Jackson Wang of GOT7 talks about depression and the rawness of MAGICMAN album

GOT7’s rapper and soloist Jackson Wang opened up about his latest album, MAGICMAN, being his rawest self. In Vogue's behind-the-scenes coverage of the artist’s Head in the Clouds Festival, the 28-year-old showcased a glimpse of his life backstage.

The multi-talented artist had previously mentioned his struggles of living the K-pop idol life. This time, he said that MAGICMAN, his latest release, is the most “raw” he has ever been in his life and that it is the only album that he thinks he is satisfied with. While getting ready for the show, Jackson Wang shared,

“I’ve never been satisfied with myself my whole life, no matter what I do. And I think this album (MAGICMAN) is the first time that I think it’s okay. I’ve never been this raw in my life.”

MAGICMAN was released on September 9 with the music video of Blue. While Wang’s music videos have always been recognized as an outburst of creativity, his recent album brings his creative genius to the forefront once again.

---

GOT7 member Jackson Wang opens up about depression and fans supporting “the real Jackson” with

MAGICMAN

While it may seem to be all sunshines-and-rainbows now, Jackson Wang revealed in a Vogue behind-the-scenes that he was "lost” and “depressed” after the constant monotonous struggle of being an idol.

“I’ve been in this industry for 8-9 years to a point that I was lost and everything fell into a loop. You know it’s just things after things, schedules after schedules. I was so depressed.”

GOT7’s decision to leave JYP Entertainment and branch off into solo activities (while still being active as a group) gave him a fresh start. He revealed that he wished to be his real self. Talking about the process, he said,

“I just felt like, ‘You know what? Whoever I was, whatever I was, I want [to] just leave that behind and start fresh. And I wanna be me for a second.’ A 100% me. Being honest to my audience and just let them know who I really am.”

While he understands the gray life of an artist, Jackson Wang said that there will always be fans and haters, but for him, anyone who supports him in his musical journey is supporting the "real Jackson."

“I might not be perfect, you know? Not everybody might like me. But at least if you like me, if you support me, you’re supporting the real Jackson.”

He echoed similar thoughts in an Instagram post announcing the album's release too, in an emotional letter to fans and his TEAM WANG crew, mapping his journey and thanking them for supporting him.

Wang has been carrying the titles of a CEO, rapper, singer, songwriter, designer, producer and a director for years. He debuted as a K-pop idol in 2014 with GOT7 and established his own company, TEAM WANG, in 2017.

Fans of Jackson Wang who keep themselves up-to-date with his schedule, know how busy the artist always is. He recently took time out for his fans while working, such as signing posters, and hopped on live streams on multiple platforms.