message of this song,” adding, “It is a song about trusting yourself and just moving forward in an environment where people around you give and force too many answers.” He continued, “If my first solo album 'VOYAGER' was an album about setting off on a journey, and my second album 'YOUTH' was an album that gathered youth and pure emotions, then this 'BORDERLINE' and the title track 'So Good' contain the feeling of me right now, the me in my 30s, within that journey.”

 

Choosing the title track was ultimately also a decision to trust himself. KIHYUN said, “It was really difficult to decide on 'So Good' as the title track,” adding, “I thought about it while taking walks and kept thinking about it during schedules, and because I ended up thinking about it too much, I reached a point where I could not choose.” In the end, pressure from the company’s deadline led him to make the decision. KIHYUN said, “Only after I received a message saying there was one day left until the deadline did I think, ‘Okay, let’s really trust my choice,’ and decide on 'So Good,'” adding, “Looking back now, I think it was a really good choice.”

 

He also expressed a clear belief regarding the fact that his name is not listed in the production credits. KIHYUN said, “I know myself very well,” adding, “I do not think I have a good aesthetic sense, and I do not think my lyric-writing or composing abilities are better than those who have professional expertise.” He continued, “If putting my ability into this album would instead become a negative, then of course I have no intention of putting it in,” adding, “Instead, I am the type to always suggest the overall direction first.” Specifically, he explained, “I only give opinions to the extent of emphasizing that I hope the album becomes like this and that I hope it is filled with songs like these,” adding, “I thoroughly avoid directly participating in things like the cover art direction or lyric writing and composing.” He continued, “That is because I know my own abilities, which I have objectively assessed well.”

 

The decision not to include any featuring artists was also a choice based on his own conviction. KIHYUN said, “When I have to perform live, I still feel more comfortable delivering an entire song and conveying what that song intends by myself,” adding, “This time, I thought I definitely had to make an album filled entirely with myself, and I also thought a lot that MONBEBE, the fandom name, would want that more.” However, regarding future plans, he said, “At least once, I want to make an album with a truly luxurious featuring lineup, bringing in people who sing really well and people who make you go, ‘Wow, that person?’”

 

KIHYUN’s 2nd mini album 'BORDERLINE' will be released through various music sites today at 6 PM.

 

 

grace@hanteo.com