▲ This photo, provided by Maroo Corp., shows Park Ji-hoon. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

 

SEOUL, Apr. 12 (Yonhap) -- “It would be a lie to say that I never get exhausted to simultaneously continue both my singing and acting careers. However, I cannot stop when I think about those who love me,” said the South Korean singer-cum-actor Park Ji-hoon during the showcase event for his seventh mini album “Blank or Black” held on Tuesday.

“I sometimes feel like I wish to take some time off, but I feel proud whenever I accomplish something that I wish to have done,” added the 23-year-old singer.

As a former member of the now-disbanded boy band Wanna One, the artist has never taken a break from his singing career as a soloist and marked his fourth solo debut anniversary whilst acting on screen. He, who was widely acclaimed last year for his impressive take on Yeon Si-eun -- the main lead of the smash-hit web series “Weak Hero Class 1” --, is set to star in KBS’ upcoming television series “The Fantasy Love Song” (literal title) and the movie “Pretty Audrey” (literal title).

Park said, “I usually do not get easily bothered by how popular my work gets while acting,” adding, “I still feel beyond grateful and honored that so many people loved me as Yeon Si-eun.”

The artist also named fans as his unparalleled motivation that keeps him running without taking a pause, saying, “Whenever I continue my acting career, I inevitably have to take a break from my singing career. However, my fans are always patient with me. I have no other choice but to work hard as I feel both sorry and grateful for them.”

His seventh mini album “Blank or Black” captures his ambition to show his many-sided and multi-faceted charms, which he compares to a complicated maze.

Led by the title track “Blank Effect,” his album consists of a total of six tracks, including “Gemini” which combines pop, hip-hop, and electronica sounds, and “Black Hour” which highlights his attractive low-tone voice.

“Black Effect” is a future hip-hop genre song with an intense synthesizer and 808 bass sound in the background. During the program, Park also added that he had the movie “Joker” as the reference for this track to melt down his incomparable charms into diverse emotions.

Park said, “The title track captures hollowness and loneliness,” adding, “In the music video, I dance alone with my face covered under the light. Although I pretend to be strong, I am actually sad inside. As Joker does, I tried to express such emotions that we tend to feel when we smile from the outside but are actually crying inside.”

With the subtitle of his title track being “Faceless,” the singer sang and rapped without making any expression on the stage as if trying to conceal his emotions.

“I had so many thoughts on how to express this track,” the singer said. “I could not just express it too hard but it could not sound too sweet. Something was missing. I had to record it multiple times to find the mid-spot.”

As a soloist who is destined to fill the stage all by himself, Park mentioned pop stars Usher and Chris Brown as his favorite pop singers, saying that their moves, facial expressions, and gestures inspire him.

When asked about his growth as a singer-cum-actor, he answered his “mental strength," adding, “I used to waste my time worrying too much or pondering over something fruitless, but now I try to challenge myself instead.”

Park Ji-hoon’s seventh mini album “Blank or Black” will be available across various online music sites and streaming platforms on Tuesday at 6 p.m. (KST).


(This article is translated from Korean to English by Ha eun Lee)

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