Jang Dong-woo of INFINITE is back as a solo artist for the first time in six years and eight months.
Released on Nov. 18, his second solo set "AWAKE" follows 2019’s "BYE" and is, essentially, a self-funded, end-to-end project he steered from start to finish. The concept: shake numbed feelings awake from the grind of everyday life.
Known primarily as a rapper and dancer, Jang widens his scope into an all-around performer here. He trained vocally for four years to broaden his range. The lead single "Sway (Zzz)" even drops in an alarm tone ― a bold bid for instant recall. As he puts it, “Love it or hate it, what mattered was that it sticks.”
Reflecting on the six years and eight months between solo releases, Jang is matter-of-fact: he amicably parted ways with Woollim Entertainment, changed companies twice, completed his military service, weathered the pandemic and rode out INFINITE’s group hiatus for enlistment ― all of which slowed the timeline.
The time wasn’t idle. He retrained his vocals, shored up his overall musicianship and met with dozens of creative teams to lock in a “Jang Dong-woo-style” solo identity. He was hands-on across the board. Screening the new music video for reporters, he joked that he was “so nervous it gave [him] chills.”
“I was there for everything ― the music video, jacket shoot, styling, the music, every concept meeting. Now I get why people seek investors and why CEOs are so stressed,” he said. “I literally took out a loan to make this album. That’s how badly I want it.”
The one nonnegotiable? A visually striking music video.
“I teamed up with the crew behind PSY’s ‘Napal Baji.’ I met five teams before deciding, and we negotiated hard. Priority two was the song’s quality, three was the jacket, four was hair and makeup ― and last was my health,” he quipped.
He also leaned on frank advice from those around him. “I happened to video call Woollim Entertainment CEO Lee Joo-hyuk, and he told me, ‘The choice is yours, and so are the results,’” Jang recalls. “Sungkyu said, ‘Let it kill you once ― getting stressed is a big lesson,’ and laughed.” The INFINITE members cheered on the new music, telling him he “picked a great title.”
"Sway" opens with that jarring alarm sound ― by design. Jang chased a memorable sonic signature, even if it split opinions. “Some people said the alarm made them want to turn it off; others thought it was fresh. I didn’t mind either way. The goal was the imprint,” he says.
"AWAKE" also bottles his headspace. His self-written track "Life" grew out of a herniated disc injury during military service that left him hospitalized for two months. “If you decide that being born itself is already a success, life gets lighter,” he says. “Fail, use it as a weapon, and keep coloring the canvas ― that was a turning point for me.”
As for goals, he’s candid. “First, the real-world one ― I’m paying off that loan,” he laughs. “I also want to cement my identity as a multi-hyphenate performer and be the kind of artist others think, ‘It’d be fun to work with him.’ On my third solo album, I want my own song as the title track.”
"AWAKE" packs six tracks, including the intro "Sleeping Awake," the title track "Sway," the fan song "Super Birthday," his self-written "Life" and a Chinese-language version of "Sway." “I wanted to wake the fans who’ve been waiting,” he says ― and the project fires a clear signal flare for the “new” Jang Dong-woo.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)