Infinite is a group that moves like one body. We’re not only talking about their image on stage that is remembered thanks to the synchronized choreography without any empty moments. Their bodies suffered together since predebut and the teamwork they accumulated is naturally carved on each of their bodies, so wherever they are, the name of the team is coming before their own. Kim Sunggyu is the leader of this Infinite. We thought he was already busy enough performing constantly while going back and forth between Korea and Japan and being chased down by his dongsaengs on variety programs, he released his first solo album he worked diligently on, ‘Another Me’, on the 19th. With the fact that he’s the first one to start the solo promotions among the Infinite members and that he worked with the band he had always looked up to when he was young, Nell, he just concluded “I was lucky”. And while we wanted to hear for a long time his own story, he started to talk about the members again at some point. During an early morning interview, Kim Sunggyu didn’t forget to say what he had to say as a singer releasing his first solo album and as the leader of a team at the same time even while rubbing his eyes not fully awaken.
Last week, starting from Friday, you stood on the stages of the music programs, it seems that it was a different feeling from when you recorded the album.
Kim Sunggyu: I was totally nervous. The day before the my first solo activity broadcasted on KBS
“Now I have confidence on my face”
You’re the first one to start the solo promotions in Infinite, didn’t it remind you of some memories? Taking pictures for the album jacket with a cool concept by yourself. (laughs)
Kim Sunggyu: First, I chose the jacket picture. I don’t have a good face but because it’s the era of personality, I think it is time I gain confidence on my face. (laughs) Truthfully, the day after the album’s release, the CEO called me asking ‘Your album was released, how do you feel?’. But I was really in a state where I couldn’t realize it yet so I said it felt like usual. If there’s something different, should I say it’s the feeling when I hear the members words here and there? In the past we talked about our album but these days they say “Hyung’s album…”. That’s when I thought ‘Ah, it’s my album’. I think that promoting by yourself is lonely. Even while filming the music video of the title song ‘60 Seconds’, I couldn’t feel it well since the members were always at the set for me, but after ending the Arena tour, I came back to Korea first for the broadcast and that’s when I started to realize.
The album is mostly composed of rock and acoustic tracks so how did you feel singing songs with a totally different sound from Infinite’s?
Kim Sunggyu: It wasn’t unfamiliar. I’ve always liked a lot rock music since I was young, and I was also in the school band during high school. More than anything, the band called Nell is the reason why I decided to become a singer. That’s why I thought it was fun for the first time in a long time. Even for the vocals, like in ‘I need you’ or ‘Shine’ that the Nell hyungs gave me, I know that style well and like it so I think that I tried singing it adding my own color instead. On the other hand, for ‘Only Tears’, I immersed myself in the emotion to sing during the recording, without even knowing it, the colors I accumulated while listening to Nell’s music came out a lot. When listening to what I recorded, the nuance almost becoming a falsetto was really similar to Nell’s (Kim) Jongwan’s so I thought ‘Hm, that’s it’. (laughs)
More than anything, as opposed to when you sing a song while being in charge of one part in the team, you have to lead the whole song as a solo, so the points must be different?
Kim Sunggyu: When I sing a song in Infinite, I’m generally in charge of high notes but now I have to give a feeling to the whole song so rather than how I have to do it artistically, I approached it emotionally. To lead this song, I have to create a story. I have a short life, but I think that if I express it with memories similar to what I experienced, I will be closer to it. If I think artistically that I have to grab the tone like this and breathe this much, my bad points will show up since I’m still not used to it. That’s why I worried about how I should feel about this part while recording the album.
As for ‘60 Seconds’, it’s song with the unique idea that you could fall in love in 60 seconds but also break up, what kind of thoughts did you have?
Kim Sunggyu: I think it’s obvious that you could get to like someone within 60 seconds. On the contrary, I’ve asked myself ‘Can this person disappear from my life within 60 seconds?’ and thought a lot about it, fortunately I had a similar experience. I liked this girl who was going to the same school as me in the past a lot, but for personal reasons that girl dropped out of school. After that I never saw her again and couldn’t even contact her, I don’t even know what she’s doing now. That kid disappeared from my life in the blink of an eye. I was shocked because she became someone I couldn’t even know if she was alive or not. I don’t know if the fans are going to say anything when they hear about this but, well since it was a one-sided love. It was my classmate. (laughs)
“I hope I’m not going to embarrass my dongsaengs”
A recording is a recording but since you have to do your live performances on stage with a band, I think you worried a lot about this method.
Kim Sunggyu: First, I got very close with the band members on stage with me. I just didn’t get used to the fact that I’m the youngest there. Because I’d rather not understand Sungjongie’s feelings I even avoid the band members a bit. (laughs) When I sing, rather than forcing something in, I thought that I had to focus on where to express it. I sing like I usually sing but when I try a new style, I show how I express it and how I focus on it. I want to work hard to not be ashamed of myself.
What’s your criteria not to be ashamed of yourself?
Kim Sunggyu: Wouldn’t it be to satisfy myself on stage? It’s a bit selfish but like that a lot of people will love me. (laughs) I’m going to work hard enough so I can receive some love, because I show everything on stage, I’m confident. But I’m really not confident at all about visible rankings such as song or album sales. I also think that if I cling to numbers I’m going to be really hurt. (laughs) More than anything, this album is giving me a big meaning for me to be disappointed in those things. Even if no one acknowledges it, it’s a new challenge and a big joy, I think that I can only celebrate it. It’s like sneakers no one tells you they’re pretty but you like it just by looking at it.
What about your responsibility? I’m curious about whether you think more about if your solo promotions aren’t going properly, it could harm Infinite or whether you think it’s going to be ok since it’s released under the name of Kim Sunggyu.
Kim Sunggyu: I think the most about the past. Since the members are very playful friends, they pressure me a lot about it? For example, they pay attention about the album sales or the music chart rankings. Even if he’s my roommate, Woohyunnie checks it a lot. Hoya is also going to have Infinite H’s album so he pressure me saying “Hyung, you have to show us something quickly”, while Sungyeol and L encourages me. So when I’m with them I go crazy. (laughs) Someone pressures me, someone cheers me up, someone else gives me an objective opinion. Truthfully, the members joke saying “Hyung, if you show low scores now…”, but they tell me that they’re proud of me. I hope that I’m not going to embarrass my dongsaengs as expected.
Now you’re going to have more activities than before, like appearing on variety programs, does it make you more determined? (laughs)
Kim Sunggyu: When I was promoting with Infinite, I was nervous while appearing on variety programs. Because as the team’s representant, the burden is big. I had this feeling ‘What if I make a mistake here? I have to get Infinite known’. On a program that a lot of people watch, I might not be funny and just look around like a folding screen so I did my best not to. I was nervous because of what I told Sungyeol, Sungjong or L in the past when they were appearing on a variety program and got edited out. “Don’t you want to get our team known? There are really people who put there life on the line when appearing on these programs but if we just go to be invisible, we’re going to be sorry. Let’s do our best to get a bit more known, like on the stages of music programs” these kinds of words. (laughs) So this time aren’t there people who are going to give me reproaches? Anyway this time, I’m really less nervous than at that time.
What do you think is the most important to overcome the very busy schedules when going on variety programs and at the same time doing group activities and solo activities?
Kim Sunggyu: There’s something I always said when the members were doing solo activities. Of course, you’re going to be tired and sometimes it’s going to be hard to do your solo schedules with the group’s schedules but if you’re a real professional, don’t let it show that you’re tired. Let’s think all together. There are a lot of friends who really want to promote but can’t, a lot of friends who can’t debut, a lot of friends who want to find their different individual goals but can’t. So let’s look back. If you think about our past image, didn’t we really want to do these kinds of activities? That’s what I told them. I also had this feeling. Even if it’s a packed schedule, it’s what I really dreamt of so wouldn’t it be kind of ridiculous if I told someone I was annoyed by it? That’s what I thought. If you think positively, you will be able to overcome it well.
It seems that you have a strong sense of responsibility about the role of leader.
Kim Sunggyu: I’m the type to worry a lot when I’m with the members. These days I do it less instead. When we had our debut I was a bit excessive so I was overreacting to everything but now that I know the members I let go it more easily. In the past we had set a mandatory time to talk but even if we don’t do it anymore, the kids make me think about what I say. These days I’ve become more relaxed so I’m only making trivial mistakes on broadcast. When I do, the members tell me “Hyung, why are you like this? That’s wrong” then I reply “Right, I’m sorry”. (laughs) I think that with these solo activities, it’s also the opportunity for me to release some burden about being the leader. Because it’s ok if I just look over myself. It’s like that but I think it’s nicer when I’m with the members so I told them “When you don’t have any schedules come to me, you’re welcome”. We’re all in the mood saying ‘let’s just rest a bit as well’. (laughs)
“If I lessen the leader’s nagging, the kids are going to like it”
Even if you’re all doing individual activities, it seems that Infinite’s teamwork is still as strong. What’s your secret?
Kim Sunggyu: It’s simple. I can really say it confidently, the kids are nice. I think that they’re all kind and that’s why we can maintain our teamwork. We’re all boys so we fight a lot but there is no animosity at all. We have the kind of relationship where the fights naturally solve themselves and after fighting it’s like it never happened. We’re each other’s friends, family and mentors.
Didn’t you feel sorry at the thought of not being able to do as much as a leader while doing your solo activities?
Kim Sunggyu: If I lessened the leader’s nagging, the members would like it. The fact that I don’t interfere with what they do could even be a small freedom for these friends. (laughs) I didn’t know it but they told me I was really nagging a lot. In front of me they say “Ah I got it, I got it” and only later on, they tell me by text message “Hyung, thanks for the advice”. Because we have this kind of relationship, even if I became negligent, they wouldn’t show that they’re disappointed.
On the other hand, aren’t you sad to see that the other members are doing well even without you? (laughs)
Kim Sunggyu: That’s impossible. They can’t do well without me. (laughs) It’s like having no pillar. I’m always in charge of the average in the team. Except for the looks. (laughs) For example for the entertaining sense, the driving force, the vocal skills, the dance skills, etc. I push the friends who don’t do as well as me and I am pushed by the friends who are better than me (laughs) I balance the team so without me it wouldn’t look really good. And a team with no leader is going to have an empty space somewhere. Because the kids know that too, they suggested to elect separately a leader but I’ll stop that. I don’t want to think of an Infinite without me. I felt it when L was filming his drama but when there’s even just one member missing, it feels empty. I said this but the members would notice if I’m here or not right? If the members say “It’s different from when L wasn’t here though? It doesn’t feel empty at all?” what am I going to do? (laughs)
* You will be able to see a more detailed story and various pictures in the monthly magazine <10 star="star">
trans. cr; emilie @ infinite updates | source cr; 10asia ; take out with full credits
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