Yeonjun of TXT Discusses Stress and Insights from His First Solo Mixtape ‘GGUM’

On September 19, 2024, in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY, TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Yeonjun discussed his journey creating his debut solo mixtape, GGUM. The talented male artist shared that he faced considerable stress and challenges while developing the concept for GGUM. He expressed:

“I did feel a lot of stress, a lot of pressure, sometimes to the point that it almost scared me.”

Yeonjun explained that during times of fear, his bandmates – Soobin, Taehyun, Beomgyu, and Hueningkai – provided support and encouragement, which helped him complete the mixtape and navigate the exciting yet challenging experience.

TXT’s Yeonjun Reveals the Challenge of Creating GGUM

In the interview, Yeonjun admitted that, while he initially thought he was prepared for the creation of GGUM, he soon discovered the process was far from simple. He described it as ‘really difficult’, highlighting the challenge of balancing vocals, dance, and rap simultaneously. He remarked:

“It was really difficult. It was very challenging to do the vocals, the rap, and the dance all at once. I tried doing everything at the same time. It’s very tiring. So while working on the choreo and the song, I came to really respect solo artists.”

Yeonjun went on to say that his experiences with the group prepared him to face the challenges of composing the mixtape. He elaborated further on his vision for the project:

“I’m always looking for opportunities to expand my artistry, expand my different musical performances. During the middle of the US tour, we started talking about this project, and we slowly built on that.”

The artist also shared insights about the chewing gum theme of the mixtape, stating that the idea came to him naturally while chewing gum in the car. He felt this concept aligned perfectly with him and served as an ideal theme for his inaugural solo project.

Yeonjun emphasized the significant role music plays in his life, allowing him to be authentic and true to himself. He expressed feeling both pressured and accountable to deliver a high-quality project with the release of his first solo mixtape.

GGUM was pre-released on September 19, 2024, through BigHit Music and is distributed by YG Plus and HYBE, with the official release set for October 29, 2024.

Yeonjun, also known as Daniel Choi, was the first member revealed from BigHit Music’s group and debuted with TOMORROW X TOGETHER on March 4, 2019, with the mini-album The Dream Chapter: Star. In addition to his music career, he has ventured into hosting, serving as part of the MC lineup for the SBS music program Inkigayo alongside Noh Jung-Ui and Seo Bum-june.

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