AB6IX's Park Woo-jin turns new page with 2nd solo EP
Singer Park Woo-jin poses during a media showcase for his second solo EP, "SOLSTICE," at a performance hall in Jung District, central Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Para Music
Park Woo-jin, a member of boy group AB6IX who first rose to stardom through Wanna One — the project boy band born out of Mnet's "Produce 101 Season 2" — returned with his second solo EP, "SOLSTICE," Tuesday.
Park first rose to fame after placing sixth on the survival show, which led to his debut with Wanna One in August 2017. Following the group's disbandment, he debuted as the main rapper and dancer of AB6IX in May 2019.
Alongside his group promotions, he has built a strong presence as a solo artist since making his solo debut with the mini-album "oWn" in February 2023.
Now a seasoned veteran of the K-pop scene, Park makes his return about a year and five months after his single "Cool & Hot," released in April last year.
Singer Park Woo-jin poses during a media showcase for his second solo EP, "SOLSTICE," at a performance hall in Jung District, central Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Para Music
The EP is also his first release since joining Para Music in June. AB6IX has been on hiatus since its seventh-anniversary concert in May, when the group's contract with Brand New Music expired.
Hours before the album's release, Park met with reporters at a performance hall in Jung District, central Seoul, on Tuesday, sharing the story behind the album and what he has been up to.
"I'm usually not one to get nervous, but I'm a little nervous today," Park said. "It's my first solo showcase, and I'm coming back after a year and five months, so there's some pressure, too. I want to do even better, and all sorts of thoughts are running through my head."
K-pop singer Park Woo-jin / Courtesy of Para Music
According to Park, the album title refers to the moment the seasons begin to turn, capturing him moving toward new possibilities.
"Just as the title signifies change, I chose it to announce a new beginning, a fresh start for me," he said.
Park said he tried to change a lot of things on his first album under the new agency.
"Since it was our first time working together, there were moments when things went a little off track, but that's actually what brought out something fresh and new," he said. "I broke out of the frame I had in my head and got to experience something new."
The lead track, "STAMINA," is a tech house number filled with the drive to keep pushing past one's limits, with Park's signature low-register rap conveying the energy to press on.
"Rather than showing a new side of me, I wanted to show more of who I already am," he said. "I really wanted to show what I do best, the version of myself I think is the coolest."
K-pop singer Park Woo-jin / Courtesy of Para Music
Park said he raised the share of vocals on the four-track EP, on top of rap and performance, his longtime strengths.
He also took part in writing the lyrics for three songs, including the lead track, and wrote the lyrics alone and co-composed one, broadening his range as a creator.
"I included four tracks that are completely different in genre and feel. No two songs share the same mood — I didn't know what people would like, so I prepared a bit of everything," he said. "Maybe that's why I feel so much affection for this album."
"I always have a strong desire to challenge myself and break past my limits," he added. "Every track except the title song has vocal parts that are hard to pull off. I worked hard to go beyond my limits, beyond the strengths I already had."