EXO’s Chen is back as a soloist!

On October 1, Chen held a press conference for the release of his second solo mini album “Dear my dear.” During the press conference, Chen shared some stories behind creating the album.

This is Chen’s first solo album in six months since he released “April, and a flower” in April. The EXO member said, “After releasing my first mini album, I received an unexpected amount of love. I got to prepare another mini album after six months, which may seem like a short time. I prepared it with the hope that I could pay back the love I received, rather than intending to fulfill my desire to do the things I want.”

The title track of the new album is called “Shall We?” Produced by Kenzie, the retro pop style love song narrates the honest feelings of a man who does not want to let go of his loved one after a date late at night.

Chen explained, “I’ve honestly never thought about doing a retro pop song. I was offered many great songs while preparing this album. I was surprised as producer Kenzie is one of the people I like and admire. It felt new to me because I did not know the producer would write songs like this.”

He continued, “To be honest, my style is not retro. Retro is a trend right now and a genre that people pay lots of attention to nowadays. When I said I wanted to do this song, I worried about whether or not I could pull it off, or if I was just following the trend. I don’t think I have any regrets because the completed album exceeded my expectations. I would like to say I was not being stubborn.”

Chen went on to say, “I chose to sing this track calmly as if I’m just talking without showing off techniques or putting excessive decorations.”

Chen made his solo debut in April with “April, and a flower” and its title track “Beautiful Goodbye.” Chen had great success with the track topping both domestic and international music charts.

When asked if he felt any pressure about how his second solo title track would do on music charts, Chen answered, “Just like I did not have any expectations for the last album, I do not expect to place No. 1 with this album. However, I did feel a bit of pressure because of the amount of love I received the last time.” He added, “Instead of feeling pressured, I thought that I would not have any regrets if I were to honestly express my gratitude and say the things I want to say.”

Chen also mentioned the support he received from his fellow EXO members. The singer shared, “I found it very difficult to choose a title track for this album. I picked a ballad for the first album, and I unexpectedly received a lot of attention. I debated with myself over whether or not I should do a ballad again. The members’ opinions were also split into two, but the reaction and support the members showed me when I chose this track helped me to decide.”

Chen also talked about the difference between him as an EXO member and a soloist. Chen said, “In EXO, I’m more extravagant. I want to approach [fans] with honesty more than extravagance. I believe that listeners will feel my sincerity only if my thoughts are included in the process of the album production. The keyword is ‘honesty.'”

Lastly, Chen stated, “While preparing this album, I realized how hard love is. I truly hope that there are a lot of people who are happy. It’s hard for me to define what love is personally, but I hope every day is overflowing with love. I hope listeners feel comforted and loved while listening to every single song in my album.”

Check out the music video for “Shall We?” here!

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