[Interview] Lee Min Woo Speaks Up on Living as an Idol for Past 16 Years

‘Energy’ is one of the first things that comes up to mind when one thinks of Lee Min Woo. As a member of the ‘legendary’ idol group Shinhwa and a soloist M, Lee Min Woo has continued to walk his path with remarkable consistency.

Celebrating the tenth anniversary since his debut as a soloist, M has returned with a special album.

Combining M with Ten, for tenth anniversary, the name of the album is M+TEN, which is his first solo album since he released Minnovation in 2009.

In the fast-paced world of K-Pop, where many things change even within a year or two, how was it like for Lee Min Woo to live as an idol star for the past 16 years?

“Living as an idol star for the past sixteen years, I’d say, was a big joy for me. First of all, Shinhwa is lucky to still be together after all these years. Since they have my back, I’m not afraid of anything. We also have deeper thoughts, as we have aged. So we respect and support each other more,” said the Shinhwa member.

Even thought the title of ‘idol’ comes with a number of biased views, Lee Min Woo is still thankful that he was able to live as an idol star.

He said, “People think that idols last a short time and focus more on their looks instead of music itself. I’m aware of this more than anyone else. But since we are the longest-lasting idols, we’ve earned the nicknames of ‘history-dols,’ ‘the oldest idols’ or ‘high-end idols.’ But of all these nicknames, my favorite is to be called ‘1st generation idol.’ There are definitely traits that only idols can appeal with, and they’re the ones leading K-Pop these days. Whoever is preparing to become an idol should do it with confidence and pride,” adding that he’s never been embarrassed to be an idol.

He also expressed his affection towards his Shinhwa members, saying, “M was possible thanks to Shinhwa. Lee Soo Man actually suggested if I wanted to debut as a soloist when I was an SM trainee, but I boldly said that I wanted to be a part of a team, and debuted as Shinhwa. I wanted to work as a team, since I experienced what it’s like to have teamwork through dace competitions. Since I have Shinhwa as my support, I can be more confident performing as a soloist.”

He has since established his name as ‘M’ the soloist.

“M is my solo name. At first the name came from ‘Min Woo,’ but later when I released Minnovation, I thought it could become an alphabet that represents a new trend that I lead with my image. It could also be M from ‘Musician,’ or even from ‘Miracle,” said Lee Min Woo with a laughter.

As he wrapped up the interview, he said, “When I attend a music program, I’m usually the most senior singer. When I’m with the Shinwa members I’m ok, but now I’m a bit worried.”

Then he concluded, “I may age, but the energy will never die.”

Photo credit: Hea Jung Min

Source : mwave[dot]interest[dot]me