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| A teaser image of Yoon Ji-sung's debut album "Aside" Courtesy of LM Entertainment |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Yoon Ji-sung, a member of the disbanded boy band project Wanna One, is poised to make a debut as a solo artist with his first album "Aside," Wednesday.
The title is derived from a term used in theater when a character's dialogue is spoken to the audience but not other actors on stage. It is also short for the phrase "Always on your side," according to his label LM Entertainment.
Yoon, who debuted through the idol survival show "Produce 101" in 2017, went solo after the popular 11-member boy band disbanded at the end of last year. The band held four concerts at Gocheok Sky Dome from Jan. 24 to 27 as their last official performance together before going their separate ways.
"I was both nervous and anxious recording an album by myself," Yoon said during Naver's V Live broadcast on Sunday.
The lead-off song "In the Rain" is a pop ballad with sorrowful melodies and an orchestral background. Its lyrics unfold feelings of regret after saying farewell to his former lover, "I should have seen the look on your face / I should have remembered / I'm sorry, I'm sorry / only when you turned your back on me, then I realized."
The album features five other tracks, including a collaborative song featuring Stray Kid's Changbin and "Comma" co-composed by former Wanna One bandmate Lee Dae-hwi.
"I wanted to write a song for Yoon and he readily accepted it. The song reflects that everybody needs a comma in their lives to reflect and achieve personal growth," Lee said.
"There's a line that goes 'what others say isn't important.' That's the message I want to share with my fans," Yoon added.
After dropping the debut album, the 28-year-old will hold a solo fan meeting Saturday and Sunday. He will also be starring in the musical "The Days" starting Feb. 22.
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| In this file photo, Wanna One members perform during the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA). Korea Times |
Based on Wanna One's immense popularity, many other members have already announced their solo activities. Kang Daniel is planning to drop his first solo album in April.
Park Ji-hoon confirmed the release of his solo album sometime in March, according to his label Maroo Entertainment. He kicked off his first solo fan meeting "First Edition" in Seoul, Feb. 9, and is scheduled to have Asia fan meetings in Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Macau, Osaka and Tokyo.
Ha Sung-woon is set to drop his solo mini-album "My Moment," Feb. 28, and Kim Jae-hwan is also preparing to make his debut as a solo artist sometime in spring.
Members Lee Dae-hwi and Park Woo-jin released a single "Candle," Jan. 29. Lee composed and wrote the lyrics, while Park participated in penning the rap. They will reportedly form a boy band with label mates and MXM members Lim Young-min and Kim Dong-hyun. Hwang Min-hyun will rejoin the boy band NU'EST and continue his activities as a member of NU'EST.
Bae Jin-young recently graduated from high school, and his V Live broadcast at his graduation ceremony attracted more than 270,000 fans.
Ong Seong-wu will begin his acting career in JTBC's upcoming drama "Moments of 18." He will also hold a solo fan meeting titled "Eternity" in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore in March. Taiwanese member Lai Kuanlin is set to launch his acting career in China, according to reports.
Jung Duk-hyun, a culture critic, said "Popular idols are in a favorable situation in choosing a new career path ― be it singing or acting ― backed by an immense fandom. However, they need to prove their talent to continuously win support from the public."
