Going solo! The picture of Kim Sunggyu’s first solo album jacket, another charm
Infinite who caught the attention of the public with a perfectly synchronized choreography. Leader Sunggyu led the team to be ‘Trend-dols’ and is in harmony with the 6 members. He wrapped up the preparations to come on stage not as Infinite, but alone, as ‘Solo singer Kim Sunggyu’. 60 seconds before Sunggyu’s entry, not as an idol but, challenging as an artist. Look forward to it, coming soon! //Main editor
◆ ‘To catch your heart’..60 seconds are enough
Truthfully, I still can’t realize it well. The first solo album of my life, my debut, not as Infinite but as Kim Sunggyu, is approaching.
This album’s preparation period started a while ago.
There weren’t definite schedules nor plans, before promoting ‘The Chaser’ with Infinite, I met ‘60 Seconds’ which became the present solo album’s title song. I started recording the guide following what the producer said, thinking ‘Should we try making a solo song?’.
In the past, CEO told me sometimes ‘Prepare a solo album’. Even if we didn’t set anything, I think I was always getting ready little by little in a corner of my heart.
Sunggyu who shines even more handsomely in front of a piano
Even when I sang by myself ‘Only Tears’ at the concert, I was totally pressured. The members cheered me up saying “I think it fits Sunggyu hyung well” so thanks to that I was able to end it successfully but, I was really shaking a lot and the pressure and my nervosity were at their peaks. I think it was even more like that because I was singing while playing the piano.
I felt again then that going up on stage by yourself was really different. I was always with the members, even during ‘Immortal Song’, singing by myself on stage is always a new challenge to me, even during our concerts. It must be because I got used to be with the members but I thought ‘Woohyunnie’s voice should come out right about now though..’. Haha.
I spent really busy days while recording my solo album. Not only me, it must’ve been the same for the other members but, I took time out to work on it. I made the title song ‘60 Seconds’ with the producer (Han) Jaeho hyung whom I’ve known for a long time. With the songs the producing team, Sweetune, made, ‘Be Mine’ and ‘The Chaser’, we got to work in harmony before so thanks to that I was able to do it comfortably.
Should we say that it has a totally different feeling from the songs Jaeho hyung made until now? Hyung said as well ‘This time I made it with a different mood’, that’s what I thought too. It has a modern rock style but it’s really original. I thought about Jaeho hyung ‘He’s an amazing person’ for this new work, and I was thankful to be able to sing it.
During the music video’s filming! Because of the cold weather, handwarmers are a must!
I worked on ‘60 Seconds’ at the same time as Infinite’s ‘The Chaser’. Because it could’ve been in Infinite’s CD as well… In the end, it became my solo album’s title song but there is an ‘Infinite version’ of it with all the members singing it as well. If we release that version later on, I think the fans will like it ^^
After that, while promoting with ‘The Chaser’, I recorded ‘60 Seconds’ again, by myself. Even until then, the fact that it would become my song…
You’re asking when I got to know it?
It was the day were the members and the company’s staff were eating out all together. There was the CEO of course, the manager hyungs were here as well, we were spending a nice time while eating tasty food. When we were about to go home, CEO told me ‘Let’s go together!’.
In the inside, I was thinking ‘We’re going in different directions though…’ but I got in the car. The words CEO said as he was quietly turning on the music.
‘Let’s release an album!’
Ah.. So now I’m really releasing a solo album.. I was excited and overwhelmed. It was the start of another Sunggyu.
◆ ‘Another me’..It made me thrilled
Right after that, we arranged ‘60 Seconds’, we recreated it perfectly as ‘my song’.
We got into the album’s real production! We also finished the recording of the two songs ‘I need you’ and ‘41 days’.
I worked once again with (Lee)Junghunnie hyung for ‘41 days’ who is Nell’s bassist and with whom I already worked with for my first solo song as an Infinite member ‘Because’. Hyung told me to write 2 verses of the lyrics and starting from then the storm of worries started.
Hello! I’m solo singer Kim Sunggyu
This was the subject. A man meets some woman, they spend their time happily and he felt like giving her everything but in the end he tells that woman. ‘I never loved you’. It’s about the 41-days romance of two people.
It was a really difficult subject for me. I worried about it for a while, and ‘41 days”s 2 verses were born after a conversation with Junghun hyung. Imagining and thinking by myself of something I didn’t experience before was something new and enjoyable. Even during the recording, it might be because it was the lyrics I wrote but I sang these 2 verses even more carefully^^
Sunggyu working on a song with Nell’s Kim Jongwan
I recorded the new album while going back and forth between Japan and Korea. Because our Arena tour started in Japan, it was unavoidable that I had to control schedules. The song of (Kim) Jongwannie hyung, who is Nell’s vocal, was completed during a Japanese concert, so I could only come back to Korea in the middle of the tour to work on it.
My schedule was ending the concert on Sunday, going to Korea on Monday and coming back to Japan after recording. That’s when I made the song ‘Shine’. It was a bit tiring physically but since I thought about it being the process to complete my album, I was very proud.
As for the hidden track, I absolutely had no time to go back to Korea so I recorded it in Japan. The hidden track is the result of my opinion. While I was talking with the CEO, I thought ‘Wouldn’t an acoustic instrumental be nice?’ if I was going to make a totally different version, and in the end we decided to do it like this.
That’s how the acoustic version of ‘Only Tears’ is born!
While the album’s recording was slowly coming to completion, I also had meetings about the hair and outfit concept. Actually, the staff worried a lot and had a very rough time back then.
Sunggyu during the music video’s filming. ‘Do I come out well?’
No matter what the other members do it’s going to fit them well but.. I kept on going through hardships starting from my hair color^^ Purple, brown, red, we compared in total three hair colors. We also took the jacket picture in 3 versions. The final image was decided to be ‘red’ that could be transformed. When I saw the staff discussing without me, I had an odd feeling^^
For the outfits’ fitting, I was accompanied by the CEO and the head of the stylists. For the outfits, just like the hair, we wanted to focus on showing different and various images. Wearing a suit with a leather jacket is the most various!!
I neatly got ready, and after some time, finally the first teaser video was released!
Truthfully, even before that I was busy but I couldn’t really realize it. On the day where the music video’s teaser was showed to the public, I thought ‘So now is the start’. I watched the video with rising expectations but, eh?
On the music video’s filming site. Absorbed in his conversation with L ‘peaceful’
I wasn’t appearing in the first teaser. I was really lookin forward to it, I even told my family ‘It’s going to be released’. Didn’t we see only the member L in it! Haha. Of course, after some time, when the second video teaser was released, I was included in it^^
The preparations of Infinite’s leader Sunggyu who became solo singer Kim Sunggyu all ended. Now it’s tim to jump!
Sunggyu singing passionately as solo singer Sunggyu. So cool!
◆ ‘Infinite’..A story that is enough
2012 is a special year to Infinite. It’s because all of the members have ‘new challenges’. Just like me who released a solo album, Dongwoo and Hoya are working as Infinite H. Hoya had his first acting challenge and Woohyun and L greeted you in dramas, as expected.
As much as we were all busy with our activities, the discussions between the members in the dorm got deeper. When we would all come home, we all gathered together, sit down and get busy telling what we did all day.
Not so long ago, I was scared about doing something by myself, but I got strength thanks to the members. Even though I’m the hyung, I’m depending a lot on the dongsaengs. I’m proud and satisfied because they’re dongsaengs with really a lot of good traits to take on.
Before transforming into red Sunggyu. What do you think about it?
I’m not the type to express myself well but sometimes I have ‘storms of expressions’^^ When I’m choked up with emotions, I tell my feelings truthfully and also lean on you. Kids, I’m always thankful and I love you!!!
It might be because Dongwoo is the second but I think I depend on him the most. And more than anything, Dongwoo’s reactions are the best. Haha. It’s nice to say it!
One of the reasons why I couldn’t realize it totally while preparing the solo album is that I was always with the members. Even when filming the music video, all the members came to support me, even if they were tired because of their individual schedules, they stayed with me until we wrapped it up.
Sunggyu’s shy heart. ‘Infinite I love you!
As expected I only have Infinite members.
I have responsibilities as a hyung but there are more situations where I get strength from the members instead. I hope I have this kind of role to the members too. The dongsaengs aren’t the type to express themselves well either but one day, out of the blue, Dongwoo thanked me once, using the most honorific title ‘Hyungnim!’. I was totally surprised but I was also touched.
Dongwoo-ya, I’m really thankful to you too^^
To me, Infinite are my family, they’re the shiniest moment of my life. For this Arena tour, we stood on stage a lot and I felt that the dongsaengs grew. There were days where I wasn’t in good conditions during the tour, but the moment I got up saying I had to get strength back and go on stage, the CEO told me “You have your dongsaengs so don’t pressure yourself too much’. That’s when I relied on the dongsaengs a lot.
Actually, when we debuted I was a lot more anxious. Rather than relying on the members, I had this pressure ‘I have to do better’.. It was because I felt that I had to back up well the dongsaengs. But now, even if it’s not like that anymore, the members are all treating me well so I’m much more comfortable. That day I discovered a lot.
People might think ‘It’s arrogant’ but my goal as Infinite is to become a group that remains as a legend in the future. I felt it even when watching Hoya appear in ‘Reply 1997’ but there are songs reflecting that era. So if when people thought about this time, they think back about Infinite’s music, I think I’d be really happy if we became this kind of group.
Sunggyu in harmony with the band team
On the outside, I heard that I got manlier a lot but on the inside, I’m no different than the 19-year-old Sunggyu. I wanted to become a singer at that time too, I wanted to sing until the end and even now this feeling didn’t change.
My goal is to sing until I die. I’m very nervous because I have to promote officially as a solo and I’m also really pressured since I’m the first one among the members. But since the members are supporting me, I think I can start with a reassured heart.
Like the name of ‘Infinite’ who conveys the meaning of infinity, I will really show infinite charms. I will show you musically as well something different from Infinite and show you a new image so treat me nicely please^^
I’m going to be lacking a lot but I want to hear comments saying ‘So Sunggyu does this kind of music.. He’s handling this pretty well’. Most importantly, I won’t embarrass the members and I will do my best for my goal to ‘sing until I die’.
Infinite’s Sunggyu is coming with ‘Another me”s image!
2012.11.19
Love Sunggyu and Star Column a lot please!
Solo album Another me!! 60 seconds!!!
Daebak!!
trans. cr; emilie @ infinite updates | source cr; naver ; take out with full credits
No comments:
Post a Comment