Hyunjin: The Dreamer
In the week leading up to the release of Stray Kids' first ever Rolling Stone UK cover, we're sharing our individual interviews with each member from within the magazine. Next up, it's the dreamer: Hyunjin.
Hyunjin is prowling around the studio floor like some kind of panther/supermodel hybrid. He looks like he is ready to pounce as he crawls in front of the camera lens in his Versace outfit. Dubbed the Prince of Versace, at this point he’s a pro when it comes to knowing his angles, biting the tip of his glove and casting coquettish glances towards the camera. Of course, the glorious dichotomy of Hwang Hyunjin is always that of him being an extraordinary performer one moment, and charmingly goofy the next.
When we sit down together and I ask how he’s doing, in a low, wistful tone he replies that he’s “always good”. He says it with such endearing reassurance that in turn it makes me feel completely calm. He comes across as extremely content as we chat away, his shiny black hair shaking when he laughs whenever something amuses him during the interview. It’s a calm space that he has cultivated for himself over the years.
Recently, he has been on his Instagram Live, sketching and drawing at all hours of the night in contented silence. Often, he puts on relaxing music, with STAY keeping him company, chirping away in the comments section, before he reveals the result of his drawings to them. It is a space that is just as important to Hyunjin as it is to the fans.
“Wanting to have some alone time is not my goal. It’s just a need that I have,” he says. “I enjoy my work a lot and going out to meet my fans, so it’s not a matter of wanting or longing for alone time, it’s just a need to balance things out. If it was not for the fans and the work, obviously my relationship with wanting to find some alone time would be different. I’m very thankful for the fans.”
Art is an oasis for Hyunjin in his hectic world. Wherever he is, he makes time for it, but he has a much vaster perspective on it than just his own personal experience. “I love going to Paris. It’s a city I always enjoy. Every time I am there, the thing I enjoy the most is going to art exhibitions,” says Hyunjin. “Something I hope I can bring to Korea is the culture of people enjoying drawing outside on the streets. That’s something that I don’t see much in Korea that I love.”
Art is more than just a hobby for Hyunjin, it really is at the nucleus of this passion, and he has some grander plans for it in the future. “Something I would want to share is many of my works [of art] that I am preparing. But it’s for the future.”
As well as his silent retreat-style drawing sessions, Hyunjin has more energetic live video content too — including Q&As with his fans and dance practices. “I enjoy doing Lives and interacting with the STAY because sometimes I have questions,” he says. “When I ask the STAY, they always give me good feedback, so I really find this a good experience to go on Live a lot, especially about dancing.”
Before he joined JYP, he had no formal dance training, but found he had a real talent for it, and like Lee Know, has cultivated his own unique style. As the group evolves, so does he, honing his choreography skills along with the rest of DANCERACHA, Felix and Lee Know, as well as composing songs.
Songwriting is something that Hyunjin is focused on at present. “There’s a list of songs that I have written, but have not been published yet, and the list is getting longer,” says Hyunjin. “So, when the activities for this album are going to end, I cannot wait to go into mixing and recording so I can bring out more music.”
This will most likely be under the tutelage of his bandmates Bang Chan, Changbin and HAN. For Hyunjin, as with the other members, working as a team is integral to the evolution of the group. “The main thing about me personally is the teamwork aspect, being surrounded by members that are very hardworking. I actually get to learn many things from them in that sense.”
Wherever Hyunjin is in the world, as he said when he first sat down with me, he will always be fine, as long as he has his sketchbook, his pencils, his infectious laugh and his fellow Stray Kids members.
Taken from the October/November issue of Rolling Stone UK – you can pre-order it here now.
