Wonho: «As an idol I seem fearless, but off the stage I'm just a person like any other»

It's said that «it's impossible not to fall for Wonho». And that's not only because this idol, who became a soloist during the pandemic, has one of the hottest bodies in the K-pop industry. The way he interacts with Wenees on social media (his Instagram account has 2.4 million followers) and his being consistently true to himself, showing all the ups and downs of life and singing them in some of the most comfortable and dreamiest K-pop songs, has made him "the boy that everyone loves". This big-28-years-old-boy debuted for the first time as a member of the well-known group Monsta X in 2015. In 2019 the news that he would leave the group for good left Monbebes (the Monsta X fandom) in shock. But one year after, during the most challenging time of our age, he came back once and for all as a solo artist. After publishing his first two releases, "Love Synonym Part 1: Right For Me" and "Part 2: Right For Us", he chooses to speak to his fans through seven songs in "Blue Letter", which is - without any doubt - one of the best music albums of the year.

Panorama.it interviewed him exclusively for the Italian public.

It's so nice to have you here, Wonho. Can you please introduce yourself to the Italian public?

«Ciao, Italy! I'm WONHO. I'm a singer from South Korea. I'm thrilled to be speaking with Panorama today!»

Let's talk about your music first. Your last work is called "Blue Letter '' and is getting lots of love worldwide. Why did you call it "Blue Letter"?

«"Blue" is a signature color of my fandom, WENEE, and the album is my sincere letter to the fans; hence "Blue Letter!"»

Your main theme is love. How Blue Letter is linked to your previous series, Love Synonym, and which are the differences?

«They all touch the theme of love, of course. But this time, I also talk about feeling depressed and being okay with it, as well as the process of overcoming it».

Blue is your signature color. Why did you choose it?

«I didn't purposefully "choose" it per se. But when I see my fans, I see the color blue. They remind me of the color!»

You previously said that your favorite track is "No Text No Call". Every lyric of the song looks like it's talking about a love that ended abruptly. But when I first listened to it I immediately thought about a great friendship that got lost with time. Do you think Love and Friendship could sometimes be the same thing?

«I like your interpretation and perspective on the track! I think there is love in friendship and friendship in love».

Blue is your title track and refers to the definition of "feeling blue, feeling depressed". Have you ever experienced those kinds of feelings?

«Of course! I'm only human. I do, sometimes feel depressed like others. But the important thing I learned over the course of time is to learn to be okay with feeling depressed and accept it as it is only a phase, which is natural».

Your last work is a really comforting album. Is there a particular genre or concept would you like to explore?

«Actually, there is no one particular style of music or concept in mind that I'd like to explore. I want to explore as many different genres of music as possible as a musician».

You have over 2.4M followers only on Instagram. And people are obsessed with the content you post and how you share your life in such an easy way. Who is the Wonho idol and the one in real life? Are there any differences between the two?

«There are differences, yes. Wonho the idol seems more confident and fearless on stage. But off the stage, I'm just another person like any other. And I'm grateful that I get to share my daily life with my fans through the means of social media».

In your daily life pictures you look really comfortable, showing this side to your fans means a lot to them. How do you feel WENEE impacted your life?

«They are honestly such a big part of my life. They inspire and encourage me to be a better person, a better musician. I'm truly thankful to have them in my life!»

If you could describe yourself right now using a song, not one of yours, an adjective, and a perfume, which one would you choose and why?

«"Warm on a cold night" by Honne because WENEEs make me feel warm on a cold night, Relentless because I never give up, and "Bleu de Chanel" because it's sexy!»

I have one last question. I think it's the most difficult one. Who is Wonho right now?

«A human. A person who tries his best to improve himself every day».