181226 | interview for kstyle_news ☆彡

shinee key releases his first solo mini album “hologram” - “‘key land’ is my country that is in ‘shinee world’”

what is the biggest reason why you felt that you couldn’t do solo activities (i.e. you weren’t ready for solo activities)?

key : i’m quite timid. so i had a strong desire to work harder than i am right now (*i was at that time) and let more people know about key’s name and charms before my solo activities. i’m more terrified of not being well prepared than anything else. but once l felt that that i was prepared, all the fear went away.

i ended up talking to taemin-kun on the phone with genuine respect forhim (lol)

this year among the shinee members, taemin-san has just completed his long tour in japan. key-san is doing his first solo live stage in japan this time; did you receive any words of encouragement from taemin-san?

key: i’ve only been told “‘hologram’ is really nice” (laughs). i ended up telling taemin-kun, “taemin, i respect you” instead! staying in the studio and singing for hours to record a solo album, going on variety programs alone afterwards -it was my first time doing these activities…….. i ended up talking to taemin-kun on the phone with genuine respect for him, he’s amazing. (alt: no i mean amazing it’samazing [what he’s been doing])

t/n: talking to [x] on the phone = it actually means “to call [x],” so alternatively, the sentence can be translated as “i ended up calling taemin-kim with genuine respect for him”

hearing that what did taemin-san say (‘do)? 

key : he sent me herbal medicine that gives you energy / improves your health, the expensive one! (lol) i drank it before the live in japan this time and it gave me energy.

did you have fun at your first solo live stage?

key : i had fun. but it’s not my first time standing on stage alone. i’ve also done solo stages at shinee concerts so it’s not hard for me to sing alone. just that the ments…… because i’m talking by myself, that part was a little difficult. i ended up burdening myself with the feeling that i wasn’t allowed to rest. because there’s no one else to speak but me (laughs).

*previously, taemin said the same thing. at a solo live thereis no one else to talk, so he prefers mc parts / talking with shinee together.

key: oh really? (we’re) kinda matchint … (laughs).

the title 'key land’ was also very lovely. what is the meaning behind it?

key actually i’ve always had an image of “keyland” since long before. although i don’t remember exactly when [this idea] came into existence. i’m always thinking about the stage and music so this idea came to me before i realized. it’s like “key land” is a country just for me inside “shinee world”. it’s a land inside a world so it’s also perfect image wise isn’t it.

you collaborated with little sunny bite for this live’s merchandise and i heard that you also took part in the production carefully selecting the items, the materials and colors. what lead to this collaboration?

key: since “key land” is 'opening,’ since it’s going to be the first stage, we came to this idea that we should make it a birthday or an anniversary concept, and i thought, 'if it’s an anniversary then it has to be a cake!’ and if that’s the case we thought that little sunny bite would be perfect for that image so we took photos of cake(s) and made that the motif. we made the logo for the mini bag in image of halloween and christmas parties. i personally think the mini bag is the cutest. although i can’t use it because l’m a guy, since it’s pink (laughs). but i think it’s the cutest.

there are only a few days left of 2018. what kind of year was it for you? and how to spend your year next year?

key: if i can / am allowed to say this to myself, i want say “you’ve worked hard.” both as shinee and as a soloist (*with my solo activities). this year is safely ending soon so i want to keep this momentum going for next year well. if i can work just as hard next year as i did this year, then there wouldn’t be anything for me to say / then i wouldn’t have any complaints

is there anything you think you want to do next year? by the way, taemin-san said he wants to climb mt. fuji.

key: eh, [he wants to climb that] first!? (lol) i’m turning twenty-nine next year. in korean age. so i want to enjoy the feeling of becoming closer to thirty. i’m looking forward to turning thirty. i debuted in my teens, i have spent all of my twenties as shinee so i’m already looking forward to what kind of 'me’ i’ll be able to meet when i begin my thirties.

t/n: ikinari: means suddenly / all of a sudden. in this context key pretty much saying mt fuji first even though he’s never gone mountain climbing?!“

cr. mredwardsanders & *spoet04