‘Discharged’ EXO Kai, Super-fast Solo Comeback “I Missed the Stage, I Worked Hard Without Taking Any Breaks” (Comprehensive)[DA : On-site]
EXO Kai made a solo comeback at lightning speed just two months after his discharge from the military.While filling it with what he does best, he did not rest on his laurels and sought out new challenges.
On the 21st at 4PM, Kai’s fourth mini-album ‘Wait On Me’ release commemorative media showcase was held at Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul.On that day, EXO’s leader Suho hosted the event and drew attention by showing off his strong loyalty.
Kai started off by saying, “It’s been two years.It took a long time to greet you after being discharged from the military.I feel nervous and excited, just like when I debuted.Since my solo debut was during the COVID-19 pandemic, I couldn’t meet the reporters and greeted them online.I’m glad I can greet you in person today.Thank you for waiting,” and “I wanted to show through this album that the past two years weren’t just a passing time, but a time when I built up good things.I worked hard to create an even cooler and more satisfying album as many people have been waiting for it.”
He confessed, “I wanted to come out quickly.I wanted to see my fans quickly and show myself quickly,” and “I really missed the stage during the two months I was preparing for my comeback.I was really looking forward to the stage during the two months of returning to society and preparing the album, and time didn’t pass by.”
The title song ‘Wait On Me’ is a pop song that utilizes the rhythm of Afrobeats, and the restrained groove created by percussion instruments and the tension-building synth string sound are combined.In addition to the title song, the album also contains the pre-released song ‘Adult Swim’ which became a topic of conversation for its refreshing charm, as well as ‘Walls Don t Talk’, ‘Pressure’, ‘Ridin’ ‘,’ Off and Away ‘, and’ Flight to Paris ‘.
Regarding the title song’ Wait On Me, ‘Kai said, “I thought I could show a feeling somewhere between’ Eum ‘and’ Rover.’But at the same time, I wanted to show a new side of me rather than just resting on my laurels by doing what I’ve done before, so I hope you enjoy it.” He continued, “It’s rhythmic by utilizing the rhythm of Afrobeats, and it also has some point choreography that I’m good at.It’ll be an addictive performance.” He added, “Many people think of Kai as a powerful performance, so I thought it’d be a shame to miss it, so I added a dance break.You’ll be able to see the explosive energy.”
When Suho asked, “Your music video shows a lot of exposure.Was that your choice?” Kai whined, “Should I say the company forced you to?” Kai replied, “I thought about what kind of look I should show you, and the desert is shown and you can feel the hot wind, so if I were to wear something like that, the viewers might get hot, so I wanted to give a cool feeling by showing some skin.” When asked about being the “icon of crop tops,” he said, “I felt good because I realized that kind of image exists.Last time, D.O.provoked me, saying, ‘Why are you so short on fabric?’ I thought that for the next album, I should show a look where I don’t lack fabric.”
Kai said that his mindset has changed since ‘Gunbaekgi’.He said, “I think I feel more at ease.I thought I shouldn’t be obsessed with my image.In the past, I trusted my subjectivity and set many rules for myself, but at some point, I realized that wasn’t the case.While preparing this album, I wanted to start with a new mindset, without my subjectivity or rules.I think that’s a point that has changed in my life as a singer.”
Kai, who has recently been active in entertainment shows such as ‘Ex-Convict’ and ‘Salon Drip’, expressed his affection for entertainment shows by saying, “I’m enjoying it now.” He also said,” ‘The Two Letters in My Panties’ was the turning point in entertainment shows.”The ‘Two Letters in My Panties’ that Kai mentioned is a comment that became a hot topic when he shouted it out during the ‘Shout in Silence’ game on ‘Knowing Bros’ in 2019.
Kai said,” In the past, I used to think, unintentionally, that ‘variety shows can have a negative effect on an artist’s performance.’But I realized that it was meaningless.I thought that if I could show a variety of activities, whether it be variety shows or whatever, wouldn’ t that be ‘one way’ for people to come see my performances? “He expressed his passion by saying,” Rather than being limited to one thing, I want to show various sides of myself as Kai and as Kim Jong-in.I will show you that I work hard without leaving anything out.”
Kai’s new album, which clearly seems to have broken something, will be available on various music sites today(the 21st)at 6 PM.At 8 PM that day, a showcase will be held at Yes24 Live Hall and will be live streamed online through the EXO YouTube channel.
Meanwhile, Kai will embark on the ‘2025 KAI SOLO CONCERT TOUR 〈 KAION 〉’ after the release of his album.Starting with the Seoul concert at the Olympic Park Handball Stadium on May 17-18, he will then visit 10 Asian cities including Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Jakarta, Singapore, Taipei, Manila, Bangkok, Yokohama, and Hong Kong.
Reporter Jeong com -yeon, Donga.com shine2562@donga
This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.
