"This album is truly mine": NCT Taeyong talks about his solo album, inspiration, group in recent dual interviews with ELLE KOREA

Fans of NCT, especially those who hold a special place in their hearts for the group's leader, Taeyong, were in for a delightful surprise as they were presented with two distinct interviews featuring the star. This dual treat of interviews provided an intriguing glimpse into the star's world, offering a more profound connection through the written word and a lively video conversation on ELLE KOREA's YouTube channel.

The first interview, presented in a written format, was accompanied by a collection of sharp, attractive photos that added a visual dimension to the insights shared. On the other hand, the second interview, presented in a video format, allowed fans to witness Taeyong's expressions, gestures, and emotions firsthand, providing a more immersive experience.

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Taeyong dishes on different things in his magazine interview and YouTube video interview

The written interview, gracing the pages of the ELLE KOREA magazine for its September 2023 issue, dived deep into Taeyong's world, unraveling the artist behind the spotlight. Within this interview, Taeyong conversed about various topics, including NCT’s upcoming whole group world tour, his feelings about becoming a global brand ambassador for LOEWE, his thoughts on performing on the stage, his likes towards movies/series, etc.

While the magazine interview provided a glimpse into Taeyong's journey, the video interview added an intriguing dimension by highlighting the collective camaraderie within NCT. This video interview, hosted on YouTube, granted fans the privilege of glimpsing the dynamics of NCT as a group.

Let's take a look at the interviews one by one:

Talking about the magazine interview, ELLE asked him about his first interview with them as an ambassador.

E: "You have already graced the covers of magazines in Japan, China and the UK this year. Today's meeting with (ELLE) is your first filming as a global ambassador for Loewe. How was it?"

T: "I think it showed another side of me. I had a difficult schedule recently, including filming a music video. Maybe that's why you might have found an unexpected side to me as I was a little weaker than usual. I actually lost some weight (laughs)."

As most people know by now, Taeyong recently dropped an album, SHALALA. He was asked how he felt about the album and performing it in front of a live audience.

E: [At] Loewe Men's Show, you presenting your first solo album...left a deep impression. You might’ve felt a little shy, right?

T: The interview that dropped on YouTube was basically a meme-terview where Taeyong talks about the members of the group a lot.

Moving on, Taeyong discussed the busy schedule he and his fellow NCT members had to follow. He attributed this busy schedule to the upcoming activities related to NCT's fourth album, Golden Age, which is planned to take place at the end of August.

He mentioned that this album holds special significance because it brings together the members who originally debuted with NCT's first song, The 7th Sense, about seven years ago. Taeyong explained that when the idea of reuniting for this album was proposed, he and fellow members Ten, Doyoung, Jaehyun, and Mark eagerly agreed to participate.

He concluded by expressing his belief that the album's overall concept and activities would evoke a strong nostalgia for NCT members and their fans. The album's theme and performances are intended to take everyone on a journey down memory lane, celebrating the growth and journey of NCT throughout the years.

Talking about the NCT NATION Concert tour that will be held in Japan and Korea across 5 venues, ELLE asked the SHALALA singer,

"This is your first offline concert as an entire group. What is your resolution as a member who holds the center of this 20-member team?"

To which he answered,

"My biggest desire is to start preparing for the performances as soon as possible. Practice is also the easiest thing for me. I'm not worried about any stage. As long as you practice enough."

Furthermore, after being asked what he likes to do on long flights, Taeyong answered that he had started watching wildlife documentaries as a change from his regular video schedule. He added that his affection for watching nature and its components originated from childhood when he sat and watched wildlife TV with his father.

"When I was young, I sat next to my father and watched (National Geographic) together, and I probably like nature documentaries because of that influence."

The interview that dropped on YouTube was a meme-terview where Taeyong talked a lot about all the group members. This interview featured several memes of the star himself that had once surfaced on the internet, and asked to explain the back-story of those. He talked about many things, including his TikTok videos, his dancing videos with other members, his birthday celebration after his solo album release, fan letters, exercising/fitness, and much more.

Wrapping up the video, he expressed how he felt about the meme-terview saying,

"I realized how diverse my expressions were and it made me think again. I thought I need to pay more attention to my expressions in the future."

Even though not many, some fans took to Twitter to express their emotions about Taeyong's diligent answers. Here are some of them,

These dual interviews served as windows into Taeyong's world, offering a distinct lens through which fans could peer. On the other hand, the video interview showcased the harmony of NCT as a whole and the humorous side of the star.