[INTERVIEW] Baekho releases 'Elevator,' first of his 'the [bæd] time' project

Singer Baekho’s latest digital single is a remake of a famed 1995 disco dance track titled “Elevator” by Park Jin-young, but it’s more than “just” a remake single, according to the artist.

Baekho boy band NU'EST [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

Singer Baekho’s latest digital single is a remake of a famed 1995 disco dance track titled “Elevator” by Park Jin-young, but it’s more than “just” a remake single, according to the artist.

“It’s the beginning of a new project where I get to show myself in all ways possible,” Baekho told the Korea JoongAng Daily in an interview held Tuesday, prior to its release Wednesday.

“Elevator” comes as part of a music project he titled “the [bæd] time,” through which the singer will present various types of music without being fixed on one theme or concept, Baekho said.

Baekho debuted in 2012 as part of the five-member boy band NU’EST and has been popular as the "sexy singer" who can hit the highest notes while also pulling off the toughest dance moves on stage. He began his solo career last October with the EP “Absolute Zero” after his bandmates parted ways in March last year.

“The project is titled ‘the [bæd] time’ with a play on words to mean both bad and bed. For some of the songs, I want to show the bad, tough and powerful side of myself. On the other hand, I also want to show the softer, emotional side that people show only in their beds in their alone time. So in short, it’s about showing all different sides of myself, very often.”

Baekho boy band NU'EST [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

Choosing “Elevator,” one of the most well-known songs in 1990s pop, was to make sure that the project reaches the widest audience possible.

“I wanted to start with something that many people know, so that people who knew the song already will feel a different vibe with the remake, while people who didn’t know the song will think it’s fresh,” he said.

NU’EST came to fame through the second season of cable channel Mnet’s audition program “Produce 101” in 2017. The band officially ended its activities in March 2022 when three of the members left their original agency Pledis Entertainment, after which Baekho continued his solo career as both a musician and a musical actor.

Baekho started his acting career with a musical titled “Midnight Sun” (2021) and has also been actively producing his own music throughout the years.

For this project, fluidity and versatility are the two pillars.

Baekho boy band NU'EST [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

“The project is going to include everything — songs I’ve worked on with others, solos and many more,” he said. “I haven’t even decided what order I’m going to release them in, or how often. I want it to be as flexible as possible.”

The songs may be compiled into one physical album, but even that has not yet been decided.

“I know that fans always want an album, but I hope they like this project, too,” he said.

One thing he’s trying not to do is hope to get anything specific out of the project. Over the last 10 years, he said the industry has taught him better than to expect something and be disappointed later.

During “Produce 101,” Baekho became known as the masculine leader who wasn’t afraid to voice his opinions in front of the camera or other members. His skills in all things music — singing, dancing and producing — won him praise not only from fans but also their trainers. He ultimately landed in 13th on the show, a respectable honor but two steps short of becoming one of the 11 members of the Wanna One project boy band.

Baekho of boy band NU'EST during his participation in Mnet's ″Produce 101 Season 2″ (2017) [MNET]

“I try not to worry in advance,” Baekho said. “It doesn’t mean I won’t worry at all. But at some point, I stopped thinking about how people will see me. I think the only thing I can do is try my best to prepare myself for something and then express the music in the best way I can. How people see or hear that is entirely up to them. I don’t want to limit their experience to anything.”

His eager efforts led him to be diagnosed with vocal nodules in 2014, which was “one of the biggest hardships” he had to go through in retrospect.

“It was so hard because I’m a singer and the diagnosis was very frightening,” he said. “But I went through rehab and I saw myself getting better. I think it’s actually me a more solid person. Not only that, but I think that each year I spend doing this makes my thoughts stronger. I listen to the people around me, and I can feel myself getting more complete as a person.”

On acting, he said, “Gratefully, I’ve been given a chance at a small role in a drama series. I’m learning how charming the acting scene is. I hope that I can get to expand my career in this field, too. Musicals are also fascinating in that we call the ‘stage’ the same name, but they feel very different.

Baekho boy band NU'EST back with ″Elevator″ as a start to his new project ″the [bæd] time″ [PLEDIS ENTERTAINMENT]

“I want to try as many things as my body allows me,” he said.

Baekho’s goal doesn’t stop with music or even acting. He’s also trying his hand at creating his own web content also.

For his upcoming web content, he is going to show himself sponsoring a pony that he rescued from being butchered to deliver it to a safe farm, and also try his hand at taking care of the young horse, which he named Pani. He took a light approach at filming himself during his volunteer work.

Baekho wants to approach his fans as the friendly, casual person he is off stage, and hopes that the fans would feel close to each other as well.

“I feel that the long time we’ve spent together has built this sense of friendship, and I really feel like I’m friends with them,” he said. “I hope the fans become friends with each other as well, because wouldn't it be nice if they catch up with each other, have a meal and catch the same transportation after coming to my performance?”

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]