omonatheydid | Teen Top’s Niel Spills on Having Thick Lips, Being Mistaken as Mixed Race and More (Reply)

Teen Top’s Niel spilled his honest thoughts on his thick lips.

Having released his first solo album oNIELy on February 16, Teen Top’s Niel shared his thoughts on being mistaken as mixed race due to his appearance.

Entering the sixth year since his debut in 2010, Niel said, “My original dream was not to be singer. My mother played a big part in me becoming a singer. I heard that my mother liked acting and had a dream in this field. She actively supported me so that I could become a singer.”

However, talk about his thick lips always followed him around after his debut. Niel was able to spread Teen Top’s name thanks to his lips but it could have been something that is not very pleasant to hear as an idol. About this, Niel said, “I’ve always been called the ‘guy with thick lips’ ever since I debuted and I think it’s good because many people recognize me.”

Niel said, “You have to leave a firm impression when you’re a rookie and I think I was able to do that with my lips so I think positively about it. To be honest, I didn’t like it when I was a student. But if I think about it now, I think my lips are good lips because it’s easy to remember.”

About being mistaken as a mixed race, Niel said, “There is no foreigner in my family but I guess I received the genes from my aunts, who have an exotic appearance. Even my pronunciation isn’t articulate because I sang a lot of pop songs when I was little. So I think many people mistake me as mixed race.”

Niel also shared thoughts on his ‘weak idol’ image. Niel said, “I’m the type that doesn’t gain weight, but I’m not weak. I like exercising but since my legs are slim, the girl idols think of me as an idol they want to protect. So I even went to Shaolin Monastery and the jungle but I think people still look at me as the guy they want to protect. In real life, I’m the man that can protect.”

Meanwhile, Niel released his first solo album oNIELy on February 16 and has been promoting actively with the title song Lovekiller.
source: mwave