Changmin (TVXQ) for Vogue Korea March 2022

[goldie3.livejournal.com]

Changmin sat down for an interview with Vogue Korea March 2022:







The interview translations (credit to @janietvxq on twitter):
Q: I see that you're reading . I know you're an avid reader but I'm surprised to see you reading this book.
Changmin: at the beginning of each year, I look through the recent trends. Its been 3-4 years. I try to do it again in the middle of the year too, but its not easy.

Q: Do you enjoy reading social sciences and humanities rather than literature?
Changmin: At some point, yes, I started to find that more interesting. Whether I'm looking a news or movies, the more I learn, the more diverse my view and interpretation become. I don't only look at one side, but I try to look at the history of other side as well, and think about what the consequence of that is. I try not to have just one view that's too tilted to one side.

Q: Through things like social media, where you can only look at what you want, or YouTube, where you get recommendations only based on what you like, we now only hear what we want to hear, and become friends with people with similar views as us.
Changmin: I agree. The algorithms only show us things that are similar to what we've already seen. It's convenient in a way, but it's so easy to lose our diversity. Even if it takes effort, I have to try to look at different opinions.

Q: from "Devil" to "Fever", your second mini album promotions are coming to an end. Its your first solo album in 1 year and 9 months. How do you rate yourself?
Changmin: I'm definitely not satisfied with everything, but I'm generally happy with it. It took me about a year to make the album. It takes quite a lot of time to pick the songs. Since the company has a number of artists now, we have to stagger our releases. I didn't want to be bound by that. I wanted to make an album that I was satisfied with, even if it took longer. I was afraid that I would seem like I was stagnating, or that I was approaching this in a boring way. Whether or not this was "trendy", I did everything I could to elevate the quality of my content.

Q: Did you make the comeback when you were 100% satisfied then?
Changmin: Pop isn't something you do just to satisfy yourself or to comfort yourself. The listeners should be able to relate to it and like it. I have no regrets, and even if it's not the majority of people, I was relieved that the fans who do listen to my music said they liked it. I was so thankful for the review right said, "this is something only Max Changmin could have done and it's also a great song."

Q: I interviewed BoA and we said something similar then. That we can't satisfy everyone in this diverse society, and if you make music that you're happy with and if your fans like it, then that's enough.
Changmin: I agree fully.

Q: you wrote the lyrics for "Devil" yourself. It reads as if you've found the answer to something you've been struggling with. The lyrics tell a story of you breaking down the 'devil' that has been haunting you. What was that devil for you?
Changmin: I had no confidence about what I'm good at. I didn't know how to express my colour through my music, or what type of vocals suits me. Or, whether the 'me' I'm trying to express is stagnant, when I should show that I'm progressing. That was my devil.

Q: I looked thorugh a lot of interviews, and it looks like you're always thinking about who you are and how you should communicate with the public. Seems you're still working on that.
Changmin: it is. It's always the question I ask.

Q: you were quite active on YouTube this time around. You were on non-celeb led channels like "Dr. Friends" and "354 channel" too. Did you feel that there was a difference from your previous promotions?
Changmin: I personally chose all the channels that I went on. Since there are a lot of platforms now, and each individual can be their own broadcast company in a way, I wanted to take these promos in a completely different direction. And instead of chasing numbers, I wanted to do things that I liked. It seems I keep saying the same thing over and over, but I don't expect everyone to see me in a positive light. I thought if I went on things that I enjoy, the people who have similar interests as me would be interested in me, too. It might be bold of me to say, but I promoted in a way that I maximized my connection with people who support me and want to communicate with me.

Q: you've been pretty active on variety shows with your hobby, which is cooking. You finished up "Bistro Shigor" in January. What's the plan now?
Changmin: If I get the opportunity again, I'd like to look at it seriously, but for now, I'd like to take some time to myself. That way, when I go on a show, I can show my depth. I have to focus on one thing so that other people listen to my story, watch my actions, or my cooking with faith. I think now, you have to be truly genuine for you to get something across. There are a lot of people who like cooking so there are similar shows everywhere - but of those, only the ones who genuinely love cooking are the ones who are able to get their love across. I want to be one of those people.

Q: Besides cooking, what else do you want to learn?
Changmin: you might think this answer is an excuse for me to drink, but I'd like to learn more about different theres of alcohol. I'm thinking I'll do some learning this year.

Q: You've loved wine for a long time. I guess you'd now like to learn about the history and recipe for different types of alcohol too.
Changmin: there's so much for me to learn. As an entertainer, I am thankful to be busy, but if I were to say something ungrateful. I'd say at some point, I have to be greedy for learning so that I can continue to improve myself.

Q: you're saying you get your energy from your work as an entertainer, but to do that, you have to keep using parts of yourself. You mean you need some time to fill those empty parts, right? Seems we have to wait a bit longer until the third mini album.
Changmin: I have to find time for that outside of work. And my albums - I've got to always work hard for that.

Q: I hear you journal, and that progresses into lyrics. Whar do you like about journaling, and then immortalizing it into lyrics?
Changmin: I do like to take some time to go through the emotions that I felt that day and comfort myself. I'm not so disciplined so I don't do it every days but when I handwrite slowly, I become calm and more at peace. And my thought feel more organized.

Q: I think that's the charm of handwriting. Typing may be faster, but you have time to think once more while you're writing by hand.
Changmin: The society just wants you to enter things in quickly, but I think taking my time helps my temperament.

Q: Do you ever look through your old entries?
Changmin: Sometimes. When I read it, it's so cringey. It's so young and unrefined, but I my personality's stayed the same.

Q: Do you ever think, "wow, I can't believe I uses to think this"?
Changmin: some of my old thoughts are quite interesting. But I believe that I will keep improving if I keep looking back on myself.

Q: And you will continue to write lyrics in the future?
Changmin: I don't really have the greed to want to keep writing my own stories as lyrics. Of course, some may say that the more personal the lyrics are, the more you advance as an artist with a vision. But it's not always easy to relate to someone else like that, and often, things turn black and white, like, you're on my side or yours. I'm honestly quite a nervous person, so I'm a bit wary of filling my music and lyrics with my only my personal stories.

Q: this album is full of different voices of Max Changmin. Not even between tracks, but even within one song, your vocals change.
Changmin: I get more bored now when I hear a 3-4 minute song with just one vocal colour. Like there's a beginning-middle-end flow to a song, I think vocals should be dynamic, building from quiet to strong. I don't know if this is the perfect metaphor, but people like the calm, quiet sea, but they find the story of the unpredictable sea more interesting. They also prefer emotionally charged works rather than a mellow work with just innocence and beauty.

Q: A story contains adventure, crisis, and choice.
Changmin: In that way, I have to also show diversity. I have to learn the trends, and everything else that I don't know in order to survive longer as an artist. Park Jin Young said something similar before -that he's confident that he's going to continue to progress as a singer until he's 60 years old. If I'm going to be a pop singer, then I have the duty to continue learning and evolving. Things change so quickly nowadays so its hard to follow sometimes, but I'm trying my best.

Q: Max Changmin doesn't stop.
Changmin: That's the only way to survive. Not to be loved by everyone, but I want my music to keep moving and evolving.

Q: At the "Devil" presscon, you said, "I thought a lot about why I am a singer now and how long I'm going to be a singer for".
Changmin: the thought was stronger than ever before. The reason why I am here is for the fans who support me and like my music. If it weren't for them, I would quit singing, with no regrets. Even if that's right now. This is me saying this in the least strong way. Some people might hear that and think that I don't want to sing anymore, but it means that I feel with my entire being that the singer called Max Changmin exists because of the fans. I am a pop singer - if I have no fans, that means my life as a singer has expired, and I should stop singing. As much, the existence of those who support me are, it might be cringey, but like my heart. If it weren't for them, it would not be an overstatement to say that my life as a singer is over. Of course, I need to keep growing. If no one is curious about me that means I wasn't able to keep up with the changes and the flow and that I stagnated.

Q: that there is no personal relationship but that they love you - amazing, isn't it? Although some people take it for granted
Changmin: I feel it more and more as time goes by. Of course, some people were interested in me when I was a fresh young thing singing and dancing, but the fact that even though I've changed outwardly and our situations changed, that they support me unchangingly is so precious. I shouldn't be tricked by the familiarity of it to forget how precious it is.

Q: there's also the flip side of being an entertainer.
Changmin: as the saying goes, "a frog gets hit and dies from a stone that was cast unthinkingly". No matter how much I get hit by those stones, I never get used to it. While there are those who like me, there are those who hate me for no reason. Even if I'm not searching for those comments, I have no choice but to see them sometimes, and my self esteem falls and life feels like agony. But I'm able to overcome that and think preciously of my job thanks to my fans.

Q: you've said you'd like to have a long run, like the soft rain. I'm curious. Since you poured out your passion when you were young, don't you think you'd like to rest when you're older, when you're free?
Changmin: I'm blessed that what I like is my job. Of course, sometimes its stressful and I want to get away, I take away so much more from my job. There are lots of people who work at what they love even though they're financially comfortable. I'm not saying I want as much love or attention as the popular singers nowadays. But that I want to passionately involve myself in my job dor a long time. I'm grateful that I have a job that's compatible with that.

Q: in a way, its a job without retirement.
Changmin: even if its menial labour, I will always work. Because humans are social animals, they need to experience the emotions that occur in the job and the relationships there. If you live without that thirst... to put it roughly, that means your life is over. I'm not saying I'm going to chase glamour, but that I'd like to work hard, and also live a simple, quiet life.

End interview

There was a naver post where more pictures and behind pictures from the Vogue shoot were posted, few are given below (rest at the source):










Source:
Vogue
Translation
Naver

Comments

[broadcities.livejournal.com]

he looks great with that longer hair style!

[goldie3.livejournal.com]

he does carry longer hair well!! one of the few guys actually

[neoreulwonhae.livejournal.com]

Ugh, he's so gorgeous. His wife is so lucky lol. Enjoyed the interview too, I like his outlook on things.

[lightframes.livejournal.com]

Love the last photo with the pearls!

[mizukigirl.livejournal.com]

I wish that the photos were more interesting, but as always he is handsome. I am really glad that I loved his 2nd mini album more than his first one.

I didn't realize that there were books on the latest trends because I tend to read about the latest trends via the internet until I watched a Korean youtuber's vlog where they talked about the books they read.