Kangmin of VERIVERY Embarks on Solo Journey with 'Free Falling'

Kangmin, formerly of the group VERIVERY, has made a remarkable transition into a solo artist, showcasing a dedication to his fans that every K-pop artist should aspire to.

On the 23rd, Kangmin met with TenAsia at Jellyfish Entertainment's headquarters in Gangnam, Seoul, to discuss his first solo single album, 'Free Falling'.

Reflecting on his solo debut, Kangmin expressed, "I still have a lot to learn, but I'm grateful for this opportunity. It's a chance that came from the fans' interest, so I want to make sure I don't waste it and work hard as an artist."

He admitted, "Transitioning from being a member of VERIVERY to doing everything alone was daunting. Doing interviews and broadcasts solo is nerve-wracking and comes with a sense of responsibility. Looking back at my debut, I did everything without knowing much. I decided to give it my all, just like back then."

Kangmin explained that the theme of 'Free Falling' is 'anxiety', saying, "Everyone experiences anxiety. I have light anxiety myself, even during personal and group fan meetings. I was happy, yet anxious. I thought it would be interesting to honestly talk about this, so I made it the theme. I've resolved to use anxiety as fuel to work hard for lifelong love."

He added, "I didn't want to make it too deep. What I want to emphasize is that the reason for feeling anxious is happiness. I want to show a message that I will strive to be happy with the fans in the future."

Kangmin aimed to portray a vulnerable boyish image, saying, "I actually avoided working out. Not because I didn't want to, but because I thought it would better express the theme." He laughed, adding, "To visually convey the word 'anxiety', I thought I should look as lean as possible. I've been dieting diligently, losing an additional 2kg."

When asked what kind of solo artist he aspires to be, Kangmin replied, "I want to be an artist who looks cool for the entire three minutes of a song. If I stand alone in a concert, I want to look impressive on stage and be entertaining during talks." When asked to rate his progress, he said, "I'd say about 30%. I think I look cool preparing for this. Since my solo activities are just starting, I believe I'll fill in more as I go."

Regarding his definition of a 'cool artist', Kangmin said, "It's not clear-cut. Chasing something unknown is the hardest part. Initially, I wondered why I dreamed of becoming an artist. Watching the impressive performances of senior artists, I wanted to make fans happy, and that's how it started."

He named SHINee's Taemin as his role model, recalling, "I first dreamed of going solo thanks to Taemin. Our album promotions overlapped once, and I saw him perform an intro dance alone without dancers."

Kangmin's first single, 'Free Falling', includes three tracks, with the title track 'Free Falling' being a contemporary R&B pop song featuring dynamic rhythms and a blend of guitar and EP. The song depicts the anxious emotions of two people in a relationship, pushing and pulling each other, giving and receiving love and hurt.

Kangmin's 'Free Falling' was released on various music sites on the 26th at 6 PM.

Reporter Min-Kyung Lee, TenAsia 2min_ror@tenasia.co.kr