(Following Interview ①), Teen Top's Niel shared his feelings about embarking on a solo career after establishing his one-man agency.
Recently, an interview with Niel, who returned with his fourth solo mini-album 'SHE', took place at a cafe in Gangnam, Seoul.
'SHE' is a work that deviates slightly from his previous musical colors and contains new attempts. It consists of emotional songs based on neo-soul and groove pop, expressing deep reflections and emotions about love.
In particular, this album is also the first one showcased by Niel after his solo debut. Niel had previously announced the establishment of his new agency EL&D Entertainment after his contract with his former agency New Entry ended last month.
When asked about the process of producing his first album as the representative and artist of his one-man agency, he noted, "It wasn't easy. I started with some thought like 'I could do this alone,' but it was very different. In reality, I had to manage everything from meetings and concepts to approvals, which made it quite challenging. There were more tasks than I expected, making me realize, 'The company really worked hard for me all this time.'"
He reflected, "I used to have discussions with company staff about album design, and when I expressed, 'I want to do it this way,' they would help me. But now, I had to go to meetings myself and confirm everything from paper texture onward. Handling all the details was difficult."
When asked about the decisive reason for establishing a one-man agency, Niel said, "I really wanted to participate 100%. In the previous albums, even though my opinions were largely reflected, we had to coordinate together, but this time I was determined to do it 100% myself, which is why I thought to create a one-man agency."
Many artists have previously established one-man agencies to work as their representatives. When asked if he sought advice from anyone around him, Niel candidly said, "I actually asked for advice a lot. There were so many seniors who started their own one-man agencies before me. Most of them advised me not to start." He added, "Some people told me that trying what I want to do could be a great help in life," and continued, "After some thought, I started with the mindset of 'When would I ever do this?'"
When asked about the reactions of Teen Top members to his establishment of a one-man agency, he revealed, "I actually didn't tell the members. I waited until I had almost finished preparing before I mentioned that I would be establishing a one-man agency," surprising everyone. Niel shared, "The members were very supportive. Ricky later asked me to make sure to take him along, and I said, 'I will definitely succeed and bring you along.' In fact, my dream is to bring all the members to my company."
He elaborated on why he didn't inform the members earlier, saying, "I'm not good at seeking counseling. I'm not good at revealing my true feelings to others. I spend a lot of time thinking alone, so I made a decision and then informed the members. If I had told them beforehand, they would have seriously listened to my concerns and talked about it, but I couldn't do that and shared it late." He admitted, "I seem like someone who already has an answer when asking for opinions. I had concerns, but in my heart, perhaps I was already determined to start."
When asked about the desired outcome for this album as a company representative, he expressed, "To be honest, I hope not to run into a deficit as a representative. I don't need profits, but I hope to avoid losses. Then I could prepare for the next album," adding, "I hope to work hard without getting tired or giving up." (To be continued in Interview ③.)
[Photo] EL&D Entertainment
[OSEN]