NCT's Doyoung has returned with his second solo album after about a year. Like the album title 'Soar,' Doyoung has prepared to take flight once again, capturing deeper emotions and his own narrative.

Recently, Doyoung conducted an interview at a café in Seongdong District, Seoul, ahead of the release of his second album 'Soar,' discussing the new album.

After releasing his first album 'YOUTH' in April last year and taking his first steps as a solo artist, Doyoung has returned with the album 'Soar,' which embodies his deepened emotions.

Doyoung expressed his confidence, saying, "I mentioned that I was satisfied with my first album, and I feel fortunately satisfied with this album as well. Since the results are not something I create, looking at whether this album has come close to what I envisioned and dreamed of, I think it has turned out to be a very satisfying album."

'Soar,' Doyoung's latest release, is an album imbued with his sincerity to convey the 'power that inspires dreaming' to everyone who listens to the music.

When asked about the differences from his previous work, he replied, "In my first album, I wanted to talk about youth. While preparing for the second album, I thought about doing something that transcends that. When considering what to talk about when discussing something that goes beyond youth, I wanted to convey dreams. When I thought about visual keywords, it was wings, which led to the title for the album being 'Soar.'"

The title track 'Memory' is a rock genre song that expresses the wish for the radiant moments we shared together to remain in our memories for a long time, featuring Doyoung's powerful vocals and refreshing guitar riffs that burst with overwhelming emotion.

Regarding the new song 'Memory,' Doyoung explained, "It's a song with the theme of memory, and I had something I wanted to incorporate into the lyrics for a long time. If memory were alive like a person, then the road to becoming a memory would be the most beautiful magic of memory, right? I wanted to express that. Not every memory becomes a recollection. I wanted to focus on memories, and 'space' is like a synonym for talking about memories and recollections. 'Hi' and 'Bye' can both mean goodbye. It’s a metaphorical expression incorporating welcoming memories and letting go of memories, which is reflected in the title."

He added, "The song is from the rock genre with quite a beat, so I think it would be nice to listen to it on a beautiful day while driving, but when I started working on it, I thought it was a song where the lyrics are sad but the melody feels so lively that it makes it even sadder. I think it would be good to listen to it when reflecting on memories or feeling the value of memories."

So, what inspires Doyoung's dreams? He identified music, saying, "I can't speak for everyone, but when listening to certain music, the vibe it gives is all different, right? The music I love makes me want to start again things I had briefly given up on, it creates courage and makes me want to try something. I think this is the power that music gives. I believe each of the 10 tracks on this album carries that power to inspire dreaming in some way. I put my heart into this work, hoping it would reach others as well."

He stated, "While preparing for the second album, I pledged that I didn't want to hear that it was disappointing compared to the first album, and since Mark said the second album is better, I felt relieved. (Laughs) He mentioned that it’s an album where you can feel how Mark has matured. While preparing for the second album, I wondered whether to do something completely different or maintain the vibe of the first album, but creating my identity is an artist's duty, and changing the color in the second album felt unsettling. Although the music is not drastically different from the first album, I believe it has matured a bit."

When asked to define his music, Doyoung mentioned the word 'overwhelming,' saying, "I talk with my staff about how I’m addicted to being overwhelmed. I get really overwhelmed. (Laughs) That refreshing feeling and a spoonful of being overwhelmed is my music's color, I think it would be nice if it became my style."

He continued, "I am also addicted to music that makes me feel overwhelmed, and I also enjoy feeling overwhelmed myself. Recently, I felt quite overwhelmed at the 127 Tokyo Dome concert. I feel even more overwhelmed when working as a team than when I’m alone. I tend to get overly absorbed when I’m with the members, and when I'm with them, it feels like we are the protagonists of a drama, and that feeling of being captivated by those moments we achieve together gives me even more of a thrill when we perform as a team." (Continued in Interview ②)

[Photo] SM Entertainment

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