[ENG] Ji Hyun Woo Interview

Wow, Ji Hyun Woo-shi coming out after Bae Ki Sung* sat nex to me.. (*an older guy that is not as handsome as JHW and is a member of "M4" that came out before JHW.)
It's like spring!
LSR: Nice to see you! JHW: Nice to see you. LSR to audience: You can clap.
LSR: The song you just sang was called "Baby Elephant." JHW: Yes, "Baby Elephant."
This song is a love song but the title is...
You know there is the song called "Baby Elephant's Walk"...
At the time, that song suddenly came into my mind.
JHW: As I was looking at my girlfriend... LSR: While you were making the song? JHW: Yes, that my girlfriend was like a baby elephant.
Her body or...?
JHW: No... LSR: Cute? JHW: Yes. While trying to describe her, I just thought she was like a baby elephant.
LSR: Lovable? JHW: Yes.
LSR: And you made all the songs yourself? JHW: Yes.
LSR: Your group was "The Nuts," right? JHW: Yes.
Since there might be people who don't know you were in a group and were a guitarist...
Since there might be people who are thinking, "Wow, he plays the guitar too!"...
In dramas you sometimes play the guitar too.
JHW: The writers always put it in. LSR: That is what looks good.
There might have been people who thought "Wow, that actor plays the guitar well too"....
Is the guitar first or acting? There might have been people who thought "Wow, that actor plays the guitar well too"....
Is the guitar first or acting?
Guitar was first.
And you're not the only one that does music. Your whole family does music too.
My parents did music too, and when I was a child my parents ran a record shop.
My older brother is playing the keyboard in the group, "Next."
LSR: Is that so? JHW: Yes.
Then what about you right now?
Well, I have released a single album for the first time and peforming solo.
LSR: Not as a group but as Ji Hyun Woo? JHW: Yes. LSR: Without a name change, just under the name "Ji Hyun Woo"? JHW: Yes.
When I was in "The Nuts," we were doing music that would appeal to the masses so the agency would receive songs from other composers.
Now I am doing music that not a lot of people may recognize, but shows "This is the type of music I want to do."
LSR: I heard that you are going to do a drama soon. JHW: Yes.
Then isn't the time too short for you to promote your music?
Yes, it's very short.
When do you start the drama?
JHW: As early as next week? LSR: What? Next week?
Then on what stages and how many times will you perform?
I think today will be the last stage performance.
LSR: Then how about any other gigs? JHW: That too.
LSR: Today is the last too? JHW: Yes.
The drama will last quite some time, right? What will happen to your songs? Will they just be forgotten?
Well, when I listened to other singers' albums,
I thought, "This music is good," and looked for their older albums.
JHW: You can go backwards too, right? LSR: Yes.
JHW: I think that would be fine too.
Still, more people need to know that you released the songs. Isn't the promotion time just too short?
JHW: Well, I am happy that I got to perform at least 3 times. LSR: At late night shows?
Yes. It was kind of strange to think about performing in other music shows like "Inkigayo" or "Music Bank."
LSR: Why? JHW: Well truthfully...M4 came out before me, right?
When they perform on "Music Bank," I think, "Is that okay?" (*M4 is a group composed of males in their 40s. Inkigayo and Music Bank are dominated by idol groups.)
JHW: (I could say this) because they (M4) left. LSR: Yes, because they left.
JHW: Those thoughts do occur to me, though. LSR: Those men think that their juniors like having them on those shows.
Those men probably don't know we are thinking this. Since they left (we can speak the truth)...
I think those shows are for the idol groups and what I can do are shows like this with live performances and a little talking.
LSR: Yes, that's good. JHW: Yes.
LSR: Anyway, even though you're only promoting for a short time, you have to get people to like your song. JHW: Yes.
It's time to really let people know that you have released your album. The album title is?
It's "Crescendo" and crescendo has the meaning of "getting stronger," right?
Since I just started, the title means that I will show more growth as time goes by.
From the music video to the album jacket, even the clothes I wore, I took care of it.
The agency said, "We don't think this music will appeal to the masses so you prepare and take care of everything."
So I said, "Okay." The music video was made when I went to Japan for a fan meeting.
I shot it myself while just walking around.
I went up to Japanese people and just asked them to sing-a-long to this song.
At first, they thought I came to get money from them.
JHW: Then when I started singing, they would like at me like this. LSR: You filmed those images? JHW: Yes.
You are saying today might be the last day of promotion and I haven't even seen the music video yet.
I will have to go home and look it up.
How many songs are in the album and how many did you make yourself?
There are three songs and I made all of the three songs. How many songs are in the album and how many did you make yourself?
There are three songs and I made all of the three songs.
The first two songs, I wrote and composed. The third song.. there is a book by Choi Kang Hee (the actress)..
I liked the book so much when I read it, I made a song from it. The first two songs, I wrote and composed. The third song.. there is a book by Choi Kang Hee (the actress)..
I liked the book so much when I read it, I made a song from it.
LSR: What is the title? JHW: An essay called "Dear Child."
LSR: Will you sing it for us today? JHW: Yes, I will sing the song called 'Dear Child.' LSR: What is the title? JHW: An essay called "Dear Child."
LSR: Will you sing it for us today? JHW: Yes, I will sing the song called 'Dear Child.'
For me, like the song I sang in the beginning, it was easy to write and compose love songs.
But I also wanted to write songs that would give hope to people. I found out that it wasn't easy.
Why?
I don't know. I wanted to write songs that said, "You can do it"... Why?
I don't know. I wanted to write songs that said, "You can do it"...
I mean, all the songs you hear on the streets are songs about love that say, for example, "You left me, I'll get my revenge."
I really hated that.
LSR: You didn't want your songs to be like that? JHW: Yes, I wanted the lyrics to take on different genres and while I was thinking that
Choi Kang Hee-shi presented her book to me and when I read it, the words were so nice that I made them into a song.
When we look at your dramas, you are often paired with an older woman.
LSR: Our writer always put these kinds of questions in. JHW: Yes, wherever I go, they always ask me that. LSR: Right?
Have you dated both older and younger women?
I have never dated younger women.
Only older or the same age.
What are the good points in dating an older woman? I need some consultation on these kind of things.
JWH: The good thing about older women? LSR: Yes, so I can cultivate that and at least within this year (find my own partner)... What are the good points in dating an older woman? I need some consultation on these kind of things.
JWH: The good thing about older women? LSR: Yes, so I can cultivate that and at least within this year (find my own partner)...
JHW: They don't push and pull. LSR: Yes, you're right! JWH: The good thing about older women? LSR: Yes, so I can cultivate that and at least within this year (find my own partner)...
JHW: They don't push and pull. LSR: Yes, you're right!
You see, they are in a hurry too. JHW: They don't push and pull. LSR: Yes, you're right!
You see, they are in a hurry too.
They're at an age when they know what they want so they don't push and pull (in a relationship). You see, they are in a hurry too.
They're at an age when they know what they want so they don't push and pull (in a relationship).
You're right. That is our good point. Alright, I got it.
Since we invited you as a singer who just released an album you put a lot of care into, let's hear about how you want people to listen to your music.
I think in the car with the volume high, and you're feeling suffocated.
or at dawn when you want to cry a little.
You know there are times when you have something that you can't tell anyone, not even your family.
Those times when you wish that someone would come down to you and say these kind of things.
Then you are talking to us? Singing to us by our ear?
JHW: Well (not necessarily).... LSR: That's good..... JHW: You see, I often imagine too....
For example, when I was in the countryside for 2-3 months because of filming,
If you are in a dimly lit motel for 2-3 months, you get really lonely.
Then I listen to a song sung by a female and...
LSR: Of course that could happen. JHW: I get comforted before I sleep.
That kind of makes me sad. (To audience) What are you people thinking?
The audience's level is quite good.
Since we've talked about your song till now, we need to listen to your song. What song will you sing for us now?
It's the song we talked about, "Dear Child." It's a song that, even though I wrote it, comforts me when I am sad.
This has been Ji Hyun Woo who only promoted his album for a short time and will soon return to acting. Thank you for coming, Ji Hyun Woo-shi.