TY TRACK TAEYONG
this time we are delivering <mature/adult> us. is everyone surprised? we are also surprised. i hope from this, people can get a deeper understanding about us, and i hope people read this interview carefully! see you soon!

MESSAGE ABOUT THE STAGE
this times solo song was produced while thinking of czennies. every czennie is my moonlight. very pretty. i made really good memories this time in japan. the nine of us ate really delicious food, looked at pretty views and also encountered sweet czennies, really very happy. amongst them, there were people who supported us since debut, and there were also people who just recently started supporting us. and then, for our stage, a lot of people tried their best. really because of them, we were able to stand on a stage in front of so many people. the next time we meet with everyone, NCT 127 will comeback even more handsome, stronger and modest.

SELF PORTRAIT
Q: what is the current satisfactory level of yourself?
TAEYONG: 74%. right now it’s about 74%. however, this 74% is my satisfaction level as a group member. of course, even if i only consider myself, it is still not enough to be close to the goal, 100% satisfaction cannot be achieved.
Q: i’m a 00 type of person.
TAEYONG: i’m a happy person. there are a lot of fun things around me, so i’m enjoying it to the fullest.
Q: what colour do you compare yourself to right now?
TAEYONG: white. white is more appropriate. a good thing just today (the day of the interview) my hair colour is also white. although i’m planning to dye my hair green tomorrow (laughs). white is a colour that looks good no matter what colour you add. it’s like an intermediate colour.

Looking back on myself. when i was a trainee, i would re-examine myself often. because there are a lot of things that i didn’t understand about myself. there are a lot of things on my mind that i had issues with. what i often thought about at that time was, “before you understand others, you must understand yourself first.” if like that, wouldn’t there be no answer? i think that’s why i’m human.
My strong points – i think i’m good at a social life. i can quickly get a grasp on relationships around me and have the ability to mobilize/change the atmosphere of the scene. but that’s only for work-related things. when i’m with the members, i don’t have to make use of those talents. because i’m happy being just normal. the second one is being good at cooking! i’m happy when i’m cooking. the thing I’ve been making most often lately is grilling meat. For those of you who think that “grilling meat is not considered cooking”, there are a lot of skills/techniques when it comes to grilling meat. i’m really confident about medium-rare (meat). the third one is being good at managing fish tanks. there are two fish tanks at home. even the aquatic plants/grass grow well if they are well managed. other than waking up early, i’m pretty serious about things. (laughs)

friends often say i’m a rockstar. because the things i want to do and experience is a lot. people who work hard to achieve those things are called rock stars. although i’m not an actual rockstar, but when i work, i can chat happily with the people around me and i can work happily.

ON/OFF
although i always feel that i’m a very confident person, but when i’m OFF i completely don’t think like that. because i’m not that satisfied about myself. so before i work, especially before going on stage, it is necessary to build self-confidence. for example, when exercising, sometimes getting scolded by the trainer can give you a better motivation. when i listen to music i’m like that also. there was a time period where i often listened to NCT U’s ‘New Axis’. when listening to that kind of rap, my mood becomes high and i’ll be in (my) ON state.

AS AN ARTIST
ordinary, funny and happy leader in NCT127, i hope so. to be honest, in the group, wouldn’t it be better to not be aware of “i’m an idol/artist.” NCT 127, i think because of the assembly of the members, so that the outcome of everyone can be shown, (we’ve) become a whole art. my role in the group is to be playful with the members on stage, and on top of that, make use of the opportunities i get. as an individual in NCT 127, if i can get the opportunity to choreograph and compose, i will go face it diligently and seriously. having a sense of responsibility and keeping promises is the closest ideal i’ve ever pursued. so no matter how busy i am or what happens, i will be determined to do the things i have.

when comparing the time when i was about to debut and now, i feel that there were no changes, the only change is the way i act. i used to hide my stress and anxiety and not let it show on the outside. but recently, i found a solution, speaking out your feelings directly will make you feel less burden a lot. the ‘me’ now really wants to share my own thoughts, find ways to remove blocks and move forward. in the future, i will share my own story through music. whether it’s through a single or an album, i’ve thought of many ways. in addition, i recently opened a youtube channel. composing music is not only fun, but there are times when it’s hard. moments like these will be shared with fans. in the process of understating my troubles, i think this can also give everyone some kind of comfort, a kind of support.

ABOUT MY OWN GROWTH
when i see my nephew, i feel that i’ve (really) grown up and become an adult. (laughs) i have to be a well-respected uncle, that’s how i thought. also, when i see my friends from my school days, and my friends who work in other fields who have no connection to this industry, i think that everyone is living a good life in this society. also, when i think of my family, i feel a different sense of responsibility than before. those are the times when i feel like i’m an adult. when i was a child, i didn’t consider/think about anything. i didn’t have any thoughts about what it would be like after becoming an adult. when i was younger, my dream was to become a firefighter, president, astronaut… i remember wanting to be someone who could protect. but it seems like everyone around me said the same thing, so i said it too, that’s all. i really didn’t think about the future at that time. but now, i want to become a more approachable adult. whether i become an uncle, or become a grandpa, i want to be liked by the children on the streets. i want to become an adult like that

TURNING POINTS IN MY LIFE
when i first joined the company, it was my first time having a dream and a goal. i had the most important opportunity in my life, and there were moments when i was upset. at first, i held a feeling that i didn’t want to fail. i was in a state where i didn’t understand the social life, and the relationship with seniors and juniors, so no matter what entered my mind, i felt overwhelmed/ loaded. thanks to the pressure and responsibility, it let me learn a lot of things. so at that time, i thought “face yourself seriously” and that was my turning point. my turning point as an artist was when i composed music for the first time seven years ago.

i joined the composing summer camp by chance. at that time i composed ‘baby don’t like it’ and another song with everyone. that time those two songs were able to be put in the album, so i was very happy. “i’m very luck/happy” that was the way i thought. it was from there onwards that i walked the composing path. now when i don’t have work, i would also compose music with my friends. the process of composing what i want to sing and what i want to say, like telling a story, is really happy. of course there are major obstacles, but nothing can replace the feeling of going through the obstacle and achieving and composing the music. for dancing, no matter how difficult it is, i will face it very seriously, and i will try my best to do it well. why do i try so hard?, it’s probably because i like dancing more than anything. then, in order to let the group have more people care about them, and what kind of dance i should do, i also did a lot of research based on what i could do. this is also a sense of responsibility as a leader.

translation @nctairong on Twitter