Q. When someone finishes listening to NO LABELS: PART 02for the first time, what do you want them to feel about who YEONJUN is as an artist today?
🦊 I hope people finish the album thinking, “I didn’t know YEONJUN had this side to him.” That would make me really happy. I think people sometimes see me as someone who’s always confident or intense, but there are a lot of different sides to me. Through this album, I wanted to show a little more of that without trying to fit into any one image.
Q. At the Hanteo Music Awards, you said you’d keep working hard regardless of mixed opinions on your dancing or singing, and that you’d “keep working hard to pop my hips even more.” Is there a moment on NO LABELS: PART 02 where that same mindset shows up?
🦊 I’d probably say “Fxxking Star.” It’s a song about staying true to yourself instead of letting other people’s opinions define you. Of course, I appreciate both compliments and criticism, but I don’t want either one to decide who I am. I’d rather keep growing and let my music and performances speak for themselves.
Q. You wrote lyrics across this album. When you sit down to write, how do you know what you actually want to say, before you’ve found the words for it?
🦊 I usually start with something I’ve actually felt or experienced. Once I find that emotion, the lyrics come more naturally. “Long Way Long Ride” was probably the most personal song on the album. I even got emotional while writing it because it felt so honest. I wanted it to comfort not only the people listening, but myself too, and that’s why I decided to include my own name in the lyrics.
Q. “Long Way Long Ride” is about comfort for someone tired from a long journey. Outside of the song, what is the long journey you have personally come through to get here?
🦊 I think my journey started back when I was a trainee. There were times when I put a lot of pressure on myself because I wanted to do better. Looking back now, I think every part of that journey helped shape who I am today. Preparing this album wasn’t always easy either, so I hope this song reminds people that it’s okay to keep going at their own pace.
Q. “No More Disco” is about two strangers who meet by chance at a club and connect through music. What is it about music itself that pulls you in more than anything else?
🦊 Music always gives me something new to discover. Every album pushes me to try things I’ve never done before, and every performance teaches me something too. I also get to meet people who inspire me along the way. Looking back, music has helped me grow not only as an artist but as a person, and it’s also what brought me to MOA. That’s something I’m always grateful for.
Q. “Fxxking Star” is already one of the most talked-about song names on the album. What feelings did you have about this song and the title before it was released?
🦊 I had a feeling this would be one of the most fun songs to perform. It’s a style of performance I’ve wanted to try for a while, so working on it felt really exciting. The title is definitely bold, but what I like most is the message behind it. To me, it’s about believing in yourself and continuing to move forward without losing sight of why you started making music.
Q. “Vanilla” and “Baby Wassup?” sit early in the tracklist, before the album turns more emotional. What mood did you want listeners to be in before the heavier songs arrive?
🦊 I wanted the first half of the album to feel a little lighter and more playful. “Vanilla” is about being drawn to someone who feels completely new and different from your usual world. “Baby Wassup?” is more about those awkward moments when you like someone but try not to show it. I think they’re both emotions most people have experienced at some point, so I hope listeners can smile and relate before the album takes a deeper turn.
Q. “Ice Cream” is the title track this time. What does this song show people about you that your last title track, “Talk to You,” didn’t?
🦊 Compared to “Talk to You,” I wanted to come back with a more relaxed tone. “Ice Cream” might feel lighter on the surface, but it still has its own kind of energy. Our performance directors and I spent a lot of time working on the choreography, refining all the little details. We came up with some fun moves inspired by melting and scooping ice cream, so I hope people pick up on those little moments and enjoy watching the performance.
Q. One teaser image features only a worn shoe, cap and headphones. It feels like it reflects a specific part of you – you’ve said goodbye to worn-out shoes before, once even calling them objects that “captured my hard work.” Was the worn shoe in the new teaser a reference to that? Either way, what is it like to share your real, everyday self in the art you make?
🦊 I think it’s just as important to show the real version of myself off stage as it is to show a polished version on stage. While working on this album, I thought deeply about who I am, and tried to reflect that in the teaser images. It’s actually really fun to see people pick up on those details and interpret them in their own way.
Q. The album visuals for NO LABELS: PART 02 feel softer, compared to the movement-driven, shirtless aesthetic of NO LABELS: PART 01. What made you want to take the photographed visuals in this direction this time?
🦊 I think it’s because I spent a lot of time reflecting on myself while making this album. Along the way, I realized there were sides of me that I hadn’t fully recognized before. That naturally influenced the visuals too. Rather than trying to make a bold statement, I wanted everything to feel simple, relaxed, and natural.
Q. The whole project is called “NO LABELS.” After two album entries under this name, has the meaning of “no labels” changed for you since NO LABELS: PART 01?
🦊 The goal to show my raw and authentic self remains the same for both albums. However, PART 02 leans more into how I see myself now. While preparing for it, I realized that I had been putting myself into certain frames without even noticing. Once I realized that, I tried hard to step outside of that and explore more freely. If PART 01 was about showing who I am, PART 02 is about exploring sides of myself I hadn’t fully seen before. Because of that, I feel like the name “NO LABELS” means even more to me now.
Q. The NO LABELS: PART 01 MV ended with you lying on top of a truck, moving through the city at night. The new “CHOI YEONJUN” clip opens with something much quieter, and uses the same music as the ending of NO LABELS: PART 01 MV. What does that connection mean to you, picking the story back up exactly where it left off?
🦊 I wanted to show that even though PART 01 and PART 02 might look different on the surface, they’re still connected as one story. That’s why the new video “CHOI YEONJUN” picks up with the same music where the previous music video left off. If PART 01 was about taking my first step as a solo artist, PART 02 is about making that identity clearer while showing new sides of myself. Even if the visuals feel different, I hope people can still feel that same energy underneath.
[260721] wonderland.
🦊 I hope people finish the album thinking, “I didn’t know YEONJUN had this side to him.” I think people sometimes see me as someone who’s always confident or intense, but there are a lot of different sides to me.
#YEONJUN#연준
“I appreciate both compliments and criticism, but I don’t want either one to decide who I am. I’d rather keep growing and let my music and performances speak for themselves.”