The expert artist Nam Woo Hyun has been performing for over a decade, clocking countless hours of practice and experience in the industry. First known for his contributions as the main vocalist in the decorated K-pop group Infinite – the well-rounded artist made his long-awaited transition into solo work five years ago in 2016.

Having an already strong backing from the group’s various No. 1 albums and award wins, the 30-year-old artist has already proven the ability to stand on his own by evenly splitting his 10 years of passion in two very different platforms. Through his history as an esteemed performer, he’s achieved multiple albums with over 100,000 in sales and has been impressively credited in over a dozen tracks as a songwriter. 

The rare attention to detail and admiration for a shift in artistic viewpoints makes Nam Woo Hyun a rare performer with even greater potential to continue on that path. In more recent years, the singer-songwriter wrapped up his mandatory two-year military service in South Korea as of August, making this comeback a long-awaited moment for fans everywhere. The track, “Between Calm and Passion” marks his return with an R&B-inspired moment with some hints of jazz where Nam Woo Hyun shows a continued sense of control. Because of his genre-mixing and the ability to maintain his vocal prowess, this reveals an unforgettable side to the singer and as a welcomed comeback single. 

As the singer prepared to launch his comeback titled With, we had the privilege of speaking with the Infinite singer turned soloist about his return to an industry he’ll forever be associated with. 

It’s been two years since we’ve been graced in your music, so a welcome back is in order! What would you say has changed about your approach to music since your last release?

Nam Woo Hyun: Thank you as well for coming back after those two years. I worked faithfully on the album with a more mature attitude than I did before, I reviewed it over and over again and I thought a lot about what kind of music I should be showing everyone as it has been a while. As to show a new start, if last time I did a rhythmical song with guitar riff sound, then this time I think I’ll meet you with a title song that is a bit dreamy and languid. It fits me more and it feels like I’m wearing my own clothes.

Did you discover any specific obstacles that you faced when you returned to making music after a temporary departure from the scene? Or was jumping right back into music something that felt entirely natural? 

Nam Woo Hyun: I don’t think it was natural. In my 13 years working as a musician, I don’t think I have ever done it naturally. As always, I think I worked on my album with a new feeling. As time goes on, I guess there’s nothing I can do about the difficulties. That’s why I paid more attention to my comeback work.

This marks your fourth solo EP, plus you’ve obviously had so many releases with Infinite as well – but what can you say about With, in terms of how this compares to some of your other tracks/comebacks?

Nam Woo Hyun: You might find some similarities with Infinite’s musical color, but for me, aside from instruments, the most important thing in music is voice. If Infinite’s color is a colorful one that fits me and the other members, my solo is yet another color that uniquely fits the instrument that is my voice, so there is this vast difference.

I was able to listen to your upcoming single “Between Calm And Passion” which instantly impressed me! What was your initial reaction when the song was presented to you (and before you recorded vocals)?

Nam Woo Hyun: When I first listened to this song, I was listening in the car and I think I spaced out while listening, thinking about what can I do to make the song better. I thought that if I do well, this song will turn out well.

The song also has a fun, funky beat – and then you come through with some excellent vocals to really round out the song! Is there something about this song that you feel is the most addictive? 

Nam Woo Hyun: I think the part where the lyric goes ‘냉정과열정사이’ (Between Calm and Passion) will stay in your head for the entire day!

What song on the EP would you say felt the most effortless to complete in terms of overall production? (and why?)

Nam Woo Hyun: There was probably nothing that was the least difficult during the production process. It was really hard, but also fun to do!

In your time as an artist so far, you have been able to conquer a lot of unique experiences and wins – what else do you still find yourself hoping to accomplish or pursue? 

Nam Woo Hyun: It’s to give a performance that will entertain both the eyes and ears, so please keep an eye on me.

Nam Woo Hyun’s EP With is available to stream here, with the music video for his new comeback single included above!