KINO Is Ready To Be Real And Show Another Side To Being A K-Pop Artist

KINO – EVERYBODY’S GUILTY, BUT NO ONE’S TO BLAME

NAKED INC

South Korean artist KINO wants the world to meet the real him.

The 27-year-old singer, who is also part of the popular K-pop group PENTAGON, released his second solo EP, Everybody’s Guilty, But No One’s To Blame, this week.

Described as KINO’s most vulnerable album, it tells another side to the talented and soulful K-pop idol that fans have been following since his debut in 2016. The songs and lyrics are his most honest and raw, opening up conversations about societal rules, depiction of idol life, work culture, negative behaviors, escapism, consequences, and more.

“After my last concert in Korea [in September 2024], I realized that sincerity is way more important than sound quality and trance,” KINO says over Zoom from Seoul. “I knew that all good songs from good artists always talk about their own life – the good and the bad, because that is authentic. I’m always honest when I make music, but I realized I was choosing only what I wanted to show people, like the gentleness and happiness, all with a smiley face. But, in my real life, from 2023 to now, I’m mad at the people in my life and world. I wanted to express these feelings through the album.”

Having spent over a year recording and producing, KINO doesn’t hold back on the seven tracks – and nor should he. For more than half his life, he has played by society’s rules, which dictate how idols should act, look, and sing in this industry. He admits what the fans have seen is also part of who he is, but all during happier moments in his life. He’s struggled for a long time, hiding the real and relatable aspects of himself from the public: anxiety, depression, fear, greed, exhaustion, and anger. Something we’ve all dealt with at one point in our lives.

The title itself is meaningful to him, though he becomes nervous when he tries to explain it, fearing misinterpretation. He pauses a few times to ensure what he says makes sense.

“I want to say it in the right way,” he says. “With the title, Everybody’s Guilty, But No One’s To Blame, I wanted to bring up [a question regarding] society’s role in the world. I felt suppressed and frustrated by society’s rules. One day, I thought: Am I guilty? I wanted to ask the world, ‘Am I guilty because you made the rules that are used to suppress us? That’s why I named this album that.”

KINO, known for his sweet pop ballads and R&B melodies, showcases a darker, more mature concept on this EP, exploring new sounds and genres he’s never had the chance to play with. The main tracks are based on techno or party sounds, choosing elements of rave culture and music. In the past, rave culture was looked down upon in society. So, adding EDM and other rave-based music mirrored an anti-society movement and a way of freedom from the rules.

“That’s when I thought of the direction of trying to be something different and getting to be loved by the general public, and improving the entirety of his message,” he explains. “[All of that] resonated with the rave and the whole culture.”

His pre-release song, “CLUB SEX CIGARETTES,” has all the makings of what K-pop idols steer clear of from the public. The bold title highlights three things young adults typically do in their lives. But for any South Korean public figure, it’s not considered very “fan-friendly.”

KINO is aware that the words used are taboo and may evoke uncomfortable feelings in audiences, but he wanted them to be mindful of the meaning behind the title. The song is about escapism from the humdrum corporate/work life and society in general. When people become angry or highly stressed, they naturally crave something provocative and chaotic.

“We all hide ourselves to be part of society to make a living,” he explains. “People seek pleasure from basic instincts when they are under extreme stress. I know [the song is]aggressive, but at the same time, very catchy. So I try to get attention from people first, then I will tell the real stories and meaning after that.”

His music video, which has drawn some ire from Korean audiences for its visuals, shows him working in an office, constantly being surveilled, then sleeping, only to repeat the same routine. He begins to spiral, driven by gluttony and anarchy, and exhibits pleasure-seeking behaviors to escape the mundane, overworked corporate culture.

“Since the interpretation is solely on the audience, I presumed not everyone would be able to pinpoint this intention,” he says. “However, what I wasn’t fully aware of was that sometimes unintentional things can trigger someone’s trauma.”

He drew some criticism for one of his scenes, in which the KINO’s character watches a highly blurred image of what is supposed to be an explicit video. Many critics took it negatively, calling him out for misogyny, despite one of his album tracks (“MAPSI”) calling out misogyny in society. KINO promptly apologized on a livestream to those offended by the music video, sharing his intentions and the video’s significance.

“Things grew out of proportion and taken out of context, even though there was no such intention behind it, I wanted to address my intention clearly,” he explains. “If my intention was not clearly delivered, it is on me, since expression skill is a crucial asset for any artist. So I will keep on polishing my delivery skills. I don’t create to hurt someone. I can’t say I will be perfect every time, but from now on, I will take more consideration. So that’s what I wanted to convey with the live streaming.”

For KINO, the entire album was a therapy session. Behind the happy smiles and talented performances, there was young man who was anxious, depressed, and tired. He just wanted to be fully himself. In January 2025, he began doing that for himself with a separate Instagram page where he just shared his thoughts. It helped with connecting with the fans, revealing how much he was just like them. He says, “This is a very important process to release these negative feelings in this album. I’m a human being [too].

His lead single, “Dirty Boy,” featuring JAMIE and UWA, is all about breaking free from society’s chains. He was taught at an early age not to express himself, with the “norm” being to smile through the tears. He used it as a musical bridge between ‘Before KINO’ and the ‘Next KINO.’

“I just wanted to be more honest,” he says. “I wanted to be loved by who I really am as a person.”

He also wanted the fans to know how hard he’s worked to chase his dreams as an artist. Many fans only see the end product, but not the many hours of practice, producing, writing, and giving everything of himself to the craft. That’s where the song “WURK” stemmed from. The song samples a Korean traditional work song, filled with the Jajinmori beats, symbolizing his own workaholic lifestyle since he was a 12-year-old K-pop trainee.

“I just work endlessly all day since I was very young,” he admits. “Working endlessly is the biggest characteristic of Koreans. I felt it captures that sense very well. In the process of creating this song, I recalled the pressure, depressed feelings, and stress of not being where I wanted to be, in terms of success and fame. I just wanted to be vocal about [these thoughts]. I am trying to be as authentic as possible. I screamed a lot throughout the song. It helped me a lot when it came to releasing this stress.”

Before the album, KINO had buried the pain and negative emotions, resulting in him sleeping too much and listening to calming music. But now, after this album, he is learning how to speak and express his feelings honestly. While many albums typically end on a hopeful note, KINO is realistic about how life works: sometimes it’s okay not to be okay.

The album’s final track, “ANNIE,” initially sounds like a heartbreak song, but he reveals it represents the reaction to the previous six tracks. The first six tracks reflect his feelings and thoughts publicly, but with “ANNIE,” he expresses how he feels at the end of the day, after working so hard.

“The song ‘ANNIE’ means a lot more than a love story or emptiness,” he describes. “The first track to the sixth track is my outside skin. When I’m outside, meeting people and keeping a smiley face in front of them, I try not to be bad. I feel angry and frustrated, so I had to shout out my negative feelings through these six tracks. The last track is when I come back home, hide in my small room with no sound, no lights, and no person. It’s only me. I feel very lonely and anxious when I’m alone. So the song’s feelings make me more uncomfortable and unstable. That represents my album.”

KINO understands that not everybody will like or care about this album, but he knows some want to see this side of him and embrace it. He is a bit scared of their reactions, but he’s grateful to be able to create this art and release it. Who knows? It could be the start of more open and honest art from K-pop artists. He says, “I want to highlight the need for freedom from deep within, rebelling against any social norms because artists or people who listen to my music, at some point, they all feel defiant in some way.”

Though KINO has been open and very frank about himself and his work, he makes it a point to say he’ll remain a K-pop artist because he’s Korean, speaks Korean, and is on a K-label. He plans to hold fansign concerts and fan meets and keep up his handsome looks.

“I define myself as a K-pop artist still,” he chuckles. “The only difference is that I’m not having to seem nice to people. That is my purpose to showcase these meanings until they understand why I wanted to say this and decided on this journey.”

He also plans to release more music that his fans are more acquainted with – the soft, gentler KINO. Though he may switch it up a bit, depending on what he’s going through in his life.

“That is exactly what I’m always thinking about – what music or stories I have to tell from now on after this [album],” he ponders. “I decided to define my style, musical genre, and category. I want to [mix it up] sometimes because I feel very sad, happy, or confident at different times. So, I’ll put that message and music of that specific time that defines me at the moment.”

KINO has figured out how he defines himself now, though he says it was a tough question. He decides to use Korean, his native language, adding depth to his answer.

“I’m very distinctive, following my instincts,” KINO shares through the interpreter. “I have a huge urge or the intention to live how I was born or how my instincts tell me where to go, and following my feelings that I get, that are going with the flow, or the thought I had at that exact moment.”

He hopes fans will resonate with him and the message he’s trying to convey through his musical art form. There is nothing wrong with these feelings because “it’s a part of living life.” He is nervous, but proud of putting himself out there.

“I hope this album can similarly encourage other people,” KINO says. “I’ll be grateful. I want to put this message out to the world, and I hope it’ll have a positive impact on me and the rest of the world. I believe that, and I’m so proud of myself now that I can be this brave.”

KINO’s Everybody’s Guilty, But No One’s To Blame is available on all streaming platforms, with physical albums available at select retailers.