Monotony may have been the defining feature of a year as restricting as 2021, but for K-pop icon Woosung, it was a lesson in the importance of rest. The state of idleness is under-rated, he highlights in his latest single, ‘Lazy’. In a world that idealises being industrious, ‘Lazy’ suggests it is okay to want to take a break from never-ending schedules.
“For me, it (being lazy/taking rest) just feels like I am accomplishing something for my body,” says Woosung in an email interview. “I feel that unproductive days give me the time to heal and make me more productive. They motivate me to work harder. That balance really matters a lot in life. We must give time to other beautiful things in life,” he continues, “What is life without fun for yourself? It is great to have a goal but as I grew older, I realised that rest is equally important.”
The track — a long-awaited one for his fans — is Woosung’s first release with his own production team. “I was both nervous and excited, all mixed emotions,” says the singer.
A decade-long journey, and lessons along the way
Kim Woo Sung, fondly known as Woosung (or Sammy) began his K-Pop journey a decade ago by participating in the South Korean survival reality show K-Pop Star (Season 1) in 2011. Starting off as just another teenager with the dream of making it big one day, the Korean-American took the greatest leap in his life, flying all the way from Los Angeles, California, to South Korea to pursue music as a profession.
“If you stick with a thing for 10 years, something will definitely happen. There were many times I thought of giving up; in fact I did almost give up on music. My third year in Korea was one of the hardest times and if I had given up then, I wouldn’t be where I am now,” the artiste opens up.
In the next few years, Woosung would go on to taste success: in 2017, he made his debut as the leader of the boy band, The Rose, along with members Park Do-joon, Lee Ha-joon, and Lee Jae-hyeong, releasing the hit single ‘Sorry’. In 2019, the singer established himself as a solo artist with his first EP, Wolf . Now, with titles as singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer under his belt, Woosung is an unsung veteran in the K-Pop scene.
As part of one of the most competitive industries in the world, Woosung acknowledges the pressure of being productive every day. Yet, he shares a different story which he has learnt through the years. “I thought that making good music is the only thing that would give me happiness, but there are so many other things in life that can do that. Just one thing cannot keep you happy in life,” he says. All one needs to do is take baby steps in achieving little things in the direction you want your life to take, he adds. “When it becomes a habit, it becomes a lot easier. There are no shortcuts in life and even people at the heights of their career lead a very balanced life.”
