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Harpers Bazaar
Harpers Bazaar December 12 issue.harper’s bazaar ♡ december ‘12 issue
translation by: thatcoolcatmeow (text ver.) it was the day after it rained. the air held bleak moisture to the extent that the thickness of the coat that i wrote doubled compared to the day before. if i were to compare an atmosphere phenomenon to a person then that day was just close to a weather that was very "jonghyun"-like. according to his expression, who liked these kind of days, it was "dark blue weather with a little hint of depression." A slim guy with vetements hoodie on came striding into the third basement studio that was dark like the middle of the night even during the daytime. if you roll up the black piece of clothing that was covering his small frame, stocky arm muscles that cannot be predicted just by his tiny face and silhouette appear. he looks like as if he is a boxer just about to step into the ring. the place that he will step into after a month is the stage. he will have a solo concert in seoul (3rd / 4th) and busan (17th / 18th) in december. |
Not long ago, he posted a short message on twitter that made people strangely curious: "it's a concert for (those) over fifteen. do. you. know. why." he attached a photo of his muscular upper body just above that mentioned saying: "concert vcr all completed! now preparing the performance more productively."
"i lost body fat and gained more weight than last time. i should say that my tension is fully high as i've exercised so hard? i hope the audience leaves feeling physically drained after the concert just like i am. feeling dumbfounded thinking: "oh my"." (laughs) unpredictable things such as: fantastical character, splendid stage settings and sexual elements are planned to take place in the korea university hwajung stadium.
"i lost body fat and gained more weight than last time. i should say that my tension is fully high as i've exercised so hard? i hope the audience leaves feeling physically drained after the concert just like i am. feeling dumbfounded thinking: "oh my"." (laughs) unpredictable things such as: fantastical character, splendid stage settings and sexual elements are planned to take place in the korea university hwajung stadium.
Jonghyun is commonly acknowledged as a workaholic. to rapidly recite his schedule of the day of this shooting: he came straight to the studio when (he) returned to incheon airport after completing a schedule in japan the day before, then he received an applause from the staff and gained a nickname of "the king of poses" as he changed into seven outfits with a spark, having slept on a few hours. not only did he hum and move with the rhythm when a michael jackson song came on that the photographer selected as background music for the shooting, but he also looked shy covering his mouth when he had to make christmas greetings to the camera midst of a silence. what is this guy?
"aggressive and intense character tends to come out only when i'm on stage. i live much more quietly in daily life. i think i got from one extreme to another. while there's a side of me that gives off a penetrating energy like a workaholic, there's also a pessimistic energy inside of me, too. i think those two sides come and go in a day."
the former side seemed to be expressed very shortly, like a flame, while the latter, the calm and quiet time, seemed to be much longer and more important to him. it's because he needs a long time to think. "do you know why a giraffe is called a giraffe?" i, who has never questioned about the three letters of my name, could only give a rote answer of: "because it's neck is long?" (*) (the answer is that it's called a giraffe because it looks like another animal named giraffe that exists in legend.) i think i will giggle when i see that animal of a legend on a beer can for awhile now. "i really like these kind of things (laughs) i have a lot of curiosity about why a certain word is made that way. name is like a promise between people, right? the process of finding the root of a word is interesting." where did the existence of jonghyun start and become the name he has now to people?
idol, singer-songwriter, producer, radio dj, and a "writing guy", jonghyun, who published a novel, skeleton flower: things that have been set free. he bravely dropped out of high school firmed in his belief, entered into music school having found his career path very early, and in his walk of working as a member of shinee, and as an individual musician named jonghyun, there has always been an "act of writing". jonghyun looked like a person who has a storytelling as his second nature. his songwriting work, that takes place in the order of: creating the title → writing the lyrics → composing, usually starts on a memo in his phone. we asked what the most recent thing he wrote on it was. he replied, pressing a button saying: "shall we have a look right now?" and calmly read the lyrics that we could perhaps listen to as a song one day. "there's an app called "sseum" (**) it gives you a topic to write about every day and, when you write something according to that, you can share it with other people. for example, you are given random words or phrases like: "sleep talk", "a vain attempt". i have been writing continuously recently these days with a concept. i become a person that misses someone and writes with that heart."
"aggressive and intense character tends to come out only when i'm on stage. i live much more quietly in daily life. i think i got from one extreme to another. while there's a side of me that gives off a penetrating energy like a workaholic, there's also a pessimistic energy inside of me, too. i think those two sides come and go in a day."
the former side seemed to be expressed very shortly, like a flame, while the latter, the calm and quiet time, seemed to be much longer and more important to him. it's because he needs a long time to think. "do you know why a giraffe is called a giraffe?" i, who has never questioned about the three letters of my name, could only give a rote answer of: "because it's neck is long?" (*) (the answer is that it's called a giraffe because it looks like another animal named giraffe that exists in legend.) i think i will giggle when i see that animal of a legend on a beer can for awhile now. "i really like these kind of things (laughs) i have a lot of curiosity about why a certain word is made that way. name is like a promise between people, right? the process of finding the root of a word is interesting." where did the existence of jonghyun start and become the name he has now to people?
idol, singer-songwriter, producer, radio dj, and a "writing guy", jonghyun, who published a novel, skeleton flower: things that have been set free. he bravely dropped out of high school firmed in his belief, entered into music school having found his career path very early, and in his walk of working as a member of shinee, and as an individual musician named jonghyun, there has always been an "act of writing". jonghyun looked like a person who has a storytelling as his second nature. his songwriting work, that takes place in the order of: creating the title → writing the lyrics → composing, usually starts on a memo in his phone. we asked what the most recent thing he wrote on it was. he replied, pressing a button saying: "shall we have a look right now?" and calmly read the lyrics that we could perhaps listen to as a song one day. "there's an app called "sseum" (**) it gives you a topic to write about every day and, when you write something according to that, you can share it with other people. for example, you are given random words or phrases like: "sleep talk", "a vain attempt". i have been writing continuously recently these days with a concept. i become a person that misses someone and writes with that heart."
it's not only text that gives inspiration for him to write songs, but there's also the power of sounds. he listens attentively to voices of other sings like: kim ye rim, iu, son dam bi, lee hi, etc., occasionally played a role as a producer while working for their song, and raised favorable reviews to these days for an indie musician called oohyo.
"i cannot read and listen at the same time. when i hear music, i sing along to it at first and then i listen focusing on the story of the lyrics or the title. i think sight and hearing cannot coexist. so, sometimes, i put on candles too. i like the scent of musk and wood. i'm not sensitive about other things, but i'm a little sensitive about scents. i remember well about the scent of a certain space of a person." it was evident that his attachment to scent was clear as he's been using hermes' voyage perfume for nearly seven years now. the reason why he neatly piles body lotion, oils, mist and hair perfume on his body is also because: "i have to have my favorite scent. people know even when i'm not there when i get on and off from the company's elevator. "jonghyun came?" (laughs)" what scent did jonghyun match with his solo album that he has worked (with) so far? "i think it would be good to light up a wood scent for the collection album and a sexy scent that carries the color red for my mini album."
i had a strange emotion while typing out the file that recorded my conversation with jonghyun. his voice is actually the voice that i've heard like the second hand of a clock ever since the winter of 2014; during that time when it crossed over from midnight to dawn. radio is like a habit to me. it is done unconciously and repeatedly. i think i have recognized that the end of the day has come being absentminded on a window seat or a bus or in a room through his voice.
he recently celebrated the 1000th day on mbc radio, blue night with jonghyun, that he has been hosting as a dj. near the end of the radio, jonghyun burst into tears after holding back for a long time. jonghyun couldn't continue speaking in the midst of listeners' short messages that (he) said they have been happy and felt warm. "i don't really celebrate anniversaries. on that day, i felt calm thinking: "wow, time really flies but, nonetheless, i've been doing it for a longer time than i expected when i first stated", but i think i was moved when i received the events and messages sent by the listeners. sometimes i feel a sense of destiny when the numbers keep increasing as the intersection between the daily life of people and my daily life are created by chance. i tend to believe in destiny. (laughs) in some ways, i like a different life than normal people so there are many things that i learn by listening to stories of various people. the biggest change that i earned through the radio is being able to encounter the lives that i have not experienced at a close distance."
"i cannot read and listen at the same time. when i hear music, i sing along to it at first and then i listen focusing on the story of the lyrics or the title. i think sight and hearing cannot coexist. so, sometimes, i put on candles too. i like the scent of musk and wood. i'm not sensitive about other things, but i'm a little sensitive about scents. i remember well about the scent of a certain space of a person." it was evident that his attachment to scent was clear as he's been using hermes' voyage perfume for nearly seven years now. the reason why he neatly piles body lotion, oils, mist and hair perfume on his body is also because: "i have to have my favorite scent. people know even when i'm not there when i get on and off from the company's elevator. "jonghyun came?" (laughs)" what scent did jonghyun match with his solo album that he has worked (with) so far? "i think it would be good to light up a wood scent for the collection album and a sexy scent that carries the color red for my mini album."
i had a strange emotion while typing out the file that recorded my conversation with jonghyun. his voice is actually the voice that i've heard like the second hand of a clock ever since the winter of 2014; during that time when it crossed over from midnight to dawn. radio is like a habit to me. it is done unconciously and repeatedly. i think i have recognized that the end of the day has come being absentminded on a window seat or a bus or in a room through his voice.
he recently celebrated the 1000th day on mbc radio, blue night with jonghyun, that he has been hosting as a dj. near the end of the radio, jonghyun burst into tears after holding back for a long time. jonghyun couldn't continue speaking in the midst of listeners' short messages that (he) said they have been happy and felt warm. "i don't really celebrate anniversaries. on that day, i felt calm thinking: "wow, time really flies but, nonetheless, i've been doing it for a longer time than i expected when i first stated", but i think i was moved when i received the events and messages sent by the listeners. sometimes i feel a sense of destiny when the numbers keep increasing as the intersection between the daily life of people and my daily life are created by chance. i tend to believe in destiny. (laughs) in some ways, i like a different life than normal people so there are many things that i learn by listening to stories of various people. the biggest change that i earned through the radio is being able to encounter the lives that i have not experienced at a close distance."
jonghyun said his first turning point (in life) was when he decided music as a career, the second was making his first album, and the third was "when i started the radio" jonghyun's collection, story. op. 1, an album that gathered the outputs of the songs he personally made based on listeners' stories, is left as his filmography. perhaps it was a unique attempt in the history of albums in korea.
at this point, when we are heading to the end of 2016, jonghyun is making his last spurt. "i'm at a state when i'm physically and mentally having a difficult time. i think i will need to take a little rest when the concert is finished. i'm thinking i should reduce the amount of work i do for the sake of my body and mental health." i asked him where he would be on a scale of one to ten about his state, and he popped a story about the character rock lee from the cartoon naruto. "it's a character that gets strong by opening the chakra on his body. i think he has eight gates on his body, and he gets strong as he opens each of them. but, a secret weapon is always followed by the poison. when rock lee opens a certain number of gates that exceeds his limit, he cannot move for a few days or falls into a coma. i think i've reached a state just like that right now? (laughs)"
translator's notes
(*) the pronunciation of "giraffe" in korea is similar to the word for "long"
(**) "sseum" means "write" in korean.
at this point, when we are heading to the end of 2016, jonghyun is making his last spurt. "i'm at a state when i'm physically and mentally having a difficult time. i think i will need to take a little rest when the concert is finished. i'm thinking i should reduce the amount of work i do for the sake of my body and mental health." i asked him where he would be on a scale of one to ten about his state, and he popped a story about the character rock lee from the cartoon naruto. "it's a character that gets strong by opening the chakra on his body. i think he has eight gates on his body, and he gets strong as he opens each of them. but, a secret weapon is always followed by the poison. when rock lee opens a certain number of gates that exceeds his limit, he cannot move for a few days or falls into a coma. i think i've reached a state just like that right now? (laughs)"
translator's notes
(*) the pronunciation of "giraffe" in korea is similar to the word for "long"
(**) "sseum" means "write" in korean.
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