170627 Jonghyun on NCT’s Night Night Radio

Jonghyun joins NCT’s Jaehyun & Johnny on SBS PowerFM “Night Night”~!

Translations by @Cosmicsticks

Q: What are the songs that took you very long or were easy to write?
J: There are songs which I can write smoothly and also songs which no matter how much I think about it I can’t get anything out..
DJ: Then what about a song like “Let Me Go”?
J: This song did take me quite a while. I wrote the melody and then arranged it. Because it took quite long, it was a song that was the last of the songs in this album (Story Op. 2) to be arranged. But I started writing this song a couple of years ago. So until I completed it, I think it probably took me the longest amongst all the others I’ve written. Since it took years.

J: There are songs which I write the melody first, others which I write the lyrics first. There are also songs which I write the lyrics first then I can come up with the melody. But there are songs which I also think about the word which I like and I work around it.

Q: What was the first song you wrote?
J: Beautiful Tonight. I sing this song a lot even now too and it’s a song that I use to bid goodbye, like “Go home safely~”. Since the title of the song is “시간이 늦었어” (It’s Late), it’s a song that I think is good to listen to at night.

J: I get lonely. I get most lonely when the time right before bed after I get off from work late at night and return home.

About his AGIT: The Letter

J: Since this is the last week, there will be some emotional parts that will be newly included (in the concert).

J: There are 20 shows in total and there are 2 left. At first it was a number (of shows) that I was burdened by and I was worried if my stamina would be able to keep up with it.
DJ: There’s a new VCR every week?
J: Yeah, I paid attention to that part and also the setlist changes every week so it would be great if you could look forward to that (for the upcoming final 2 concerts).
DJ: Is it better doing a concert at a big or small venue?
J: I had my previous X-Inspiration concert in a big venue but now I’m back at a small one. There are stuff that you can do in a big venue that you can’t do in a small one and things that you can do in a small venue that you can’t do in a big one. In a small venue, you can communicate with the audience, and share long stories. But in a big venue, you can’t. And there are times when the audience won’t be able to hear what is said clearly too.

Q: Do you have something like an AGIT? Where is it?
J: It’s my room. When I moved (from my previous place) I made it this way. There are windows in my room but I blocked it so no light comes in. I like that my room is dark. I think it’s good for me to make the place which I’m always at my AGIT.

Jonghyun mentioned that he will definitely return to being a radio DJ~! He also mentioned that his song “Inspiration” was written with NCT as his inspiration.

DJ: You said you want to have a good rest after finishing up the concerts, right?
J: Yes.

Q: How will you rest after the concert ends?
J: There’s nothing specific I’ve planned, but I’ll just participate in production schedules. I think I’ll just write while resting and tidy up my novel synopsis.

DJ: Why suddenly (would you want to write) a thriller novel?
J: My dream since I was young was to become a writer. Because of that and as well as because I am interested in the thriller genre. As I keep taking an interest in it, I came to write one.

Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky”
J: This is a song that I really really really like even since I was a trainee. Stevie Wonder is someone I respect and this is a song that is able to soothe me, and when I’m tired of daily life, out of my senses, and wanna let everything go – I listen to this song. It was this way last time, now too. And I think it will be this way even in the future.

Q: How will you be like 10 years later?
J: 10 years later I’d be 38. I’m 28 this year. I don’t know exactly but I think I’d be telling stories. I think that I’m a storyteller now and I’m expressing these stories through music. I’d like to continue to do this.

Q: If we were to describe Jonghyun in a phrase, what would it be?
J: I’m uh… It would be nice if you feel that I’m unfamiliar. To have a relationship where you feel that I’m always something new and always feel nervous. Sharpness, sensitivity. It would be nice if you felt that kind of specialty, that I’m always a stranger.