TVXQ’s Changmin will be making his first solo debut 17 years after his debut.
His first solo album, Chocolate, will be released on various music sites at 6:00 p.m. on April 6 KST, and the music video of the title song, “Chocolate,” will also be released simultaneously through YouTube and NAVER TV’s SMTOWN channels.
According to SM Entertainment, the singer’s agency, “Chocolate” is a song that features Changmin’s skillful yet sexy vocals, and the upcoming music video will capture the singer’s charm.
Since this is the first solo album to be released by Changmin, the album will include a total of six different vocal styles, ranging from the title track “Chocolate” of the pop dance genre to “High Heels” of groovy charm, “Lie” and “Piano” of trendy sensuality, “Me, Myself & I” of R&B genre and “No Tomorrow” of folk-rock genre.
Changmin, who is releasing his first solo album, delivered his thoughts through his agency.
Q1. How do you feel about releasing your first solo album?
A. I’d like to thank my fans for waiting for my solo debut. In fact, anyone who dreams of being a singer hopes to create a solo album that fully presents one’s own color. I’m just glad to be able to release my own work.
Q2. What made you decide to become a solo artist after 17 years of debut?
A. I think it took about 17 years for me to break out of the pressure of “I would like to do this kind of music” or “I would like to perform in such a way.” I’ve been waiting for me to comfortably express how I feel and what I can do, and that took 17 years. I would like to thank my fans once again for waiting for me all this time.
Q3. What kind of song is the title track “Chocolate”?
A. “Chocolate” is a dance-pop genre with a melody that shows my range of vocals, from low to high notes. If you listen carefully to the chorus, you’ll get addicted to the catchy melody.
Q4. What was U-Know’s reaction to your solo album? What kind of advice did he give you?
A. As you know, neither of us is sweet enough to exchange advice or encouragements through texts (laughs). We exchange words with our eyes in silence and we understand what they mean. Yunho bought an ice cream cake for the entire staff and visited the MV set. It must have meant, “please make a great music video for Changmin,” but he didn’t say much at the set and just stood at a corner. I was so thankful for that. Also, after listening to the song, he told me that I made a smart choice in choosing the song that perfectly suits me.
Q5. What do you want to show through this solo album?
A. I didn’t work on the album with the ambition of ‘Let’s try something new,’ but I’d appreciate it if you feel that way upon hearing the songs. I did my best to express what I love and what I can do well in my voice. Rather than wanting to be presented in a particular way, I’m determined to express what I have for now.
Q6. You’ve also participated in writing the lyrics for this album, including “Chocolate.” Where do you usually get your inspiration when you write?
A. When I write lyrics, I usually listen to the one word in the demo and get inspiration from it to write the entire lyrics. “Chocolate” was the same case. When I first heard the word chocolate, I thought that it was a very ambitious word. Desserts aren’t always necessary, but there’s an addictive image of it that when it’s around, you would end up eating it. Like this, I wanted to use chocolate as a medium of expressing a desire to meet a woman I desire.
Q7. Do you have any plans or goals for your solo album?
A. I hope that this album, which expresses the 34-years-old Shim Changmin, will serve as a medium for my fans to look forward to my activities and music. I want to show my current self to the people who support me, so you could say that this is an album dedicated to Cassiopeia (TVXQ’s Fanclub).
