EXCLUSIVE
[INTERVIEW] Moon Jong Up talks about his long-awaited comeback with 'SOME' and the biggest lesson he's learned over the years

AKP STAFF

Spending over a decade in the industry, Moon Jong Up, who's the main dancer and sub-vocalist of the beloved band B.A.P, has added another captivating album under his belt as a solo artist, three years after he made his debut in 2020 with the single "Headache." This comeback also marks his first after two years and three months since 'US,' raising much anticipation from the public.

Through his second mini-album, 'SOME,' Jong Up aims to present his fans with a more mature side of him while also continuing to showcase who he is as an artist and his artistic development.

Encapsulating his signature musical style while being inspired by his theme, the Moon, Jong Up once again took the effort to put his personal story and emotions into them as he also took part in writing the lyrics of the title track "X.O.X." Aside from the lead single, 'SOME' also features a heartfelt song "Fine," dedicated to his fans who have continuously supported him in his journey. Other songs include "Stuck," "Common," and "Common (English version)."

Following his much-anticipated release, Moon Jong Up took the time to chat with allkpop to talk about his newest album, his participation in it as well as in JTBC's reality competition show 'Peak Time,' his goals for the coming year, and more. Keep reading to learn more about Jong Up!

Shout-out from Moon Jong Up to allkpop readers:

allkpop: Hi, Jong Up! We want to congratulate you on the release of your new album! Before we talk about your album, tell us how your 2023 has been so far. What do you believe is the most memorable thing that has happened to you, the highlight of artist Moon Jong Up of 2023?

Jong Up: I think my most memorable experience this year has to do something with one of the filmings during 'Peak Time.' When we were still shooting, we had a dancing-related mission so we had to dance to Christopher's "Bad," and during that mission, I actually got No. 1, but the whole idea behind that is that it was actually a task for the dancers in the group… And for almost 10 years with my group, I was the main dancer, so it was something that really is my pride and, in a way, my career was on. It made me think of my activities back when I was in a group. I'm so glad that I went No. 1 — it was a memorable experience for me.

allkpop: Since your solo debut in 2020, you have now 3 albums including this one — two EPs and one single album. When you first started working as a solo, were there any burdens, maybe thoughts that were bugging you, especially since you were in a group for around 7 years? What do you believe is the most difficult thing you've experienced as a solo artist?

Jong Up: There was definitely a lot of pressure going solo. With the energy and everything that I have shown when I was part of a group… I don't want to come out as a solo artist to disappoint with my releases. I want to show a different performance and side from what I used to show. Of course, during this time of being active as a solo artist plus with my solo activities, there are always a lot of people involved: the company CEO, managing directors, staff as well as the people outside of the company. It's a collaborative effort and you need a lot of negotiations. Even the idea of thinking about what I want to do is a whole process on its own. It involves talking and negotiating with a lot of people. In a way, I felt like working as a solo is quite difficult, but definitely is a mature experience.

allkpop: It’s been a while since you’ve released solo music, and the concluding track, “Fine” contains a message to your fans, thanking them for their support during the break. Could you share with us the overall theme and message of the album, ‘SOME’ as well as the title track and sub-title? What made you decide to pick these songs for this comeback, which comes more than 2 years since the release of your previous mini-album, ‘US’?

Jong Up: Basically, "Fine" is a song for my fans, and there are a lot of things I want to tell my fans. During those times when I was inactive, there were a lot of things that happened. There were a lot of trials I overcame to be able to come back to my fans again. I think that the message and story of what I've been through and the things I'm grateful for are delivered through this song. The title song of this album, "X.O.X," is a dance song. It's very fitting of a title song because it's very energetic. It's addictive in a lot of ways. As for "Common," it's quite different musically. As for why I picked these songs... I think the main focus is for these songs to sound good. These four songs show completely various colors, and I think that's why I put them together in this album.

allkpop: The sub-title “Common” has both Korean and English versions. For some artists, they also release the English version of one of the songs in their album, but they mostly do it with the title track. I was wondering what made you choose to do this with “Common”? And what was your experience recording the English one?

Jong Up: To be honest, when we were listening to "Common," it sounded so good, so we were already thinking of releasing an English version of it. It's the sub-title song, but it was actually just recently that we chose "X.O.X" as the title track because we were really choosing between "X.O.X" and "Common," figuring out which one would be the title song. After all the discussions, "X.O.X" ended up being the title song.

allkpop: You took part in writing the lyrics for the title song “X.O.X.” How did you come up with the title “X.O.X” – what’s the meaning behind that? And what was it like working with the track? Were you satisfied after hearing the final version of it?

Jong Up: Firstly, about the title of the song "X.O.X," we went to discuss different options for the title or the name of the song, but then when you think about it, the meaning also has "xoxo" which also means hugs. That's kind of the theme of the song. Working on the songs, particularly the lyrics, I focused on the second verse of the song. I really put my personal story and emotions into it because I wanted to embed my own color into this song. We also went through a lot of mixing. When I heard the final song, the final version was really amazing. It came out so great.

allkpop: You’ve been participating in the creative process since your time in B.A.P and even until now. Have you already found your writing style? Do you like working as planned or do you work spontaneously?

Jong Up: Normally, for lyrics and stuff… It has to do with time. I don't think I can really do them in advance. For example, when I feel like doing so, I just go through and start working on the lyrics. These days, especially this year, and with 'Peak Time,' I feel that I've been doing much more music and just singing. I was involved in the production, and I was also there to record the song, work, and negotiate with people, relying on these professionals in the field while I focused on my vocals and dance choreography.

allkpop: It’s been over a decade since you debuted in the K-pop industry. What lessons have you learned throughout your career and how have they impacted you not only as a singer and actor but also as a person?

Jong Up: I feel like one of the biggest lessons I've learned is that you never know what will happen, and I feel like the most you can do is to just try to do your best — that's what I've learned and from that lesson, I feel like I realized that the most needed skill being an idol and a person is to be able to adapt in any situation and just do your best. Related to that, I've been working and collaborating with other people, and how you work with them is just as important. Working with more people helped me in terms of my maturity.

allkpop: You participated in the survival program, ‘Peak Time’! How was your experience working with your teammates? Not just with your team but also with other people who have worked with you during your time in the show. Also, you said it was a challenge joining the show, but with all that happened, plus even ended up getting third place, how were you feeling about it?

Jong Up: Firstly, talking about this experience, it wasn't easy because if you think about it, you have an important contest ahead of you. You have to try to team up with others. And it's not just about striving for good teamwork, you need to go through this teamwork to end up with the best result possible. There was, of course, stress and concern. I was even thinking about some of the older members of B.A.P back in the day with this experience. Nevertheless, being able to participate in the show was definitely something new. It's a refreshing experience that made me really learn a lot from it. Second, I was able to meet new friends beyond my old group members and I was able to learn a lot from them, too. It made me feel like and realize what K-Pop is. Third, as you mentioned, I got third place. I thought it was just simply good, but it was actually sufficient. I felt good ending up in third place. I did well. I think that's the best explanation and statement for it.

allkpop: This question is kind of early to ask you, but since there are only like around 2 months left for 2023, what are you looking forward to the most for the year 2024? These things may be your goals or just activities you’re interested in that you’d really love to do when you have spare time.

Jong Up: I want to work on more new albums and be more active. To be more specific, I would love [to release] a full album as a solo artist, and be more involved in album productions. I would also love to hold a solo concert and tour — that would be my big goal for next year.

allkpop: Lastly, just to conclude this interview, do you have any messages to allkpop readers and your fans?

Jong Up: I worked so hard for this album so I want people to listen to it, and I hope when they do, they will be like, "Oh, Wow! There's actually this type of solo male artist in K-Pop…" I want them to think like that. And to my fans, I'm super grateful for your patience. I would like them to think that this comeback album really is worth the wait for them. Let's make great memories together!