INTERVIEW VIXX's Ravi sees his 'Roses' bloom

Singer Ravi / Courtesy of GROOVL1N

By Dong Sun-hwa

Should musicians prioritize popularity over uniqueness when making their music? This is a conundrum for all musicians, but Ravi of K-pop boy band VIXX has found his answer. For his fourth solo mini-album “Roses,” set to be released Wednesday afternoon, the 28-year-old has decided to bring his own musical identity to the forefront above all else.

“Although I have put out a lot of singles to date, I think I have not been successful in telling people what exactly my musical style and color are,“ Ravi said during an interview with The Korea Times on Tuesday at the headquarters of GROOVL1N in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. GROOVL1N is a record label Ravi established in 2019.

“Through my new album, I want to clearly display who I am, which genres I can do well and what kinds of sounds and lyrics I can make,” he said.

So far, many people have told Ravi that they were fond of his songs, but the singer said these words were not enough.

“I felt they were just passing remarks,” he said. “When working on my previous singles, I endeavored to make it sound more appealing to the general public, but not so many of them actually listened to my songs when they came out. Feeling that these tracks were neither widely popular nor reflective of my own style, from then on, I decided to stick to my own thing to build my unique musical identity.”

“Roses” offers cross-genre songs that view love from different perspectives. It carries two main singles, “Cardigan” and “Flower Garden,” as well as five additional tracks including “Chee$e,” “Red Velvet,” “Roses” and “I Don't Deny.”

“I was hesitant about releasing the album at first, as I cannot perform in front of massive crowds at the moment,” the singer said, referring to the protracted COVID-19 pandemic situation. “I am thrilled to finally showcase my album, but at the same time, I feel empty because I have to send away the songs.”

A teaser for Ravi's new album “Roses” / Courtesy of GROOVL1N

One of the lead singles, “Cardigan,” is an energetic song that blends the sounds of guitar and bass. Featuring the up-and-coming musician Wonstein, it sheds light on Ravi's melodious rap and Wonstein's harmonious vocals.

“I wanted to make it sound sensual,” said Ravi, who has songwriting credits for all tracks included on the album. “Its music video also has sensual elements, although it simply features myself and different colored cardigans.”

“Flower Garden” likens the feelings of love to flowers and a flower garden.

“Quite a few people told me Flower Garden sounds better than Cardigan, so I decided to have both of them as the lead singles,” he said.

During an hour-long interview, Ravi, whose real name is Kim Won-sik, also looked back on his nine-year career. He debuted as a rapper of VIXX in 2012 with the album “Super Hero” and as a group, dropped a string of hits such as “On and On” (2013) and “Shangri-La” (2017). Thanks to its ever-changing concepts and distinctive music that delicately combined modern and traditional sounds, VIXX has been basking in popularity for many years.

“I am thankful that I can still pursue my career in music after almost 10 years,” he said. “A lot of things that I imagined in the past have been realized, but still, I am on my way to achieving other goals.”

In 2017, Ravi went solo with the album “R.eal1ze” and has since been actively carrying on his solo career, rolling out songs like “Leaf” (2020) and “Rain Drop” (2020). He is also known for his songwriting skills ― it was reported that he has registered 183 songs under his name as of 2020. Currently, he is one of the regular cast members of KBS's popular variety show “1 Day 2 Nights” and the CEO of GROOVL1N.

“I am just doing my best to do things I like,” he said.

Wrapping up the interview, the prolific songsmith expressed his thoughts on the question ― whether it was more difficult for him to be recognized as a singer-songwriter because he began his career as idol group member.

“I kicked off my career as a member of an idol band, but I do not think this has made it more challenging for me to earn recognition from people,” he said. “I believe it is the same for everyone in the hip-hop scene ― regardless of their background, they just have to prove their talent through their work.”