Wonho Wants You To Feel All Symptoms Of The Love With ‘SYNDROME’

WONHO’s SYNDROME

Highline Entertainment

Wonho is living his best ‘Pop Star’ life.

The 32-year-old K-pop artist has been enjoying the warm Southern California weather for the past few days. He attended a few press events and interviews, participated in dance challenges, and took a day to explore the city before heading to New York City for further promotions.

He had looked forward to staying in the States longer for the U.S. leg of his STAY AWAKE World Tour, but recently had to cancel due to ‘operational issues and administrative delays’ by the promoter. Though unable to perform, he collaborated with hello82 in Los Angeles and New York City to host a fan signing, allowing him to meet his fans in some capacity.

There is a tinge of sadness in his voice as he acknowledges that WENEE – the name for his fandom – have been waiting a long time for him and his album release. He expresses his happiness to see them all, as they have always been his biggest inspiration for his music.

Wonho says through a translator, “It made me want to work harder in the future for them.”

During his Los Angeles press day, he shares his excitement to experience the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, reminding him of the success he has achieved in the U.S. market since his solo debut in 2020.

“Maybe I do feel like a pop star a little bit now, especially seeing the houses in Hollywood behind me,” he says. “I feel like this is actually just the beginning for me, and the most important part is just not to get tired and to keep going.”

His first EP, Love Synonym Pt 1: Right for Me, climbed to No. 1 on the Worldwide iTunes Album Chart, with his pre-release track, “Losing You,” being in English. Throughout his career, he’s released several English songs and created English versions of his popular Korean songs. For Wonho, having his songs in English would better enable him to communicate with his fans globally.

It’s why his first full-length studio album, SYNDROME, is almost entirely in English. He felt like it was the right time to do it after spending many months on it. It fully captured the story he wanted to tell.

“So I thought this was the time to show myself,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to release this full album. With this long break I have now, I had time to prepare, and it was the right time.”

The ten-track album centers on the changing emotions of love that shape us: romantic love, sexual connection, heartbreak, setting boundaries, and discovering self-worth. He named it SYNDROME because you feel all these symptoms of love.

“It’s about the different types of love that we feel and the different changes, or we can say symptoms, that you can go through,” he reveals. “There are three types – [connection, heartbreak, and learning self-worth].”

The album also allowed him to explore different aspects of himself, particularly in various genres. He incorporated 2000s pop styles, channeling ‘NSYNC and Backstreet Boys into his pre-release single, “Better Than Me.” With “At The Time,” he tries his hand at country pop, something he’s always wanted to do. He states, “I still want to continue trying my hand at it.”

Two of the songs from the album – “Fun” and “Good Liar” – were demoed with female vocals, which presented a challenge to his vocals.

“It definitely wasn’t easy because the vocal range is very different, and the overall tone and vibes of the female vocal are different from mine,” he says. “I really tried my best to express it in my style.”

His track, “if you wanna,” showed a sexy and more provocative side to the crooner, with its explicit lyrics that would make any heart beat fast. He smiles, hearing his song being compared to Usher’s sultry sound and about the positive, frenzied attention it has gotten. Having never done this type of song, he wanted to try it out.

“For this type of song, if the lyrics aren’t direct, it doesn’t fit the vibe of the song,” he explains. “Direct and honest lyrics are [not always] comfortable, but it’s something very sexy that I wanted to express.”

But don’t expect Wonho to call himself a sex symbol.

Despite his sensual vocals, alluring looks, and seductive dance moves, he personally doesn’t see himself in that light, but he is thankful that others do. He wants to honor it as much as possible – and the fans appreciate it.

“That’s [something] I don’t personally think I am usually,” he admits. “But now that image has been given to me, I try to fit that image as best as I can. I feel like, over time, that’s really just become me.”

As he gets older, his style and appearance may change, but he wants to continue this identity as long as possible. He reveals, “I don’t really want to hide [who I am], but I want to really express my honest feelings through my music.”

With his music, Wonho often asks himself, “Will WENEE like this?” before proceeding with a song. Though his fans support his musical journey, he is interested in experimenting with his sound one day.

“Maybe it won’t be very heavily promoted, but it’s something that I want to do,” he ponders. “I have songs in the works like that, so I feel it’s a good idea to release something like that.”

For now, Wonho is enjoying the Pop Star era, which means making cool music that makes his fans happy. He still has a lot of growing to do as an artist, but he’s looking forward to exploring that.

“You said I’m living like a pop star, but I feel like this interview that we’re doing right now is something that is part of the pop star life and journey,” he smiles. “This is just the beginning for me. I want to keep doing cool music. Next time, I hope we’ll be able to meet again in a cooler place, and that I’ll be a cooler person. I’m really excited for the future.”

Wonho’s SYNDROME is available now on all streaming platforms. Physical copies are available for purchase at select retailers.