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EXCLUSIVE: Crush talks comeback with wonderego, pressure after Rush Hour success and impressive discography
Crush, the talented singer-songwriter spoke to us in an exclusive chat about his latest release wonderego and how it came to be. Read his thoughts on writing about love.
Crush, or Shin Hyo Seob, is a name that’s not only familiar to listeners of K-pop or K-RnB but also in the K-drama scene, thanks to all his famous original soundtracks that have made the viewing experience better by ten times if not more. From Sleepless Night in It's Okay, That's Love to Beautiful for Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Goblin), he has been the voice behind popular tracks that hoodwinked the viewers with his voice.
Multiple collaborations with artists like Zico, Girl’s Generation’s Taeyeon, Loco, Red Velvet’s Joy, Jay Park, Simon Dominic, Epik High, Heize, BoA, Lee Hi, and more recently, BTS’ J-Hope under his belt, he has spread his charms far and wide, dabbing into countless genres over his 12 year-long career. With a soulful sound guiding his path, the 31-year-old singer contributes to the creation of his songs not just with his voice but with production and composition as well as lyricism, making him a sought-after moniker.
Crush Interview
The soloist took a break from a highly successful career to complete his mandatory military duties and returned in August 2022 following which the release of his collaboration track Rush Hour topped domestic music charts and once again directed the attention to his creative skills alongside his need to try to outperform his own success each time. However, the fans had awaited an album release for long, almost three years to be exact.
On his return, Crush delivered a 19-track record that showed him hopping from pop to RnB and even hip-hop genres spread across self-written music and collabs that allowed him to display his artistry. We had the opportunity to interview the star solo singer just ahead of Christmas Day which he planned on celebrating at home with his pets, Doyou and Rose.
‘wonderego’ which was released on November 14, alongside the title track Hmm-cheat and later promoted with the single Ego, saw him work with industry favorite names like Dynamicduo, PENOMECO, AMAKA, Kim Ximya, and Lee Hi. Here’s him talking about it.
The name of the album is ‘wonderego’, which seems to be in line with ‘wonderlust’ and ‘winderlost’, your 2016 and 2018 EPs. What has changed since then? How has your music evolved?
Crush: I like the word ‘wonder’, which inspired me to name my albums wonderlust, wonderlost, and my latest and 3rd full-length album, wonderego. I have been taking various musical challenges and working hard to present multiple genres, and I believe such efforts are carried well through the latest album.
After Rush Hour received a lot of attention last year, was there any pressure you put on yourself while working on this album?
Crush: There was indeed quite a bit of pressure with just the idea of a full-length album. Since this was the first release after about 4 years and there were challenges in completing an album with 19 tracks, I had to prepare the album with a decent amount of pressure.
An album of 19 songs seems to be a lot for outsiders but also long overdue for your fans. What were your thoughts while awaiting the release? Any tracks you’ve left out that you wish were part of this album?
Crush: I would say it was bittersweet, as this album is filled with songs that I’ve collected over the years. It was exciting to present songs that I consider my children, yet I felt bitter and complex emotions thinking it was time to release them. There are multiple songs that I unfortunately could not include in this album, but I hope to present them to the world under a new story.
How do you come around to selecting a song to include in your albums? Is the tracklisting process any difficult since you value all your songs?
Crush: I usually consider a lot about the tracklist right before the release. Especially when I am working on an album, it takes much time and consideration because I complete a tracklist while looking over the track’s flow, vibe, message, and cohesion between tracks. In the process, some songs are added or eliminated from the final tracklist.
A lot of your songs are based around the theme of love. How do you come up with the lyrics?
Crush: Sometimes I would get inspired by my surroundings, experiences or emotions, walk with my pets, and support from my fans. I think ‘love’ is a compressed word that encapsulates all emotions from various shapes and situations. Therefore, I often find stories from not only my experiences and emotions but also my imagination.
Having been in the industry for 11 years now, you have a lot of hits to your name. What is the one song you’d suggest to a new listener to get familiar with your music?
Crush: It would be great if they could listen to all my songs, but if I have to recommend one, I would choose Sometimes. When you work, feel lonely, and need comfort, I hope you listen to it sometimes when you feel like it.
You’re into your 10th year of promoting music, if we take out 2 years of military, what would today’s Crush tell 2012’s Crush?
Crush: ‘You’re doing well. Don’t worry too much.’ In 2012, Crush was pursuing more passionately than now, and it was a time of worry and nervousness filled with thoughts like ‘Will I be able to succeed with a music career?’ I want to send him comfort by telling him that he’s doing well.
Do you have any plans to visit India? Also, could you leave a message to your fans in India?
Crush: I’ve never been to India, so the country evokes a lot of curiosity for me. I would love to visit India when I have an opportunity. To all my Indian fans who send support from afar, I want to send my sincere gratitude. Thank you!
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