NCT's Doyoung (29) released a solo album ahead of his military service. He expressed his hope that the new album, while personal, would become like a diary that he could share with his precious people multiple times.
Doyoung's second solo album, 'Soar', released on the 9th, consists of a total of 10 tracks, including the title song 'Hello, Universe (Memory)'. It contains Doyoung's sincere wish to deliver a small but solid resonance and 'the power to dream' to those who dream of soaring from their respective places.
When asked about the reason for choosing 'dream' as the theme for this album, Doyoung said, "The theme of my first solo album was 'youth'. When you think of youth, you tend to think of a specific age group, but I wanted to include something that transcends that in my second album, and I thought that was a dream."
He continued, "For me, music is 'the power to dream'. Music that makes you stand up even when you're lying down, music that makes you want to challenge again when you want to give up, I tried to include those in this album. If you listen to all 10 tracks, at least one of them will give you the strength to start again."
When asked why music became 'the power to dream', Doyoung replied, "Since I was young, I vaguely thought, 'I will live by singing,' and that dream came true. Then I heard fans say, 'Your music saves someone.' Since doing music, which was a personal dream, can uplift someone, I thought, 'Supporting that dream could also become my dream,' and that's how I came to have that thought."
The title track 'Hello, Universe' is a rock genre song that expresses the hope that all the moments we shared together will remain as brilliant memories even as time passes. Doyoung's powerful vocals and refreshing guitar riffs combine to burst forth with overwhelming emotions.
"'Hello, Universe' becoming the title was fate for me. All the songs in this album felt like title tracks, so it took a long time to select one. As the album deadline approached, composer Seo Dong-hwan sent me a 30-second demo with just the melody, and it was so good. While talking with the composer, I quickly created the first verse, and after competing with other songs, it was decided as the title track. (laughs)"
'Hello, Universe' is a song about memories. Doyoung explained, "Not all memories become memories. Some memories fade away, while some impressive ones remain as memories. For me, the universe feels like a representative of memories. The word 'hello' contains a dual meaning of welcoming memories and letting go of memories."
Many representative rock musicians from the Korean music scene participated in this album. YB's Yoon Do-hyun wrote 'Calm', Kim Yoon-ah from Jaurim wrote 'Longing', and Kim Jong-wan from Nell contributed to the lyrics and composition of 'Sandbox'.
When asked to recommend one song that he wants everyone to listen to, Doyoung hesitated for a moment, saying, "All the songs are so good that it might depend on personal taste." He then added, "I think 'Sandbox' will also be well-received. I felt that the message contained in the lyrics was so good that it could define the overall color of the album."
NCT, to which Doyoung belongs, will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2026. However, born in 1996, Doyoung is expected to enlist in the military this year and will not be able to celebrate the 10th anniversary.
When asked if he feels disappointed, Doyoung said, "I actually don't have a big fear of the gap. Because while the timing of music releases is important, for someone, the timing of hearing that music for the first time is also important. So I think the music I create can fill my gap. When I return, I will be singing as if nothing happened, so I don't feel sad about the gap at all." He said firmly.
The album 'Soar' will be the last before his military service. When asked about his goals for this album, Doyoung replied, "I want to enjoy it without pressure." He added, "When the time comes for me to be away for a while, I hope this album becomes like a diary that I can show to my most precious people," smiling brightly.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
