As one among modern-day Okay-pop‘s top-selling soloists, Baekhyun hardly needs an introduction. But with the release of his new solo album Hello, World, the singer-songwriter is signaling more than just another musical comeback — it’s the beginning of a brand new period, the place Baekhyun is equally concerned behind the scenes as he’s when performing the songs onstage.

After his 2023 exit from SM Entertainment, the Okay-pop label the place he spent 12 early life as a member of EXO in addition to its subunit EXO-CBX, and the Billboard 200-topping supergroup SuperM, Baekhyun established a brand new residence at INB100, which additionally homes fellow EXO members Xiumin and Chen. While EXO’s group actions stay tied to SM, Hello, World is Baekhyun’s first launch exterior his longtime label, showcasing the expansion and independence cultivated as a longtime idol performer and an more and more extra hands-on Okay-pop skilled.

Hello, World tracks just like the bossa nova-inspired “Rendez-Vous” and crunchy-yet-harmonious, electro-pop minimize “Woo” strike a stability between the polished, silky R&B and jazz influences Baekhyun first confirmed in 2019’s City Lights (that peaked at No. 4 on Billboard’s World Albums chart and spent 16 weeks on the chart) to extra experimental concepts he’s been desperate to discover together with a rap-like supply on “Cold Heart” and the ’80s new wave-tinged departure into synth-pop on the lead single “Pineapple Slice.” Now having a production-heavy hand in all the things from musical course to visible ideas, tracklisting and fan connectivity, the celebrity admits that his perfectionist tendencies slowed down the method however in the end led him to the correct stability.

“I’m a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to music,” Baekhyun shares throughout a day Zoom name from a Seoul workplace. “I think [the album] was delayed because I was trying to find the right feel to release the perfect album, which was really born from the title track ‘Pineapple Slice,’ which ended up being just the song I was looking for.”

The lead single’s sweet-yet-sultry vibe turned the cornerstone for the remainder of the album, inspiring the 32-year-old to push boundaries and additional personalize his artistic course of.

“Now, I want to express my opinion, my ideas and what I want to try,” Baekhyun provides. “I think it’s fun to build up from the primary stages of preparing for an album and working together with a team where I’ve been able to contribute more is exciting. I feel a bit more ownership.”

While Baekhyun’s comeback could seem like a seamless return to kind from the surface, Hello, World outcomes from numerous hours spent behind the scenes, meticulously crafting his sound and picture to kickstart a brand new chapter with grace. For now, the EP is Baekhyun’s approach of claiming he’s again and able to tackle much more in his subsequent part, sharing with Billboard extra in regards to the album, the processes behind it, and the way he desires to satisfy followers all over the world.

How are you feeling with this new album launch? The album’s title is Hello, World, and the opening track is “Good Morning.” Does it really feel like a brand new day for you as an artist?

I actually like new beginnings so I’m very exited about this new chapter in my life and excited to indicate a better viewers what I’ve ready. That’s precisely why I put “Good Morning” as the primary monitor on the album and why I named it Hello, World as a result of the primary lyrics that begin the track are “Hello, world” so I needed lots of people to hear and really feel like, “Oh, this is the start.” The track was type of made to really feel like preparation to your coronary heart to hearken to the remainder of the album; it has an general very comfortable sound and I believed that it might be good to construct up musically all through the album. I used to be very specific with the tracklist, so I’m very comfortable that the order of songs get progressively extra climactic.

This isn’t your first solo album, however your first beneath your new firm in INB100. Has the method been comparable or completely different to previous releases?

It’s very completely different from after I launched my earlier album. Now, I wish to specific my opinion, my concepts, and what I wish to attempt, which I believe is actually good as a result of I can attempt lots of massive, new concepts. I believe it’s enjoyable to construct up from the first levels of getting ready for an album and dealing along with a staff the place I’ve been in a position to contribute extra is thrilling. So, I really feel a bit extra possession of the album — I’m excited for it to turn into one among my favorites.

You enlisted within the navy for nearly two years, and it’s been three-and-a-half years since your final solo document in 2021. Generally talking, what took so lengthy?

I’m a little bit of a perfectionist with regards to music, and I believe it was delayed as a result of I used to be looking for the fitting really feel to launch the right album, which was actually born from the title monitor [single] “Pineapple Slice,” which ended up being simply the track I used to be on the lookout for. As lengthy because it took, I actually put lots of effort into this to have the ability to put and present much more of the issues that I needed to do.

What type of issues have been you ready to do that time?

I had lots of ideas about wanting to indicate who I’m as an artist in the long run which signifies that I ought to deal with the music that I get pleasure from and inventive selections that I, as an artist, want to make. Stylistically, lots of the music is what I desires to do. The style is R&B, however there are such a lot of genres that I can department out to additional with that style as a base. I even tried rapping on this album which was one thing new for me.

Second off, process-wise — the music video, the recording process and the visuals — all the things was a bit of bit extra “Baekhyun-centric” and I used to be in a position to enter much more of my opinions. Instead of somebody saying, “Oh, this would look good on you,” I used to be in a position to, I assume, reverse that course of and say, “This is what I’ve been envisioning for myself, what do you guys think?” and transfer ahead from there.

You say Hello, World is impressed by film genres with the album description saying, “A world where imagination becomes reality.” How precisely did you present this?

I’ve carried out lots of completely different ideas all through my profession and I consider that the job of an idol is to type of expertise all these completely different sides you present. So, I believed that [making] the key phrase “films” or “movies” could be a great way to place that in like one massive field and specific all these various things that I’ve carried out as one massive style. So, pretending that that is all a film means I can flip my creativeness into actuality: I will be the stuntman, I generally is a author, I will be the director; there are such a lot of completely different roles that go into making a film…the “Pineapple Slice” music video is vampire themed and that additionally type of faucets into the fantasy and magic style. But, as soon as once more, creativeness turns into actuality as a result of, not like the stereotypical vampire who’s afraid of the solar and will get burned by the daylight, my character within the music video doesn’t, so it’s even these little twists that mirror again on the overarching theme of a world that I’ve imagined.

You will be very theatrical in your music, ideas, and even your vocals, however I’ve additionally learn you’re very low-key; proper now, you’re in a T-shirt and easy hair. Does it really feel such as you’re performing while you go into Okay-pop idol ideas? Is idol life like performing in a approach?

I believe the job of an idol is just like that of an actor, who acts in accordance with the scene or idea. While I’m very glad with my job, I don’t normally prefer to put on make-up each day in order that’s why I’m a bit extra informal right now. [Laughs] But then again, I believe there are variations. Onstage, I undoubtedly deal with the second and absolutely digest the idea within the track, however I don’t actually really feel like that’s performing — it’s not like I’m placing on a brand new persona. It’s extra in order that I deal with the second and the job of performing the track completely greater than being faux or pretending to be one thing.

The first preview we obtained of the album was the bossa nova-inspired “Rendez-Vous” carried out throughout your Lonsdaleite Asia tour. Why was this track vital to introduce your new chapter of music?

I needed to indicate essentially the most “Baekhyun-like” fashion from the songs I had. It’s been some time since I’ve been out [with new music], so I needed to indicate followers a sound they have been extra accustomed to as an alternative of one thing utterly new that might really feel shocking or distant. I personally actually just like the track “Rendez-Vous,” such as you talked about it incorporates bossa nova, and that’s what I get pleasure from about R&B is the way it can department into and be altered in so many alternative methods relying on what you fuse in it.

Even since your final document, R&B music has modified a lot, so it’s cool that you are able to do areas you’re snug with and play with one thing new in a track like “Pineapple Slice.”

When I first heard “Pineapple Slice, ” I obtained the texture throughout the first few seconds that this was the monitor I needed to make as my single. I’d been looking for a track that has a really intriguing instrumental and catches the ear and “Pineapple Slice “did that. The bassline is very catchy so when you first hear it, I could kind of envision people listening and tapping their feet to the bass. And it’s different from his first three albums [singles] “UN Village,” “Candy,” and “Bambi” in that it has a stronger sound reasonably than the smoother, jazzy vibe. But the lyrics are very candy, talking a few male character attempting to lure and seduce a lover, so I believe the distinction can also be very charming.

What do you assume is essentially the most shocking track on the album for followers?

“Cold Heart” was a monitor that, after I first heard it, I used to be very very similar to, “Oh, would I be able to pull this off?” however I actually needed to present it a shot. It was the primary time I selected a track that I needed to be higher at; I selected it as a result of I needed to type of show that I may do it. I’ve spent as long as a vocalist, and this monitor has lots of hip-hop influences and references, so discovering the proper tone for rap was very troublesome. So, I’m nonetheless feeling very nervous about this track popping out to the world and that the discharge day can be my “judgment day” because the followers will then be capable to see whether or not or not I actually pulled it off. I consider they’ll assume, “Oh, Baekhyun sings this kind of song?”

It’s nice to listen to you difficult your self in all these other ways beneath your new firm. Why was it vital so that you can escape and create an area with your personal firm?

First of all, I needed to satisfy my followers extra and get a bit of bit extra nearer to them. And I at all times needed to take part extra in my very own album course of. With this query, reasonably than interested by having fun with a brand new kind of problem, it’s extra in order that I actually simply needed to get nearer to my followers and listeners. Likewise, I consider that now I gained’t must take as lengthy of a break between releases and hope to have the ability to come again in a faster timeframe. Working with my staff and other people, extra potentialities are open for me with regard to issues that I can do sooner or later, like producing, for instance. Although there aren’t any set plans as of now, it’s a dream of mine and I believed this new chapter would open such doorways.

That is smart since you’re maintaining group actions with EXO sturdy and have EXO-CBX with you at INB100. More Okay-pop artists are balancing exterior solo careers with group actions. How do you personally stability each side?

Many followers wish to proceed seeing new sides of the group, so I perceive that and we’ll proceed to attempt new issues and meet you sooner or later collectively. As for Baekhyun as a soloist, I really feel that’s a bit of bit completely different from Baekhyun as part of a bunch. So, sooner or later, I’m excited to indicate three completely different sides of myself: as part of a unit, a solo artist, and in addition as a part of a bunch. So I hope my followers are additionally excited to witness that journey alongside [me] because it occurs.

Anything you’ll be able to tease to your followers on this new period? Or different messages to the followers?

So, at the start, I’ll undoubtedly be engaged on album promotions. Apart from that, I wish to go on a world tour sometime — and it’s undoubtedly a risk that’s, uh, not very removed from attain. [Laughs] Since I lately completed my Asia tour, I wish to department out additional to followers all over the world…

To EXO-Ls who’ve been ready for my album for such a very long time, I’m so grateful for all of you and I wish to promise you that there’ll by no means be a break like this once more. I’ll present you lots of nice issues sooner or later with new appears, new music, and all of the cool issues I’m prepared to indicate the world. And like I barely teased earlier than, I’m able to go meet extra followers all over the world so I hope that everybody stays comfortable and wholesome till we meet once more.