mino for wonderwall, september 2021

" music and art: song minho’s next level "

<As MINO, he’s a solo artist and the rapper of the group WINNER. But he’s also the artist ohnim, and a multi-talented creator named Song Minho. His talents were widely acknowledged after placing second on <Show Me The Money 4>, and now, news of his return to the show’s 10th season as a producer is drawing lots of buzz. Recognized for his skills in both music and art, Song Minho tells us he’s now in pursuit of a new challenge.>

 

wonderwall. Could you introduce yourself?

mino. Hi, Wonderwall users. I’m Song Minho of WINNER. Thanks for having me.

 

ww. How did you come to participate in Wonderwall?

mn. It’s no secret that people associate Song Minho more with variety shows than they do with music. That’s been on my mind for a while, so when I found out about Wonderwall… I guess it felt like a good platform and opportunity for me to showcase the musical side of me on a deeper level. I knew right away that I wanted to be a part of it. So I’m planning on sharing aspects about how I work on my music, and what my thought process looks like when I write lyrics or paint.

 

ww. When was your start with hip-hop?

mn. I first discovered hip-hop when I was 12 years old. I was playing some games and somehow ended up downloading an album by 50 Cent. I remember when I listened to it, I just thought “Whoa,” and felt my heart race. I immediately fell in love with it. I loved its rhythm. Then I got into the Korean hip-hop scene, listening to artists like Dynamic Duo, Drunken Tiger, and The Movement. I eventually went on to dream about being a part of all that and becoming a rapper myself one day.

 

ww. So how did you end up being a pop star when you originally dreamt of becoming a rapper?

mn. There was an audition opportunity when I as was fresh out of my arts high school. I worked really hard to start building my rap career; I went through multiple agencies as a trainee and performed in underground spaces. Somehow, I naturally learned how to dance and one day, I became a singer. I didn’t know I had any talent in dancing. It all sort of just fell together.

 

ww. Speaking of dance, ‘Fiancé’, the title song from your first solo album ‘XX’, is famous for its performance. How do you put performance into consideration when you’re working on your music? 

mn. When I come up with the key ‘points’ in my music, I write them with the performance in mind. When I write a song knowing it’s going to be the title, I intentionally choose words and craft the hook that would be best suited for a performance. Like the line [from Fiancé], ‘Twist your body like a cobra’. That’s such an easy line to express with your body, you know? No one ever told me I was a good dancer until ‘Fiancé’ came out.

 

ww. But you didn’t think about performance when you made ‘Run away’, the title for your second solo album, right?

mn. I never thought about how <Run away> would look and feel like on stage. I made the song, chose it to be the title, and then came up with different ideas on the performative aspect: incorporating symbolic animations, paying homage to my favorite movies… I’ll go more into detail about the behind-the-scenes stories and thought processes behind the <Run away> music video in my class.

 

ww. You made it to the semi-finals in <SMTM 4>, and now you’re back in <SMTM 10> as a producer. What is <SMTM> to you?

mn. <SMTM> marked a point in my career where I made a major shift in my rapping style. Before the show, I really liked the husky, rough voices of rappers like Dirty South, Young Jeezy, and Ja Rule, so sometimes I’d even shout to purposely lose my voice to get that sound. Once I joined the program, I realized that I should just do things comfortably and do it my way. That’s when I changed my tone of voice, to the one you’re all used to hearing now. It took me a lot of courage to make that change.

 

ww. We can’t forget to talk about your art. Your works are so widely acknowledged that some of your paintings were showcased at the London Saatchi Gallery last year and again this October. When did you start to draw and paint?

mn. Ever since I was a kid, I always doodled. Then eventually, one day, I thought that maybe I should try to pursue it seriously rather than just treat it as a side-hobby. So I bought some canvas, some paint, and that was how I started. I kept studying and teaching myself and was fortunate enough to have a lot of great opportunities come my way. That’s how I began my career as an artist.

 

ww. Is there a difference between how you express through music versus art?

mn. I think there’s a lot more freedom in expressing yourself through art. With music, you have to put a lot of consideration into things like the impact and performance of every line, or what the current music trends are. With art, all I need to think about is what I want to say on the canvas. But that also makes it all the more difficult. You’re trying to draw something on a completely blank canvas. But again, that’s also what makes it so fun. I want to be taken seriously and recognized in the art field too, as a different facet of myself.

 

ww. You definitely stand out in both the worlds of music and art. What do you want to try next?

mn. I still haven’t shown the world one thing: acting. Last year I began to think, Why not do something I definitely can do? Shouldn’t I try to do everything I possibly can? So I want to try acting one day — of course, not out of boredom or anything like that. I want to take it on sincerely and seriously, to the point where I can achieve something out of it. I’m going to work hard. I actually think this is the first time I’ve ever talked about this.

 

ww. And finally, is there anything you’d like to say to people out there who dream of becoming musicians themselves one day?

mn. I’m not sure but I do know one thing: be diligent, but be smart about it. What you want to do might be different from what you’re good at. So, I think it’s critical that you find how to stretch whatever it is you’re good at to its fullest potential. But how you make that happen is up to you, so I think that’s all I’m going to say on that.