Artist Friendly with Joel Madden - Hongjoong of ATEEZ

Episode Date: July 1, 2026

On this week's episode of Artist Friendly, Joel Madden is joined by Hongjoong of ATEEZ. Back in 2021, Hongjoong — one of the various members in ATEEZ — transformed Linkin Park’s “Numb” into a K-pop hit, even getting a shoutout from Mike Shinoda. Since then, the group have only continued to explode, growing their international fanbase, selling out tours, and landing on the Billboard 200 with the release of their 13th EP, Golden Hour: Part 4. In conversation with Madden, Hongjoong opens up about the realities of life as a K-pop artist, the self-starting mindset that helped him break into the industry, and Korea’s growing cultural influence around the world. ------- Listen to their Artist Friendly conversation on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ------- Follow Artist Friendly! IG: @artist.friendly TikTok: @artist.friendly YouTube: youtube.com/@artist.friendly ------- Host: Joel Madden, @joelmadden Executive Producers: Joel Madden, Benji Madden, Jillian King Producers: Janice Leary, Josh Madden, Joey Simmrin Director/Visual Producer/Editor: Ryan Schaefer Audio Producer/Composer: Nick Gray Music/Theme Composer: Nick Gray Cover Art/Design: Ryan Schaefer Additional Contributors: Anna Zanes, Neville Hardman ------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Good Charlotte. Good Charlotte is a band I started when I was 16 with my brother, and it is the reason I'm sitting here today. Thank you, Good Charlotte. We're going on tour. June 20th, San Diego County Fair, Delmar, California. And July 25th through August 30th, Good Charlotte and Avenged Sevenfold touring in the U.S. Starting July 25th, Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Ridgedale, Missouri, an ending at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California on August 30th. If you are in the UK or Europe, we're coming to you this

November. November 8th, we are in Stockholm, Sweden. November 11th, we're in Munich, Germany. November 13th, we're in Brussels, Belgium. November 14th, Dusseldorf, Germany. In November 16th, we're in Amsterdam. November 17th, Paris, France. November 19th, London, UK. November 20th, Manchester, UK. Tickets are on sale now. We will see you at the show. This time, I think, make me better person now. Me too. Yeah, because I never talk about this conversation.

I never show this kind of this conversation to, like, our fans or, like, other places. So it's very, like, good time to me, too. Yeah, it was really cool. Hung June. Yeah. How you doing, man? I'm doing great. Welcome. Yeah, thank you so much for having me. Thanks for coming. Yeah. Are you in L.A.? Uh, a lot? Yeah, so like, not that a lot, but like twice a year. Yeah. And when we're touring, we always in L.A. Big shows here. Yeah. Yeah. Big shows. Yeah. Okay, so I love Tokyo. Ah, you love Tokyo. So my favorite. I've been going there. I'm a lot older than you. No, yeah. Oh, I'm very old.

You know, I'm really big fan of your music. Really? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Thank you. Thanks for saying that. It's very nice to you. Thank you so much. That's a compliment. So I've been going to Tokyo for 26 years.

Right? So longer than you've been alive. I've only been to Seoul once. Ah, so once, just once. And I'll tell you why only once? Oh, why? Because I think you need someone there to... to like show you around. Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Do you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, I understand. You need like people to show you where the cool shit is. Yeah, yeah, right, right. I went solo and I didn't. Oh, really? Yeah, and I didn't, because I was stopping over. And I was like, oh, I'll check, I'll check soul out.

So how long you? Just a few days. Just a few days. Yeah. So it was in the right way to see it. Next time, if you come out here, introduce every good place. Oh, that'd be great. Yeah.

That'll be like first class. Yeah. Yeah, big time. Yeah, I will try my best if you come. You got soul dialed? So, well? Do you have it like dialed? Ah, not that much, but I have litter.

And I have some good place that I like. Okay. So I can introduce every place is. Okay, so what I was saying. Yeah. So Tokyo to me was like 20 years ago, it was like the leading edge of like fashion music culture like and I still think that I think it like emerged in culture and had like this big moment and then it established itself and like everyone knows like you go to Tokyo there's cool shit yeah yeah you know I think that's happened with soul these days in the last five years yeah yeah yeah I understand why you man and now it's become what it was growing to be yeah yeah

in popular culture and the zeitgeist and in modern kind of like it's interesting to me well Korea and Seoul yeah it's always been itself yeah yeah with K-pop yeah and other things right like I think some fashion and all this stuff that's happened and come out of out of South Korea and Seoul yeah I think it emerged to its full mature like it's always been that to itself and I think but people became aware of all the cool shit. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, I understand.

So actually, I felt that in Korea too, because, like, these days, there are many, like, good music came out and also, like, culture, like, kind of, like, K-movie or, yeah, K-pop. Yeah, Korean movies, TV. Yeah, drama and everything is. Incredible. Very good at every place. So, yeah, I think Korea, really. really so for me yeah in my case i'm saying that i really like our traditional things but these days

like our traditional things and like every trendy things are very matching so that's why like our k like k culture and like kind of k things are like popped off yep so i'm so happy that i live in that Well, you live in that time, but also if you, if we analyze it, you're a part of it. Yeah, that's right.

Yeah. Right. So, yeah, I'm so, I honor to be one of them. Yeah. Yeah. That's pretty cool. Thank you.

Because think about it. Yeah. Like I said, when I went years ago, this is a long time ago, 10, 15 years ago. It's a place to itself in a sense of like, it's being itself.

Yeah, yeah. So it's not trying. Yeah. Yeah. to keep up or be or whatever. And when I think about music and art, the best artists sometimes takes a long time. Yeah, I think so. They have to like go down the long road.

Yeah, right. And they become themselves. Yeah. Right? And then they emerge and they was like, oh my God. They've been here the whole time. Yeah, right, right. When I think about what I've seen in the last five years or so.

Yeah. It's not that Korea wasn't popping off. It was. It's always been Korea. It's cool. Yeah, yeah. But it's a, this moment has happened on a global scale that's not following anyone else. Yeah, that makes sense.

Just being itself. Yeah. Right? I think so. The movies, the TV, fashion. Even tattoos. Ah. So you like, you like to see Korean tattoos?

Some of the best tattoo artists. Yeah, yeah, yeah. are coming out of Korea, like it's a different style. Yeah. Yeah. And it's itself. It's emerged. Like it's decades of practice. Yeah. Of doing its own way, doing its own thing. And I think I see that like that's what the movies are. It's decades of a practice. Yeah. That's right. That have emerged and the world has kind of caught up almost. Yeah. But I just think it's cool. It's interesting. And a big part of that story is K-pop. This episode of Artist Friendly is brought to you by.

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That's betterhelp.com slash artist friendly. Yeah. It's interesting. Yeah, it's very interesting. And like, you know, I live in Korea and I based in Korea. But I always surprised about like many things still. Because yeah, you already like mentioned about originally Korea's. culture and everything is originally cool but now it would be matched with the like words gay kind of

that so i'm really happy with our like when i was young i really look forward to see western cultures too yeah like because i love band music yeah include you and also i love like hip-hop from here yeah but after a few years I grown up with the Western culture and also I really into Korea culture too. So like after I grown up these days, I try to show my own and our Korea culture to worldwide. But it's very natural and many of Western artists and many of like like someone who I really respect. they already mentioned about the Korean culture and like K-pop and K-movie. Then that means a lot to me.

So these days I really surprised at the same time. Yeah. Yeah, I think that like it's interesting. It's good to look out and look at other cultures. Yeah. And it's always going to be interesting. Yeah, me too. For me, I was always, I grew up in a very small,

place and I didn't get to travel, you know, and things like that. So when I, when I started my music and I finally got to see the world, I was very excited and curious and all the things. Everywhere I went, I was excited. Because I'd never experienced. Yeah. That's why I love, you say, you know, save it there. Yeah. But you take that back. Yeah. Because home is home. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, you get ideas, you get influences, but it's always going, you're always going to come back and those things may, you know, for me, it's just getting the experience to on the journey of finding out who you are. Yeah. And who you are is who you were all along. Ah.

Yeah. I think that makes sense. You know? Yeah. I was from this small place and I didn't think it was enough. I didn't think it was cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I didn't think it was.

So I wanted to go. Yeah. And in that process, we become the fully realized. We get the clothes or we get the, we get our swagger. Yeah. We got new flavor too. Get some flavor. You pick something up in Tokyo.

You pick something up in London. Yeah, that's right. It's experience. Yeah. And you go all the way around full circle to find out the fully realized version of you is still the kid who had like a dream. Yeah. and who maybe thought he wasn't big enough or wasn't good enough. Yeah.

Do you know what I mean? Yeah, because I really, like me really same with that. Because like when I was young, I don't have that much to treat with my family. Because our mother, mom, and dad, they have job. So they are so busy. Always working. Yeah, always working to like make me better. Yeah, take care of you.

Yeah, treat me better. So that's why when I debut and then we immediately go to tour, yeah, our company tried to be like show our moment as soon as possible to Word. So yeah, after we debut, after just four months, we just have two albums, but we go tour immediately. So then then I felt that, oh, world is so big. And then I trained a lot for the debut. But when I see horror cities, like horror cities and horse stops, I felt like, oh, I get more

interesting than I thought. And like that city is that moment and that city's that culture. We'd be really good to like make music. Yeah. Yeah. And one of my favorite city when I was like go first touring is Dallas. Dallas. Yeah, Dallas.

Oh wow, Texas. Yeah, Texas. Yeah. Because they have some, like, our fans in there, they told me that, like, e-ha, that thing. Yeah, but it was so interesting to me. Yeah, I just watched it, the cowboy culture. Yeah, I just watched it in the movie. Yeah.

But everyone in is here, like, really vibe like that. It's a real vibe. So I think that, I try to make kind of that vibe music. Yeah. with the like country vibe, little country vibe. Yeah, yeah. I want to mix with the K-pop. So how I can discover the best, like music.

Yeah. Like I try a lot. And they make me like grown up with another genre of music. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, I always experience kind of that. Yeah. Yeah.

It's a good way to look at the world. Yeah. Yeah. Be interested in. Yeah. The Western. Yeah. The Texas especially.

is special. Yeah, yeah. And you go there and there's people like, that's their life. Yeah, yeah, that's right. That's what I want to say. Yeah. Yeah. It's cool.

Yeah, that means a lot to me that time. When did you start? Eight years ago. Eight years ago. Yeah. It's like a lifetime. Oh, no. Like, actually I'm 27.

Right, so you were 19. Yeah, start from that. So starting in the sense of when you got, let's say, signed up. So you mean the, yeah, we have the culture that training. Right. Yeah, in company. We have when that start? Yeah, yeah, that's the start. That is the like almost 16. So you were 16? Yeah, I was 16. So I would say that's the start. Yeah, that's the start. Yeah. You know, and maybe when everyone

got to know you. Yeah, yeah. Different. How long before that did you know that's what you wanted to do? It's very short. Like 15. because of Michael Jackson Yeah, because when I heard about his song for the first time, I'm really curious about how to make that beat You know, the time I'm not singing

and I'm not rapping and I don't know how to use my voice I just listen about the beat because like some drum source that's not real drum, but I'm really curious about how to make that drum sound into the music. So that's why I just learn myself the MIDI programming.

That's the start. So you started making beats and things. Yeah, making bits. Before. Before. Yeah. Before. Just in your bedroom.

Yeah. So, yeah. So I just love myself with the YouTube in my bed, like how to. Yeah. And then I just make some demos. And I sent to this company. And then they asked me, how about doing some trainee to be a K-pop star? So I was, oh, can I?

Yeah. Can I do it like that? And can I do some K-pop idol? And then they told me, yeah, I think you have talent. So, okay, I'm in. And then I'd be like this. Would you say you saw yourself before that? You're in your bedroom.

You're on your Mac making. making beats. Yeah. That time maybe there was window. Windows. Yeah, I used the Q-base. Yeah, okay. Did you see yourself, like maybe you thought,

oh, I could just be a producer? And then someone saw you and said, no, I think you may be more than that. Maybe you're also a star. Yeah. And then you were like, okay, I'll go give it a try. Yeah. Okay, so I'll explain to you.

I am like a pedestrian K-pop. I don't know a lot about K-pop. Yeah, it's okay. So I'm more interested in K-pop. Yeah, I can explain or. Right. Yeah, that's it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I've always been interested. Yeah. I've always respected it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've been in music for 30 years. Yeah. So I've watched it emerge and grow.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know it's been in Korea. Yeah. But it's over the last 20 years, it's just, just continued it globally. Yeah. And now I would say it's bigger than it ever, it's ever been in the sense of like these last like five years. Yeah.

And so I'd say you've been inside of that and a part of that. Yeah. So it's interesting to get your perspective. Because I don't know a lot about it other than someone who sees it. Yeah. And I like the music and I see. So I think it's cool. Yeah, yeah.

But I don't know a lot about it. Ah, yeah. So I wonder like one, you're making beats, you send them. They say, hey, we think you got something, come train. Yeah. At what point in that process did it click for you? We were like, I could do this. Ah, yeah.

I can explain from that. Like, you know, when I was young, like, I grown up with the K-pop too. So that's why when I think the K-pop star is very shy. And they're singing and dance at the same time. Which is very hard to do. Yeah. So that's why I respect them from like when I was young. Me too.

Yeah, thank you. You should see me that. It's hard. It's hard work. Yeah, it's hard work. But, you know, at the same time, I'm really big fan of the like other genre's music too. So that's why the time, like if my company asked me, Yeah, can you do some K-pop idol?

And then I think that I never had kind of that goal and that dream. When I was make music alone, I just think about like, I can be a producer, not singing, not rapping, but I want to give someone to sing it this song. But that time they asked me. And then in my hat, I got some like on the stage, the moment that on the stage. the moment that on the stage and many fans like love me and then like that is very like different that I thought so that's why okay I will try right and because I think that's cool right and after like you like after debut I think I'll be pop up like very fast because our company have Q's vision for my group, for my band.

And what's the company? My company. What's it called? KQ. Okay, KQ. Yeah, KQ. KQ had the huge vision. Right.

But, you know, that was the interesting point in there. When I signed with the company, there was no trainee. I'm the first one in that company. Oh, wow. Yeah, so actually my company, KQ, was really small that time. But I don't matter about that because I want to be a K-pop star when I listen that vision. Right, and they saw you. Yeah, they saw me.

And there's something to that. Yeah, I think the one person in that company had a strong belief to me. Right. But I don't know why. Yeah, still. Well, they were right. Well, they were right. They were right.

Yeah, they were right. I think. Yeah, the success says. Yeah. And thanks for it. my boss and everyone in my company. As a K-pop star, or would you say idol? So in Korea, we use both.

Both, okay. Yeah, but... What's cooler? What's cooler to me? Yeah. I think I'm not the answer. Okay. Yeah, I'm not answered.

Smart man. Yeah, I'm not answered. Yeah. But I love both. As a K-pop king. I love that. Yeah. I would try like that.

I guess I always wonder from what I see, from what I understand. Yeah. There's a real regimented, you work all the time, you train. Yeah. Today, I can say everything about K-pop for you. Yeah. So, yeah, many people think like K-pop either and like who in K-pop, they work 24-7. Right.

But I think that's not wrong thinking. Right. Yeah. Because we worked really hard and we worked really long time for make one thing. Yeah. But I think that point is same with the like America. But I think, but it's the difference is speed. Speed.

Yeah. But, you know, I just talk about some very typical like K-P artists that like we try to make me like make whole production very fast because we think i think everything have a timing right and k-pop artist there are so many band debut a year so we have to show our things as soon as possible and as soon like as good like good timing with the good timing Right. So the challenge is make the best thing you can make as quickly as possible and get it out. Get out at the good time. In a good time and in a good way.

Yeah, good way. But you have to still have a plan, have a marketing, have all the stuff. But doing it fast is actually really hard. Yeah, it's really hard. And we have to keep that quality too. Yeah, the quality. Yeah. Yeah, if quality lower, like our K-pop now these days, the word, someone who think we're focused on K-pop, we don't want to make this point to them.

So we worked hard because, yeah, that's the reason. We want to show our moment as soon as possible. Right. But we want to show with the good quality. Yeah. So that's why we worked really hard. Right. So it's literally, I think it's difference with, that's why we can think it's different.

with the other genre. But, like, you know, these days, the trend is very fast. Yeah. And like TikTok and everything is so fast to, like, so fast and so smooth. So that's why I think the K-pop, like, is one-up trend these days. Yeah.

Because we make the music and whole production so fast. And then we show, we really good at, like, express that things, to audience. Yeah. Yeah. And some of America artists is doing like that too. Yeah, absolutely.

So I think it's very like the very natural thing. Yeah. It's a good thing. I think. I would say that I find it that's not so different from, I mean,

from us when we started, I was 16. No. And it was similar even though we weren't at a company yet. You know, we didn't have a record company or any of that. We worked around the clock all the time to try and figure out, how can we record, where can we practice? How can we get a show?

Yeah. Where can we play? And then to me, it feels like what the company's figured out is how to put a process in place to organize more. Yeah, yeah. Because all the great artists are kind of doing that on their own. But with some structure and some process, you can get a lot. You can get a lot more done. You can get further faster if you actually have a process.

Yeah, that's right. You know? And you call it what it is. Yeah. Because the other thing I like about what you're saying about other artists, they take a page from the K-pop playbook. Yeah. Right?

Yeah. It's worked. Yeah. Right? You've seen it. We've seen it. Yeah. And so people can learn.

What I found was the first five years. of our career, we were working like that, but no one around us was taking it seriously. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, I understand. When you have a company that takes it serious, and they go, no, this is worth it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We practice. Yeah. Work. Yeah. You believe in it even more. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I can feel it. And, you know, when I debut, the company and us have some, like, relationship like that. Like, I think you have to do like that. Yeah. Companies told us, yeah, next step will we go like this.

Right. And we will make, we will do some vital like this. We will take some that venue to tour and we will do kind of this thing to promote. we have that relationship when we were debut but i think that time we thought that we had to like that because we don't have any information and like many good like good advice from someone so we don't know about that because we just we were just training right we just trained we just like get lesson for the good walker and good rapping like that so So after a few years now, these days, we ask to company that, like, company asked me,

we want to take this venue and then we talk them, why? Like, yeah. You've got the experience. Yeah. I think this one is better. Right. Yeah. So there's, it's a partnership that really works.

And you've got the experience because you're out there to come back and say, actually, this one. Yeah. We were there. This is how it is. And we work together. Yeah. That's right.

And also I really, for me, I'm really curious about like your work too. Because when you told me when you were young, you just do some like you find something to do. And because I never do like that. Yeah. So when I was young. So I'm so like curious and someday I want to try kind of that process too. Like if we take like a year or like more months to make an album and we don't know how to promote, like the company have done like company didn't give us some like detail or promote. I just want to make some my own vision and then I ask the company and then we want to try like full time for like a year or like two.

two years to make an album. Yeah. I want to try that someday. You should. Yeah. I think it's good to when you can. So sometimes I think when you're in the career, like you have a big career. Yeah.

You have a big. If you say like that, that's right. You have a big career. Yeah. Well, I'll tell you this, okay? Yeah. I was outside. There's a band that I know that are here today.

They're working here. They're called Chase Atlantic. you know Chase Atlantic? Yeah, you should check them out. Yeah, I will check it. Yeah. Very cool band. Super cool.

Big band. They're like sold out O2 Arena, multiple nights, like big band. Yeah, but they're very cool guys. Yeah, and they know everything. They know all the bands and I told them I was talking to Hung June from A Tees and they were like, oh shit. Really? Yeah.

That's what they said. They went, whoa. know me? Of course. Oh really? Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's so, like, dressing, yeah. That's cool. Yeah. What you've built now is what will be your legacy. Right? But you're in it now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right. It's all career. Right. So what you had to do, to get from there to

hear, you had to do all that stuff. Yeah. They'd go fast, fast, fast, fast. And then you got and now here you are. Yeah. So you don't have to go as fast sometimes. Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Right. But then sometimes you do have to go fast. Yeah, yeah. Right. Yeah. So you have to know. Yeah. Because that's just the career. Yeah. Yeah. And then you have your partners. You have your company. You have your team. And everybody circles up. Yeah. And they go, I think we have to go now. Yeah. Yeah. And you all discuss it. And then you're like, okay, let's go. And then you do it. Yeah. And then the results. We can't control. Yeah. And so you're navigating this like really interesting obstacle course almost of like stuff.

And so sometimes you got to go fast. Yeah, sometimes. When the opportunity's there, you got to go. But then sometimes you see a moment where you're like, and it will probably come because you thought about it. Yeah. So you're already like, man, what if I like took a year or something, six months? Yeah. And I tried to make this like album.

Just by thinking about it, it will likely like emerge somewhere in the future. Yeah. And then you just have to keep an eye on it when the opportunity does come. It'll be another interesting chapter of the like, what will be the legacy. Next one. Yeah. You know, actually I think when I listen your words, I think I already do like that. I already spend much time for my own thing.

Yeah, you know. I really love, like, work with our band A-T's. Our members are so good. So I'm really happy with them. And almost of time. It's a big group, though. Yeah. Yeah.

There's a lot of people. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I spend almost time to make our 80s career. At the same time, I just,

just try to figure out what's my flavor too. Because I think from like two, three, like one, two years ago, like I just think about that continually because that makes me give another motivation when I'm with the members. Because I just want to know who I am. And like in 80s, who I am. Also, like I go somewhere. I'm Hong Zhong of 80s. Yeah, but at the same time, I just ask me what really I like and what really I love,

like for music side or fashion side, every side. So I still learn myself about me to make music with other people and, like, go somewhere when I see something and get some inspiration from there. Yeah. So I think that's the long-term season that I like tried to find myself and then maybe I don't know when it will be showed to like our fans or audience for my own thing. But at that time I can say that I spent two years, three years for that. Yeah. So I think I already did that. I'm already doing that. Your mind goes there. You're thinking that way. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's very natural. Yeah. So when you give so much time to a group, yeah.

Every part of the group matters, you know? So to do something as a group, it's like being in a band, right? There's five of us and we're all in. We're going, you know, together. We have to rehearse. We have to do this. We have to do that. And then you give years.

Yeah. And you're in a years. What people don't understand is when you give what it takes to be great. it takes everything to be great yeah it's like professional sports kind of yeah yeah to be great yeah to be on the big stage yeah to succeed yeah you have to give everything yeah what you sacrifice is everything yeah it's natural at some point especially around your age you do have a moment where you stop and go like who am i i'm the same guy who started but i'm 10 years older so here am and sometimes you're like your mind goes to like what you're saying like i wonder what i would

create the thing i will say that's like just from my it's not advice just my experience i want to get that is it's good and every group should understand that yeah the better we are alone the better we are together right so if i'm not healthy alone yeah i won't be as healthy with you yeah that's right And so if I don't stop and ask myself, what do I like? Who am I now? But I would say to artists, keep creating and keep putting music out. Yeah. And in the moments where maybe, because this happens in all careers,

because you go up and then maybe you go down and then you go up and then you go down. Yeah. Don't be afraid by the down part. Yeah. Yeah, that's the, that's the rear point that, like, me and our members. members these days we talk a lot about that. Yeah. Because after we debut, we slowly, we just grown up with everything, our own things too,

but at the same time popularity or like everything is only grown slowly. So that's why these days we get little fear about the, like, when we go down. Natural. Yeah. what can we do like how we like escape of like down yeah we so we never like we never suffered that before so that's why we just like curious how what can we do that if we get that time so like this day we talk a lot about that yeah i think it's natural yeah to wonder what i like though about that. Most people won't admit that they are worried or that they yeah that that because when

you experience like a success like you have yeah it's amazing you know the fans it's amazing all the opportunities all that. I think it's natural to be afraid of like what if yeah you know but if yeah but what you said before is what I think is the cure. I think if you continue to just know yourself and continue to ask like who am I yeah in this and out of this yeah they both matter yeah and they both together they have they have to they need one another uh yeah like you out of this yeah needs you in this yeah that's right and you in a tease needs hung june out of a t's yeah and the more you continue to like have i think a relationship with both the more you you'll be okay with you'll navigate in a way where let's say you know when a moment happens where you put

something out and it's disappointing it didn't go how you plan if you know who you are you'll you won't look at it as negative yeah you'll look at it and go like huh like like like i think it's i think if this moment doesn't happen that moment that's ahead yeah couldn't happen and what if that moment ahead is much bigger than anything i could have imagined because of this moment yeah so it it's like, is it good luck? Is it bad luck? You know what I mean? Yeah, I understand. I think the balance of the, yeah, like in-group and our group is very important. And these days, we talk a lot about this theme too, like this topic with the members. And members, we, like, you know, these days, we have choreography, you know, or almost of,

our song yeah so when we get some practice ourselves we get into like practice room some huge practice room and then we just dance two three times and then we gather soccer in like middle of the practice room and we're just talking like this yeah like yeah sometimes we need a balance about the like in group and out of group but like this moment like this season someone who said, I want to do kind of this thing in these two, three weeks. Yeah. And then I said, yeah, okay, let's take kind of that timing. So who want to get break?

And then someone said, oh, I want to get break. Okay, you break. And then, okay, then I will go like this. So let's do like that. And then, but after that, we have to do this all together. Yeah. So you have to think about this. Yeah.

Yeah. And then like that. We, these days we balance like this and then we up to the boss. Yeah. And then, a boss, we have idea. And we want to do like this. So how do you think? And then we'll say, yeah, that's good idea.

But this moment, I want to do like this. And then we discuss about that too. And so it's very natural. And all like you said, I really understand. And I really like feel the same way with you. I respect. the whole world of K-pop and I respect the artist. I like the artist.

I think to succeed at K-pop, you have to work very hard and you're up and you're competing against or up against or a lot of people want to be K-pop stars. They don't all get to be K-pop stars. I think that's why more K-pop artists

came here. Come here in the future, near future. More K-P artists have to come here and talk with you. Right. Yeah, to show that Like many other audience and not in K-pop fans, like we have to like talk about our life and our thinking. Right, because I think most people want to know what it feels like to be you.

Yeah. My perception of you was good when I look at everything you've done. I have so much. Yeah. I mean, you've done a lot. Yeah, I'm too much. You're accomplished. Right?

You're successful. guy. Yay. Hugh. You are. You're a successful guy. Good looking successful guy. But all we perceive or all we see is the you that's up there on stage. And so

to get a sense of you, the person that did that before he was a star. Yeah. Do you understand? Like the kid who made the beats and sent them and went to the place and started training And in order to make it, you have to want to make it. And you have to work.

You sacrifice your life. You give everything to that thing. Yeah. And all of you guys. And then to make a group work. It's so incredibly hard. Yeah. But not just to have hits.

Yeah. But just to be in it. And just to get to the point where you can even have the hit. Yeah. Yeah. And then to have one hit and then have another hit. And then come over here. Let me read you some of your accomplishments.

Not that you want. I'm out for the five minutes. Yeah, if you talk about my history. Yeah, that's right. Because I got a little shy. I love it, but I got a little shy. Well, you've accomplished a lot. Yeah.

I received a video. Yeah. I love it, but... You've got 178 songs credited to you. You are I-HeartRadios, K-pop Artist of the Year in 2025, last year. not five years ago. Yeah. The Grand Artist Award,

highest honor in Korea, grand musical awards. I can go on. The prime minister gave you a commendation at the 2025 Korean Popular Culture Arts Awards. It's a big deal.

Yeah. Fucking huge, man. Anyways, I say all this to say in music. Yeah. To have one, one hit or to have one sold out tour.

Or to do one thing at the highest level is very hard. Yeah. To have a career has taken you everything you have. Yeah, that's right. You've had to give it all. Also think about it. You're the first trainee and first signing at the company.

Yeah, that's right. You're the captain of the group. A.T.s. And you're still here. Yeah. And you're still in the world. Yeah. And you haven't lost your mind.

You know? a little bit but you're okay um but i'm just saying do you ever stop yeah and like pat yourself on the back and go like that kid it was 16 or 15 that no one knew no one yeah you know before it all had to believe in himself to to start down the road no i don't know i think it's just something that when you're in it you may not stop to realize what you've accomplished and what is taken you know yeah i'm gonna cry yeah so like me i really proud of my or accomplishment like that you read and also there's more yeah it's more i bring it to my home balman i want to be a balman I'm fucking, uh.

You like that? Yeah, I like that. I like that. Yeah, Balmada is baller, dude. I love that. Very cool. Yeah. Very cool.

Not just, not just big, it's cool. Yeah, I love. That's why I really love that. It's like fashion icon shit. Yeah. So that's why I really proud of. It should be. Yeah.

So, you know, every moment. Like every accomplishment for me, it's all with our fans, ATini. So that means a lot to me because when I go up, when I go up, I'm with our members and our fans. But if I go down, I trust my fans that they, like, still looking forward to my next step. Yeah. So that's why like I got that pressure. I talk a lot for the, yeah.

So, yeah, my accomplishment gave me some another motivation. Yeah. And another, like, positive energy to me. So, yeah, I'm really proud of that. And also, you talk about my 16 years or when I started. No one focused on me, but I just trust myself and then just going, you know, that day. I go to post office. Yeah, I went to post office.

post office to send my CD. That's the kid I like. That kid. You know what I mean? Like no one told that kid. Yeah, yeah. To do that. Yeah, no one told me.

He did it. He just went and did it. So I like that kid too. Yeah, he's cool. Bahman likes that kid too. Yeah, Bahamang liked that kid too. But that's the part of you, though, that I think, you know, we can't compare our Yeah, I think so. We can't compare ourselves to other. Everyone's on their own journey. Yeah. Their own success. Yeah. You're young, so you have a long career ahead of you. And I always just feel like the need to like encourage people to keep being that kid. Oh. It sends the thing at the post office. Wow. You know, I also respect how much loyalty you have to your company. Uh, this says a lot about you. Yeah. They, you know, you know, you know, you know, you know,

No, our boss always told me, I really love you. Yeah. Because, like, he told me always, like, if without you, how can, like, be like, this, like that. Actually, some point I think like that, but some point, me, I did great at that time. But also, after, like, a few years, our members and, like, our company, trust me. too. So that was big thing too, in my opinion. Like I trust myself that day, but after that, like everyone around me trust me too. So I really, thanks for that. And that's why I can do my own thing with the confidence. Yeah. So yeah. And it takes a team. Yeah, it takes a team.

Everyone plays a role. Yeah, everyone has role. But like, I think our band, It's a little weird that everyone has war, but everyone is good at the other world too. Oh, yeah, you can all do each other's jobs. Yeah. Yeah. So I think everyone has like 20 jobs in their life. Like I'm rapper. I usually rap.

Okay. But before this, I'm singing at some contents. Yeah. And do you ever sing too? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Sing and rap.

Sing and rap. And soon guitar. Yeah, on the guitar. Yeah, and soon drummed. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, and our vocal members really good at rap. Right. So sometimes I got some fear if they rap better than me.

What can I do? It's good competition. Yeah, yeah, competition. And I have to sing him, like, get vocal lesson if they rap like that. And like everyone dance really good. Yeah. And some of members, like in this song, he's the best dancer. But that song, he's the best dancer.

Yeah. With our members, we get some like competition. It's good. It's healthy. Yeah, it's very healthy. So that's great. If we were going to promote one thing. Ah.

What will we promote? Last month, we released a new album. New album. Yeah. What's it called? Like tighter, tighter is bad. Okay. The whole song's about like, the vibe is very summer.

Okay. Summer taste. Summer vibe. It's summer vibe. And like it's very like new vibe to us. And also I think it's very new vibe to our fans. Like, oh, 80s do like that. Yeah.

Oh, this time 80 tried that genre like that. Cool. So are you happy with the record? Yeah. Good. I was really. And almost of my. lyrics is English. So because for this one, we want to express like more othered love.

Uh-huh. Yeah. Not that young vibe. Right. Yeah. So this time, I'm really happy with the all production and or recording and all the songs that we had. So yeah, please check it out. Check it out. Yeah. Check it out. Yeah. Check it out. I really love. love getting to hang out with you. Oh. I'm serious. I'm being serious. I've always really admired, respected, liked K-pop the world.

Oh, really? And I've always wanted to hang out and just like get a vibe. Yeah, get a vibe. What's it like? Yeah. What's the K-pop world like? What's the K-pop life? You have to come to Korea.

I would love that. Yeah. I might do that. Yeah. I would make the similar studio like this. Okay. Yeah. Like, just do three days in Korea.

Yeah. You don't have to hang out with me the whole time. Yeah. But just one day. Yeah. Take me around. Yeah. I won't be too much trouble.

Yeah. No, it's, it's worth it to, yeah. Have a day with you. I would love that. Yeah. Where would you say outside of Korea? Where's the most excited crowds, the places you feel it, where you're like, damn, these people love us. Is it L.A.?

LA. Dallas. I love LA. And yeah, Dallas too. But like for me, LA is very that kind of that city. It's like home away from home. Yeah. Like that. And you told me the very patience crowd is I think every city is these days. Wow. When I like our first tour is we have some difference of the crowd's reaction. But these days, I think. Almost of cities have like high energy. So I never like disappointed. Right. But like their reaction when we are on the state.

And you guys tour the whole world? Yeah, whole world. Wow. Yeah. Last year we did Europe and US and this year we already did almost of Asia tour and Australia. Oh yeah, Australia. We went to Morocco to go. Oh, that's cool.

Magajin Festival and also yeah yeah the South America too almost of forward I think next gonna be like moon or somewhere that I like the moon yeah hope to yeah yeah it's awesome um what do you feel like the next 10 years looks like wow I'm just so exciting just thinking so next 10 years I think it's not that different with now because during one, two years, we already think a lot about our next 10 years because we make a contract with our company last year. Okay. But that's not short. The contract is really long. But it's a good contract.

Yeah. There you go. Yeah, that's why 10 years is very familiar to me. Right. Yeah, not that, like, strange or, like, afraid like that. Well, yeah, because you've already spent 10 years getting here. Yeah. And it goes fast.

Yeah, it goes fast. So you realize, like, 10 years isn't actually that long. It's long, but. It's short to me. So next 10 years, I'm going to be 37. I'm so curious about my life. But, like, I can sure that I'm still with. members and then i always like try to make the best decision for our members and our fans if

even like sometimes we do works like separate like we do some individual things sometimes but we still know we're part of like huge band 80s yeah and we really proud about that so I think it's almost similar, but we can do more, like, we can work in the more side. More like, so I think that's it. I think what you just said, I feel like if you have any hesitation. Hesitation. Or if you have any fear. I'm only telling you from my experience because I'm way older than you.

Like I said, I'm 20 years older than you. I love to listen to your story. 20 years. If I could go back. Yeah. Until 27-year-old me, I would say at 27 to remember that kid that made the beats that sent it to the company that was the first signing of the company that is here now is still the one who's going to feel something or think something or go. I think I should try that or I'm interested in that. And I think that's the thing you always got to trust is that that's your navigation system.

But it's great hanging out with you, man. Yeah. Really enjoyed it. Yeah. I really enjoyed it too. Thanks for coming on the show. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.

You know, like this time, I think make me a better person now. Me too. Yeah. Because I love your advice that you get me because I always need kind of that advice to me. Because I don't have that many other. around me. Well, I felt like today was cool because I've always wanted to get a real true kind of inside take on the K-pop life.

Yeah. Which I think is really cool. Yeah. I never talk about this conversation. Like, I never show this kind of this conversation to, like our fans or like other places. So it's very like good time to me too. Yeah.

It was really cool. It's really cool. Yeah. K-pop's cool, man. No. And I wouldn't even define you, I wouldn't just, I wouldn't limit you to that. I would say it's what you're from and what you represent. I'm not just saying you're only K-pop.

Yeah. I don't want you to think I'm boxing you in, but as an artist and as a producer and as a performer, what you come from is really important. Yeah. And you represent it really well. Yeah, I love that too because, you know, I don't know. There is, like, where to where is K-pop these days? So, like, I think it's like, rag is same too.

Where to, where is, like, yeah, we can't define that. It's like we label things so that we can understand. But it doesn't define the thing, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, right. So K-pop isn't just K-pop. Yeah. It's the first thought I have because it helps me understand, like, what you came out of, what you come from. Yeah.

But then you talk to. so and it's so much more. No, yeah. You know what I mean? Thank you. So now you, like I can less pressure. Yeah. Because I'm not represent K-pop, you told me.

It's one of the- I love it. Yeah, I would say it's to me like I say about rock. Like I come from rock. Yeah. Not only thing I am. Yeah, that's right. I come from K-pop.

Yeah. And I can live in rock. I'm comfortable there. Sometimes. I'll always be in rock. Yeah, yeah. But sometimes I want to go over here. Yeah.

And you can be K-pop too Right, someday Someday Yeah Imagine your fans of I walked out of this place Yeah I would teach some move Who's this old guy

But I only say that to say Like I know There's a bunch of people listening That are K-pop fans And then there's a bunch of people listening that are interested

Like me That knows stuff Yeah, yeah That's right But we haven't lived in it Like you have Yeah I want people to understand

how much I respect. Yeah. I've felt that. Artists and what they do and where they're from and what they've had to, what they've gone through. Yeah. And what people know about you is only one aspect of who you are. What you've had to do to get here, you could write a book on it.

Yeah. Do you know what I mean? Like we couldn't cover it in one conversation. Yeah. So it's so much more. Yeah. But do you know what I mean? So I don't want anyone to think I'm defining you.

That means I have to. back again to talk with you. Yeah. Yeah. This is, I just talk about a few pages of my book. That's right. Just one little. Yeah.

It's great. If I have another issue or like if I want to hang with you again. Anytime. I will come back to talk about another pages too. Anytime. Hung June. Yeah.

Thank you, bro. Thank you so much. Appreciate it. Thanks for coming. Thank you. Thank you for listening to this episode of Artist Friendly. You can also watch the episodes on Spotify. Spotify premium users get no commercial breaks on my show. Make sure to follow, like, and comment because I always read the comments.