“It's Yeonjun's music, with my touch from start to finish.”

TOMORROW X TOGETHER's Yeonjun will be releasing his first mixtape, “GGUM,” on September 19 at 6pm. In this interview, Yeonjun shared his thoughts on the release of the new music, his preparation process, listening points, and message to his fans.

'GGUM' is a hip-hop genre with an electro sound. Yeonjun likened his confidence and ambition on stage to GGUM. He participated in all aspects of the production, including the material, lyrics, and performance organization.

“I've been dreaming of this moment for a long time, so I'm excited and overwhelmed. I'm excited, but also nervous,” he said, adding, ”I wanted to show my own color and what I can do best.”

Yeonjun spearheaded the entire production of “GGUM.” He said, “I touched everything from the beginning to the end. It's literally 'Yeonjun's music,' so I had a lot of affection for it and wanted to write the song well,” he said.

“It was also my first time making music and stages by myself, so I think there were quite a few moments when I got stuck and had difficulties,” he said, emphasizing that ”it wasn't easy, but I prepared with all my energy.”

He also pointed out his favorite moments. In particular, he boldly placed the concise and unique lyrics of “Ggum jilgung” in the chorus. The use of Yeonjoon's vocals modulated with mechanical sounds made the song feel fresh.

The performance is also something to look forward to. It features Yeonjun's hip, energetic movements and point choreography that makes him look like he's chewing gum. “I think I chewed close to 50 pieces of gum while filming the music video,” Yeonjun adds.

“I hope many people will feel that it's a new flavor,” Yeonjun concluded, "‘GGUM is ’Yeonjun‘ in a nutshell, and I hope people will say, ’Yeonjun did it'"

<The following is Yeonjun's one-on-one answer>

Q. How did it feel to release your first mixtape?

I've been dreaming of this moment for a long time, so I'm excited and overwhelmed. There's a lot of pressure, but I'm also excited. I wanted to show my own color and what I can do best, which I couldn't show while working in a team. I worked hard with the mindset of 'no matter what kind of music I make, I want to make music that has a distinct color and story,' and I'm happy that it came out well.

Q. Were there any challenges in the preparation?

I had my hand in everything from the beginning to the end. It's literally 'the music of the Fed', so I had a lot of affection for it and wanted to write the songs well. It was also my first time making music and stages by myself, so I think there were quite a few moments when I got stuck and had difficulties. It wasn't easy, but I put all my energy into writing, recording, and performing.

Q. What do you like about the mixtape 'GGUM'?

I would like to point out the addictive chorus and the performance with the piano in the middle of the song. The lyrics “Ggum jilgung” is something I would think of while chewing gum while traveling between schedules.

Q. Why did you come up with the idea of a challenging dance challenge?

It hasn't been released yet, but there are two versions of the 'GGUM' challenge. Games get harder as you go up the levels, but the sense of accomplishment is just as great. We thought that some people might enjoy the challenge, so we prepared multiple versions. Of course, there is no such thing as a good or bad challenge, so please feel free to add your own style to the challenge and have fun together!

Q. Do you have any memorable stories about filming the music video?

True to the song's title, I chewed a lot of gum. I counted and I think I chewed close to 50 pieces of gum. Also, there's a scene in the music video where I spit water and I remember getting the OK in one take.

Q. What kind of reaction do you hope to get from the mixtape 'GGUM'?

I hope a lot of people see the song and the performance and think, 'It's catchy and addictive. It's a new flavor.” And I'd also like to hear people say, ‘GGUM is me in a nutshell,’ because it's a song that sums up who I am as a person. And I'm confident in that.

Q. Finally, what would you say to MOA(fandom name) around the world?

I want to thank and love all the Mois who have been waiting for me since I said I wanted to do a mixtape. I've been working really hard on it, so I'll make sure it's good, so stay tuned!