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Taeyong of K-pop group NCT breaks through the frame in “WYLD,” the title track of his first full album. Over the course of a decade, he had restlessly prowled through the entertainment-industry jungle, unsure of the magnitude of his skill and wary of the perceptions of others. But now, survey of the kingdom done, he is claiming his throne, secure in a greater level of artistic freedom and control.
As such, Taeyong is in a good place to reflect on how far he’s come and to take on a fun new role: advice columnist for this edition of Can I Vent for a Sec?
Below, Taeyong answers four work-related questions, all asked by people on the cusp of something new. His answers show that he clearly understands the compromises that must occur to have a career; but he also makes the persuasive case that, one day, you will realize your dreams. It may take more time than expected, and more failure than desired, but you’ll get there.
I get you! I’ve been in this line of work for a decade, with four years of training in the company prior to that, and there have been countless rejections I’ve dealt with that nobody knows about.
First, I want to say, it’s a long game. Though I practiced and practiced as a trainee, I never felt like the results of my hard work were visible. But because I chose not to give up, all I could do was continue to work hard.
Second, I encourage you to consider that rejection is not something to fear or be disappointed by; rather, view it as an opportunity for growth. It's a chance to showcase your pride, tenacity, and unyielding spirit.
For example, when I began songwriting, I wanted to upload my tracks onto Soundcloud. The company initially rejected my request, as there was no precedence of overseeing content uploaded by one of their artists on the platform. But I fought for it, and managed to win them over.
If you listen to those early songs now, they feel amateurish, and are of a much lower quality. But I kept working at it, step-by-step: First, music and performance videos on YouTube; followed by EPs; and finally, a full album filled top to bottom with my own work.
It’s through these experiences that I’m now able to push more for what I want. After scores of my songs were rejected, many of my tracks now pass with barely an edit. The jazzy “Hypnotic” and playful “I’m a Dancing Cactus” from this album are examples of this. Even on tracks that required more work in the feedback process, I’ve had greater confidence to fight for what I want if I trust that it works best. The old-school hip-hop track “Hot” pays homage to many of the classics, and I successfully argued that these should be retained for the sake of the genre. I’m pleased that the key lines I found most witty all made the cut.
I bet your head is already rustling with inspiration. After all, we’re inspired by the things that we like, that stay in the heart and mind.
I’m inspired a lot by nature: flora and fauna, insects especially; clouds, trees, and wind. I believe that it can be limiting to pull from the same sources, so I try to branch out, but I do end up returning over and over to nature.
For this album, I was inspired most while undertaking my mandatory military service, because there was a lot of time I had alone to think. But there, too, as a member of the navy’s military band, it was the ocean that provided a sense of healing for me.
So it’s not a lack of inspiration, perhaps, as much as it is the need to learn methods to organize ideas so as to make them workable. That’s what will allow the process of creating art to become easier for you.
Once again, nature for me is where the words and ideas in my head become orderly, in a form in which they can be used. This is because I get dizzy living among society, with headaches forming from the stress and energy of it all. So I encourage you to also find a space where you can clear your mind.
Perhaps becoming an artist [was the “easy option” for me that you speak of], since it hadn’t been something that I’d wanted. I didn't know much about music or idols back then. It was more that I thought there’d be nothing else for me otherwise. By the time I was scouted in high school, I was already grown, and had learned more of my difficult family situation.
[This isn’t to say the easy option stays easy. Such “convenience”] has required copious amounts of hard work, much of it unseen and unrecognized. It has required repeated failures. Neither is my future in the industry guaranteed, as it’s dependent on maintaining a quality of music, response from the public, and interest from the company.
And yet my heart has also been greatly healed from this career—by the members [of NCT] and fans, by the music and dance. My work is not simply about excelling onstage or having a respectable character anymore; it’s also about making my fans more comfortable and happy. By growing to enjoy these things, my whole life has changed.
It is good to have many, varied dreams. But now I want to stay in music if there’s a place in which I could be helpful, as a music director or producer, maybe.
I’ve never owned a business, but I know it’s a difficult venture. I think it’s a cool and courageous thing you’re doing.
I understand the nuance between being good at what you do but not yet having confidence in your abilities. To get from one to the other, I think it’s imperative to receive recognition and encouragement. I expect you’re at the point in which you need external recognition for the products you create.
In the 10 years I’ve been in my own scene, I’ve realized that receiving recognition is incredibly difficult—as difficult as it is to receive love. In periods of its absence, you cannot leave yourself to fall to self-sabotage or self-ruin. In the past, I’d belittled and pushed myself a lot; but after leaving myself battered and bruised, the only thing left to do was to like myself instead.
Seek ways to build your self-confidence, which is something that must arise first from your inner core. It can be in the little things. I’ve certainly been boosted by a compliment from a parent or an unexpected source. But the proof will primarily come from your finished products, for they are the milestones of your skill and growth.
This, of course, will take time. Only through receiving multiple opportunities have I worked out how to go about the things I want to do, breaking free from the frame that I’d built of my own mistakes and how others would perceive me.
I realized that I’d been a “yes man” for much of my career, accepting what had been offered to me in terms of visuals, choreography, and such. But only when I realized I could accept more difficult cases, and do them well, did I achieve an even greater quality of work. The choreography for “Storm,” for example, would once have been impossible for me to dance in one take. In addition, I pushed myself to previously unknown limits for the “WYLD” music video. I was diving repeatedly into deep water at 2 a.m., and wearing outfits for six hours that felt like they'd make my armpits bleed, but I didn't let go until I was satisfied.
I’ve found that pushing myself in this way has also helped me work more happily. In the past, I’d simply set a goal and work hard to achieve it. (As a musician, this would mean album sales and rankings.) But now I think I should have fun with my work. This isn’t to say I’ve stopped setting goals. In fact, my goals have only gotten bigger. (I’d like to be nominated in the hip-hop genre in the domestic awards scene, for instance.) But it provides another lens in which to see what I do.
This interview was conducted in Korean and translated into English by Jiye Kim.
