#VogueMan Hong Kong

[junhyungupdates-blog]

VOGUE MAN Hong Kong : Yong Jun Hyung Interview/English Translation ( may contain inaccuracies)

Yong Junhyung, known as "Singer-Poet PD Dragon", is a second-generation Korean boy band idol. He established his own music company BLACK MADE more than two years ago, started anew as an independent singer-songwriter, and once again released his personal mini-album "LONER". The unique personal music charm is fully unleashed and infects many music fans. No wonder he is called a genius by fans - Dragon PD. At the beginning of this month, he held the Hong Kong stop of his Asian tour meeting under the name "LONER's ROOM". VOGUE Man Hong Kong took this opportunity to conduct an in-depth interview with this talented musician Yong Jun Hyung.

The second-generation boy groups indeed held up half of the Korean wave back then. Among them, the most popular among them was none other than TVXQ, Super Junior, and Bigbang. The first catchy songs such as "Shock", "Fiction", and "12:30" not only established a unique music style for the team, but also swept the top of the major music charts. Later, when all the members failed to renew their contracts, they boldly set up their own business and changed the group's name to debut again. With the joyful and joyful music style of "Can Be Better" and "Plz Don’t Be Sad", they once again achieved unprecedented success and were named the "strongest new artist" at the time! The wonderful works lead the two groups to the flower road, and everything depends on the man behind the music who silently studies music and constantly innovates - Yong Jun Hyung . Dragon PD, who has left the group, has now returned to the Korean music scene as an independent singer-songwriter. Recently, he came to Hong Kong to sing again after a long absence of 5 years. As the fourth stop of his Asian tour, he also conducted an exclusive interview with VOGUE MAN Hong Kong. , in addition to sharing his impressions of Hong Kong, he also talked about music and fashion, and talked about his music journey from idol, producer to solo singer.

“ I hope to create more music that resonates with everyone, and aim to achieve this

It has been 13 years since Yong Junhyung debuted, and he has always been one of the top songwriters in the Korean music scene. His works registered with the Korean Music Copyright Association are second only to RM @ BTS, G-dragon and Zico. His creative ability is widely known. Not only did he have complete control over all the album tracks of the former idol boy band, but also many of the solo ballads of the members were written by him. Passionate about music, he has even composed the first divine song tailor-made for singers HyunA, Baek Jiyoung, Lyn and others. Therefore, he is known as the "Dragon PD" among music fans, and his ability should not be underestimated. He believes that music is an indispensable element in life for most people, and he expressed his hope that his music can bring comfort to music fans and create various outlets for sharing emotions through different types of themes.

Music is still a life course, but it is still the dream I pursue

When asked about his thoughts on pursuing his dream of music, Yong Junhyung, who is half a senior, is still quite humble and replied with a disdainful expression: "Although I have been working hard for a while, music is still the most important thing to me. It’s a subject that requires continued hard work.” More than two years ago, Yong Junhyung established his own music company BLACK MADE and became active again as a solo singer-songwriter. Earlier, he released his personal mini-album "LONER" again after a long time. The six consecutive singles focus more on melody performance, hoping to bring a different feeling to the music fans. At the same time, he launched the Asia tour meeting with the name "LONER’s ROOM". Although there were ten storms the day before the meeting, fortunately, the weather was good on the day of the performance and the Hong Kong leg was successfully completed last Sunday. Dragon PD even composed the English single "LOVE SONG" for the first time for this overseas performance. Not only did he prepare a lot of heart-warming interactive sessions, but he also played and sang on stage with his guitarist to give back to the people who have always supported him. The fans.

If you also have a music dream, you might as well take the challenge

"When I came to Hong Kong this time, the hotel I stayed in, the performing groups, and the music fans seemed to be the same as five years ago. Everything seemed to have not changed much. At first glance, everything gave me mixed feelings. It was very profound." Although he has been away from the stage for a while, Yong Junhyung is still very grateful for every performance opportunity, because as an independent musician nowadays, it is really not easy to hold large-scale concerts, so he expressed that he cherishes every moment of building common memories with music fans. seconds. Looking back on Yong Junhyung’s solo works, in fact, as early as 2017, when he was still a member of the idol group, he had already released three solo albums

“Flower,” “Wonder If,” and “Goodbye 20’s.” It is a slightly gloomy mixture of HipHop and R&B. It is not difficult to feel in the melody that Yong Junhyung is actually a person with a strong sense of story. The song arrangement also contains rich personal colors, such as his sighing and beautiful chords matching the lyrics. Every piece of music can make music fans listen to the music and listen to Yong Junhyung’s inner thoughts. At the end of the interview, he concluded: "If you also have a music dream, you might as well take the challenge, because this industry is very charming, and I am working hard to make achievements in it." It means that although the road to music creation is difficult, OK, there will definitely be inner struggles along the way, but if you just try your best and do your best, you will always be appreciated by others.

THE INTERVIEW

"Vogue Man" Hong Kong: It's been a long time since I've seen Yong PD on screen or in overseas performances. Would you like to share with me the current situation and the upcoming trends for this year?

Jun Hyung: Recently, I have been actively meeting overseas fans, so I often fly. I am very excited to come to Hong Kong today to meet my long-lost fans! At the same time, I am also very happy to be here to greet the readers of "VOGUE Man" Hong Kong. I will do my best to perform and hope to have a wonderful moment with every audience member.

"Vogue Man" Hong Kong: I know that Yong PD has actually been very diversified in the development of his music career. He is a composer, lyricist, producer, rapper, and singer-songwriter. He also debuted as an idol. Last year, he founded a new brand. Company BLACK MADE... With so many roles, which one do you prefer? Why?

Jun Hyung: Actually, I have been involved in music creation since the very beginning, so my favorite role is definitely that of a singer-songwriter. This role gives me the opportunity to create music with my hands and communicate my feelings and ideas directly to the audience. In the future, I will continue to delve deeper into this role and produce more works. I hope that through my music, I can inspire everyone's ideas in life and become an inspiring singer.

"Vogue Man" Hong Kong: On August 1, Yong PD suddenly released a new English single "Love Song". Can you share with readers the story behind the creation and the interesting experience of writing lyrics in English?

Jun Hyung: Recently, I have been meeting fans from all over the world. Even before I planned to release this song, I had been thinking about how I could get closer to my fans. Therefore, despite my busy schedule, I moved forward the original plan and released this "Love Song". The entire production and recording process of this song was done in English, which is very different from my past works, which were mainly Korean or only mixed with some English. During the recording, I specially invited a professional English singing teacher to guide the pronunciation and pronounce words. I spent more time than usual and put in a lot of hard work to strengthen the practice to ensure that the fans could understand and feel comfortable.

"Vogue Man" Hong Kong: Yong PD is actually known as the "lovelorn singer"/"the prince of OST sad heart songs" among music fans. From his first solo album to the latest "LONER", it is also full of lovelorn songs. , also caused many netizens to joke: "How many times will our Yong PD have to fall out of love?!" How do you feel about this situation?

Jun Hyung: Of course, I have also experienced the pain of separation and love breakup. The reason why I chose love and lost love as the theme of the song is because I think these are the emotions that everyone can relate to the most. I find that when I create music with this kind of subject matter, I can express my worldview more fluidly and naturally. My purpose in creating this type of music is also to bring some comfort to everyone, to resonate with everyone through my music, and to share common feelings and experiences. While these themes may be universal, it's my responsibility as a music creator to try to portray these emotions in interesting and innovative ways, adding my own stories and narratives.

"Vogue Man" Hong Kong: Do you have anything to say to young people who are chasing their (music) dreams?

Jun Hyung: Although I have been working hard in the music field for a long time, for me, music is still a process of continuous learning and overcoming challenges. I have encountered numerous difficulties and at times felt frustrated. However, I want to tell all young people who have music dreams - if you have a dream, pursue it and challenge it. The music industry has an irresistible allure, and when you put your heart and soul into it and persevere, you will see wonderful results. I have been working hard on this road, so I believe you can do it too.

"Vogue Man" Hong Kong: What do you think is different between today's look and your usual look?

Jun Hyung: I usually dress casually and comfortably, but because I had the opportunity to meet a VOGUE MAN reader today, I wanted to dress up a bit more handsomely, so I chose this outfit. For the photo shoot, I will wear another interesting look, which can highlight my two styles. But in private, I prefer comfortable clothes, especially now that the weather is so hot. But even when I go casual, I try to find a few special touches that make my look comfortable and personal.

"Vogue Man" Hong Kong: What's your favorite look and item today?

Jun Hyung: Although I like the suit I'm wearing now, if I had to choose, I would still prefer the first look of the day - the pair of work pants paired with a colorful top. This casual style is more in line with my daily dressing style, and I feel very comfortable and fashionable.

"Vogue Man" Hong Kong: Dragon PD This time you are coming to Hong Kong after a long absence of 5 years. How do you feel about it?

Jun Hyung: To be honest, I can’t remember how long it was last time I came to Hong Kong. But when I set foot on this land again, the memories of my previous time in Hong Kong came back to me. This feeling was wonderful and profound. My current mood can be said to be filled with mixed emotions, a mixture of anticipation and excitement. I believe that when I meet fans at the performance venue, those feelings will be transformed into new and beautiful memories.

"Vogue Man" Hong Kong: In your own memory and feelings, what kind of place is Hong Kong?

Jun Hyung: My feeling about Hong Kong has not changed much. The hotel I stayed in the last time I was in Hong Kong was the one I'm staying in now, which I find amazing. Hong Kong is a very close place to me. Every time I visit, the fans are very enthusiastic towards me and make me feel very warm.

"Vogue Man" Hong Kong: What is your impression of Hong Kong music (or Cantonese songs)?

Jun Hyung: My understanding of Hong Kong music mainly comes from Hong Kong movies. I recently stumbled upon the restored version of "Chungking Express" and I absolutely loved the soundtrack and scenes in the movie. Especially the soundtrack of the movie "Dream Man", I personally like it very much. It also gave me a deeper understanding and appreciation of Hong Kong music.

https://www.voguehk.com/zh/article/vogue-man/exclusive-interview-yong-jun-hyung/