On Vlive, EXO’s Suho Describes Process Of Writing Lyrics With Jang Jae In For Collaboration
During a V Live broadcast, EXO’s Suho talked to his fans while eating dinner.
Suho began, “The songs came out this year because I want to release [at least] one track a year. Last time, other than my OST, I released my song ‘Curtain.’ I heard it was getting a good response from EXO-L’s and others. Even people around me who didn’t know [about the song] recently listened to it and contacted me to say they really liked it. So I decided to try promoting my music once a year and eventually release a solo album before I turn 30 or 31 years old.”
He continued, “I wrote the lyrics this time, which was really fun. I always thought that writing lyrics was hard. In the past, I thought about writing lyrics for EXO’s songs, but because the subject matter of those are already decided, it’s hard to write the lyrics.”
The fans asked which part of the lyrics he wrote for the two tracks, to which he responded, “Jang Jae In and I constantly communicated about the lyrics and wrote all of it together. I don’t know if it’s because I recently did a musical, but the thing I’m a little proud of myself is that when I close my eyes, I can imagine the music. I think that’s why many people say they can see the lyrics when they close their eyes.”
He then revealed his lyrics were inspired by everything leading up to his meeting and conversation with Jang Jae In.
Suho explained, “I was a bit late to our meeting and when I went, Jang Jae In was sitting in a cafe. We weren’t that close at the time. We first [began to talk about a collaboration] at a workshop in Jeju Island, and Yoon Jong Shin suggested we work together. We planned this for about six to eight months, almost a year ago. But in December, it was our first time in a while seeing each other, so I wanted to be playful and say, ‘Do you have a moment?’ But when I thought about saying that, I realized I was being a bit weird.”
He continued, “But when I heard the music, it made me think about the line ‘Do you have a moment?’ I suggested to Jang Jae In that the song should be about a man and a woman who keep looking at each other at a cafe and wanting to ask one another for their number. So that’s how it was developed and how the lyrics came about.”
Suho also shared how he and Jang Jae In wrote the lyrics for “Dinner” after being inspired by their dinner together. He began, “We worked hard on writing ‘Do You Have a Moment’ together and after doing the musical, I wrote the lyrics until 5 a.m. every night. I thought I would die if I wrote any more lyrics, so for ‘Dinner,’ I thought about asking someone else to write it.”
He continued, “Jang Jae In and I went to eat steak at a nice restaurant. I was cutting steak while Jang Jae In was telling me her thoughts about the song. But honestly, I was so hungry, I was just cutting my steak and eating. To be honest, I don’t really remember what we talked about. But I thought it would be perfect to write about that moment — two people sitting at a table, cutting steak, and talking, but thinking different thoughts.”
The EXO member expressed his relief at how Jang Jae In was immediately in favor of his idea. He expressed his gratitude towards the artist, saying, “Honestly, it was my first time writing lyrics, so it would’ve been expected for her to not have faith in me. She’s a really talented artist, musician, and genius, so I thought I would end up [feeling inferior] to her. But when I gave her my ideas, she was so positive about them.”
He explained that although it wasn’t intentional, “Dinner” and “Do You Have a Moment” are connected through the subject of time. The two singers were able to incorporate everyday language into the lyrics because they came up with the lyrics while talking and joking around.
Meanwhile, Suho will star in the upcoming drama “Rich Man” set to premiere in May, which will be available exclusively on Viki!