mino for l'officiel hommes, aw 2020/21

 

 

" my youth  "

< To Song Minho, youth means no rules, no limits, all the possibilities.> 

 

l’officiel hommes. So, how have you been? I feel like you’re either extremely busy or extremely free. No in-between.

mino. Definitely. It feels like I get one day off, and then one day to work. Recently, for some reason, I’ve been naturally waking up at 8 a.m. every morning. The same thing happens even if I’ve been up all night working and go to bed at 5 in the morning. I usually have some breakfast and a cup of coffee once I wake up, then go out for a walk. And after the sun sets I start working on my music or draw. Sometimes I take short, mid-day naps. I have a lighter schedule nowadays so I have more days off than I used to, but I’ve never really been someone who could just stay still. If I’m constantly staying home, I experience this feeling of defeat at the realization that I basically didn’t do anything all day. 

 

lh. Everyone inevitably has lighter schedules nowadays regardless of whatever they really want. Are you the type of person who easily accepts this sort of situation, or are you more the type to do as much as you possibly can given your new boundaries?

mn. I’d be the latter, for sure. I have so much I want to do and so much energy and I need an outlet for all that in order to live. I’m always making a mental list of the things I want to do right now, the things that I’m able to do right now.

 

lh. When did you first realize this about yourself?

mn. It wasn’t all that while ago. I want to say about three years ago. Once I had officially debuted, I was so busy that it was hard for me to notice anything like that at the beginning of my career. But once I became more financially comfortable, I began to think that maybe I could afford to do some of the things that I’ve always wanted to do. It brought me so much satisfaction and happiness when I started putting these wishes into action one by one. Using paints more liberally for my art started around then, too, though I’ve been drawing well before that. You know how expensive paints can be, especially when you have to buy everything you need. I had a lot of fun for a while when I was able to buy as many kinds of paints as I wanted and experimented with them without having to worry about anything.

 

lh. What else have you tried to do besides art?

mn. I’ve lost count. I suddenly wanted to learn how to play the violin, so I ordered one online and tried to teach myself through Youtube videos. But all I learned from that experience was the cruel truth that the violin is impossible to learn on your own. So that ended there. I also wanted to try making sculptures so I bought a knife and some clay and tried that, once.

 

lh. I assume there must’ve been some successes and some failures along the way.

mn. I’ve never once considered my failures as ‘failures’. All I did was try something out and realize, ‘It’s not as fun as I thought’, ‘This is difficult’, or ‘I’m not getting the results that I wanted.’ I just lost interest, and that’s it. There’s no need to feel guilty or blame yourself even if you’ve failed. There’s always something to be learned and realized when you’re trying to do something, and I personally earn a sort of positive energy from the whole experience. And that’s enough for me. 

 

lh. I think it’s fairly normal for people to get disappointed when something doesn’t quite meet their expectations, but I guess you aren’t like that. Do you think it might be because your hobbies change often?

mn. Well I do get disappointed sometimes, but I also get over it pretty easily. That’s part of the whole process of having a hobby, I think. So maybe that’s why I can be that way. I mean, of course it wouldn’t be like that if these hobbies were my entire career. There’ve been instances when these hobbies grew to become more than just hobbies, usually if I continue to experiment and take the time to work on them. And that’s where my art is at, more or less. Like with photography. I took pictures for a pretty long time and even got to hold an exhibition, but I haven’t been doing so as much, lately. But I like art because I’m able to express things that I can’t in my music. Drawing has also given good inspiration and influence on my music, too. 

 

lh. If you’re interested in art, you could start collecting some of your favorite artists’ works as a hobby, too.

mn. Since I’ve been so invested in making my own art, I have yet to try to purchase another artist’s work. Maybe I’ll consider doing that one day when I’m living alone in a nice home and I’m looking for pieces that will suit it. (Why do I have a feeling that you’re just going to draw those pieces on your own?) Honestly, I think that too. (Laughs)

 

lh. So, what’s the latest hobby you’re obsessing over?

mn. Sports. All my previous hobbies have primarily been ones you calmly do on your own, but nowadays I’m trying to pursue more active ones. I’ve started soccer and squash!

 

lh. You have so many different hobbies you like to do. There’s no way you could be at home all day. 

mn. The thing is, I get forgetful sometimes because of how many different things I’m juggling at the same time and how hectic it can all be. There are times when I’m unable to take care of the things I need to take care of. I’ve missed people, I’ve missed things to do, so I’m trying to be diligent with making notes for anything important and setting several alarms at a time. It’s a habit that automatically developed after I started having a lot on my hands.

 

lh. And what's the most recent memo that you made?

mn. Things related to my upcoming album, like the album name and design concept for the cover.

 

lh. Do you ever feel burdened by how hectic and busy you can get?

mn. There was a time that I put everything down for a second, actually, but that turned out to be even more difficult for me. I tried it because everyone around me was asking why I was hustling all the time, and that I needed some time to rest. But it wasn’t really for me. Trying to pass the time with nothing to particularly do felt like such a waste of my day. But still, I intentionally try to give myself a moment to pause and take a breather nowadays, trying not to feel uneasy even if I’m just staying still.

 

lh. It definitely seems like you know yourself very well.

mn. I think you could say that. There’s a lot of different facets to my personality: bold, challenge-seeking, fearless, optimistic. Someone said that’s because I’m still young, and I guess that’s somewhat true, too. But I also know how to a more childish, softer side to myself on shows like <New Journey to the West> where I’m with hyungs.

 

lh. Do you think your bold personality is projected onto the artworks you make? The way you painted with a rice paddle instead of a brush on <Kang’s Kitchen 2> was particularly memorable for me.  

mn. It must have something to do with my personality too, but I don’t believe that you absolutely have to use a brush and a brush only when you’re painting. So when I’m working on art or putting on clothes, I like to switch up the orders or ignore certain ‘rules’ that are in place. Like wearing a cardigan over a coat. I did that sort of thing a lot during my missions for <Mapo Hipster>. 

 

lh. Anyone who watched <Mapo Hipster> is bound to think, ‘Song Minho must really love fashion.’ Is there anything you discovered or realized as you were working on this show?

mn. P.O’s been my friend since forever, so I thought I already knew everything I needed to know about him. But I was kind of surprised because he dressed so much better than I initially expected! (Laughs) Of course I know how much he likes clothes and how he has good style, but he was so sensible and quick during the missions when you were sent to quickly go pick out the right clothes. The concept we pursued on <Mapo Hipster> was to emphasize the difference between P.O’s style and mine, so we stuck to that as much as possible. But in reality, our styles actually overlap pretty often. Once, I wore a pair of slightly-fitted pants with a cardigan and a cap to go see P.O, but then he showed up in the exact same outfit. 

 

lh. It must be comforting to think about how you’re still making music with a lot of the same friends you were close with when you were a kid. 

mn. Sometimes I really can’t believe how lucky I am. What are the odds that my friends from school who I’ve known for over 10 years are all here today as musicians who are widely known and loved? I know it’s the reality, but there are still moments when it’s hard to believe. Whenever I meet up with them, it always feels like we’re students again. We talk about absolute nonsense, and it’s like we’re filming some kind of variety show on our own without any of the cameras.

 

lh. You guys must talk often about how regrettable it is that so many things have been canceled due to COVID-19. 

mn. Yes, but we also comfort one another and give each other the encouragement we need. I was personally really disappointed that I wasn’t able to fly over and physically participate in Overpass Music Festival that was supposed to happen in America. The lineup was composed of rookies all around the world, and we were supposed to perform live on-site, but it got delayed due to COVID and eventually, we had to do it by filming and broadcasting it online. It’s disappointing, but I also believe that there will be an even better opportunity in the future. 

 

lh. You must’ve had a wealth of amazing experiences that you never even imagined for yourself back when you were just a kid dreaming of becoming a rapper. But if you had to pick one event that felt completely unreal, what would it be?

mn. To be really honest with you, winning #1 on music shows or going on world tours doesn’t feel insanely unbelievable or out-of-reach. I’ve always held myself to a certain standard and steadily, firmly believed in myself, so events like that usually have me thinking something more along the lines of, “Okay good, this is going the way I hoped.” But being invited by Virgil Abloh to walk in the Louis Vuitton men’s fashion show? That was nowhere near any of the scenarios I dreamed for myself! (Laughs) It felt so strange, standing there between all the other models in line before the show. It was fascinating and dreamy to be able to experience something like that. 

 

lh. You are a successful musician both as a solo act and with your group, and you are well-acknowledged and approved by many as a variety star with a great sense of humor and a strong presence. Wouldn’t you call yourself a successful youth? 

mn. I am so thankful for all of that, but I can’t say I’ve reached my personal goal of ‘success’ yet. When that moment does come, though, I think that’s when I’ll feel like I really made it. I try to always remember that I can do so much better than I am right now, so I repeat phrases like ‘I’m cool’, ‘I can do anything’, and ‘I trust myself’ over and over again in my head. In order to get closer to my idea of ‘success’, I need to continue to trust myself. That’s the most important thing for me to do.

 

lh. You’ve worked harder than anyone else out there in your 20s, and now you are 28 years old. How do you want to spend what’s left of your 20s?

mn. I’d like for my 20s to feel truly brilliant and fulfilling once I reach its end. I want to receive further acknowledgment for my music, and share an improved version of myself to those who are still interested and curious about me. It’s a bit sad to know your 20s are moving past you. I mean, it’s not like a major change is going to happen when I turn 30 or anything like that. 

I’m still going to continue working as hard as I do right now. But there’s this specific feeling of youth that’s exclusive to your 20s and your 20s only. I want to work harder in the time that I have left in order to do my best within what I can do in my 20s.

 

lh. You have so much ambition. You must’ve been disappointed at how slow the tempo was this year.

mn. I think I’ll always remember 2020 as the year that held my energy on pause the longest. It wasn’t a break that I actively wanted or chose to have, but at the same time, I was able to organize a lot of my thoughts that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do, so it wasn’t all that bad. Either way, the bottom line is this: I can’t stop. I have to continue to race forward.