Taeyong’s talents are endless. His abilities range from leader, main dancer, main rapper, and sub vocal. His skills are evident through various groups, such as NCT, NCT127, NCT U, and SuperM.

However, we don’t know much about Taeyong himself as an artist. Much of what we see is member Taeyong of a group, not himself as an individual.

Taeyong is taking a step forward as an artist. He has released the songs that he made, for free and has delivered his story through music and lyrics.

His wish is for people to gain happiness through his music. That’s the source of enthusiasm we see today.

◆ How it started…

“I never imagined that I’d be a singer one day. I’ve always been a fan of music, but I never thought it would become a career. If I look back now, I was extremely lucky.”

Taeyong was only a sophomore in high school when he was scouted by SM entertainment. His training period was especially hard because he didn’t have the slightest intentions to join the music industry.

He explained, “It was filled with people who had incredible talents. Whether it was singing or dancing, everyone seemed to be so good. I kept thinking about what I personally had, to offer to the table.”

So Taeyong did what he could; he constantly practiced, and the rest is history. He would often practice well into the early hours of the morning.

“I had the shortest training period, but I was also the oldest. It made me anxious. I knew that if I wasn’t up to par with everyone else, I’d possibly lose my chance of debuting. I knew deep down that I lacked significantly compared to everyone else, and so I tried making up for it by practicing extra hard.”

He’s felt defeated on numerous occasions. Every day was simply a competition to survive. “That kind of competitive atmosphere was a first for me, but it was fun”, he remarked.

“Honestly, at first, I just did what I was told to do. I slowly gained interest as I learned new things. I’d tried to outdo a specific person every day. As I did so, I naturally started to gain the desire and enthusiasm for the road ahead.”

◆ Growth

He became a star within a short time span. Apparently, it wasn’t all glitter and rainbows as he initially thought it’d be. “It was a time I spent, trying to find my identity.” He admitted.

“I was undeniably overwhelmed as I was overcome with a rush of information. It was like an overload of information to my brain. I was left trying to pick the remains of my identity.”

Taeyeong has showed us many different characters and colors throughout the years. He has different roles in NCT, NCT U, NCT 127, and SuperM. Just as he’s a part of many different music groups, the demands for his roles are just as high.

The days were clouded with confusion. “I’m currently contemplating things on my own as well. Things like my role as a leader and finding the middle ground between the members and the company are things I have to do”, he claims.

“I have things I have to consider for the members individually, and for the group as a whole. Since I have to take all of this into consideration and resolve any possible misunderstandings, it’s fair to say that I have my own share of stress, but in a good way”.

He also thought a lot about himself. Some days, all he thought about was leaving. “As a matter of fact, I wanted to quit everyday”, he said.

“As I started to turn into someone I didn’t know, I pondered if quitting was for the best. I was this bright, cheerful person in the eyes of the public but wasn’t able to be true to myself. I tried improving that aspect of myself.”

◆ The artist, TY

Taeyong took baby steps. He took his time learning everything from rap, dance, singing, and producing. Naturally, he broadened his experience and knowledge along the way.

“I’ve been looked down upon. The feedback was often constructive criticism and now that I look back, I think it was necessary. However, it was hard to take in at the time. I wanted to be acknowledged for my skills.”

The practice made the artist Taeyong, that we see today. Currently, he has a few songs under his own personal Soundcloud account, such as “Dark clouds”, “GTA 1”, “GTA 2”, and “Blue” are some of his songs. He even produced “Monroe” with Exo’s Baekhyun.

He showed his confidence in his work as a musician. “There will be people who aren’t satisfied with my music but I’m just getting started.” He remarked.

“Let the mirror reflect me as I walk this road ahead/ Learn to love myself during the process/ Even if you don’t understand me, pull me into your embrace” (Blue).

Music has now become less restrictive than it once was. More than anything, He’s learned to look back. “I wish to do what I please without being restricted.”

“There isn’t much to it, to be honest. (laughs) I’ve found happiness through music and so I thought I’d spread that same form of happiness to other people.”

◆ He's improving

There are two types of artists. Type A is the artist who was born with their talent and trusts their intuition and the process. Type B is the artist who acquires the talent through practice.

Taeyong would be categorized as a type B artist. He’s continued to practice and now boasts more than thirty five songs under his belt.

Nevertheless, he keeps that same energy he had when he was a trainee. “I gain inspiration to that same surge of enthusiasm I felt back then. I’d practice as if I was spiritually possessed. It’s still the same as ever.”

“My producer friends and I talk about music until the sun is up. The time we spend being diligent and enthusiastic is like fuel to me.”

He now claims to have another dream added onto his list. “It’s simple. I wish people would recognize me through my voice alone. I want to be a well-acclaimed artist.”

“I plan to be consistent with my practices so I could continue to improve. Since music is my source of happiness, I wish to broaden my spectrum.”

With that said, he still hasn’t forgotten his identity as a member of NCT. “Even when I’m producing music, I think of my group”. “I’d like to produce music with my members in the future.”

“If I have time on my hands, I’d like to use most of that spare time on NCT. I’d like for our group to do well. NCT 127 is gearing for a new album, we promise to do performances that we know you’ll love.”

Taeyong possesses a lot of traits that make him lovable. He is humble, unapologetically himself, and diligent. That’s just one of the many.

“I hope I was able to show how much work I put into improvement. I wish for the public to continue to watch over me as I evolve into a better version of myself. I’ll continue to do my best.”

Taeyong, you are improving!

<Photos by=Seunghoon Lee(Dispatch)>

<Translated by=Justina Kim(Dispatch)>