A K-Pop idol looked back on a past when he felt anxious about his fading popularity.
Recently, a video titled “Music Festival is Just an Excuse” was posted on YouTube.
In the video, Jung Yonghwa recalled a time when he was actively promoting with CNBLUE, saying, “Performing alongside celebrities I used to watch as a student made me feel like, ‘Wow, I’ve made it.’”
Jung Yonghwa, who was also active overseas, shared his experience of enjoying a festival in California for about ten days. He said, “I drove for about 20 hours there. I didn’t use social media at all.”
When Joo Woo Jae asked, “Then what did you do for those 20 hours?” Jung replied, “I listened to music and had small talk. Although my English isn’t great, I just pushed myself to communicate.” He then added with a laugh, “When they asked me, ‘What kind of person are you?’ I said ‘an artist,’ and they asked if I was from BTS.”
For him, who once toured overseas nonstop, standing in front of audiences who didn’t know him again became a new stimulus. Jung Yonghwa said, “I used to do nonstop overseas tours, but now a lot of people don’t know me.” He confessed, “I participated in a festival with the heart of a rookie two years ago. Even at that time, the crowd wasn’t big.”
He continued, “Before going on stage, I told myself, ‘Even if there aren’t many people, give your best and have fun.’ I sang with all my effort as usual, and as I did, I noticed the audience growing.” He recalled, “Later, the crowd was so big they even had to stop more people from coming in, and seeing people enjoying it outside too, I thought, ‘Sincerity really resonates.’”
That process also became an occasion to reflect on how he once couldn’t accept his popularity fading.
Recalling the time after CNBLUE received immense love, Jung Yonghwa said, “After the popularity declined, I felt extremely frustrated as if it was a very long stretch. Despite working really hard.”
He confessed, “Because I’d experienced success once, I kept performing every week and working hard, but I wondered, ‘Why isn’t it like back then?’ I wasn’t satisfied and became restless.” He added, “It took me a very long time to accept that even if I work hard, things don’t always work out. I held on to my ambitions for too long.”
Upon hearing this, Yoo Jae Suk empathized with Jung Yonghwa’s concerns. He said, “Everyone goes through a phase like that. Even if you work hard, the enthusiasm you used to receive may no longer be the same,” adding, “You think about how to keep going and put in the effort, but things don’t always match the effort.”
Jung Yonghwa revealed it took him about ten years to let go of these worries. He said, “I kept thinking about it for nearly 10 years, but recently I truly let it go. After letting go, I’m just so thankful lately. I feel almost apologetic that I’m only now feeling this gratitude, but I approach everything with a grateful heart.”
Jung Yonghwa and CNBLUE are set to perform at KSPO Dome, 17 years after their debut. Yoo Jae Suk joked, “Isn’t that like coming back home?”
Yoo Jae Suk also offered advice, saying, “The moment you take gratitude for granted, what seemed natural can disappear.” Joo Woo Jae agreed, saying, “How lucky must you have been to be here like this?“