There are good guys who do not need tears, only suspended notes, let vibrate in the air as a return promises. This is how Youngjae, a powerful voice and delicate soul of the Got7, decided to greet his fans before departure for mandatory military service. No clamor, no dramatic declaration: only music, the only language that has always been able to speak straight to the heart of the Ahgase. Stophis last digital single, is a title that says it all: a break, a shared breath, an invitation to stay there, waiting, knowing that the journey will continue.
The two tracks that make up the project are not simple songs, but small messages engraved between an absence and the promise to find itself. In “Escape to Me (Running Away IS Shameful, but …)”, the alternation of the floor, break beat and electric guitars screams without anger but with relief: “It is also good to run away, if it serves to save yourself”. A thought that Youngjae had already shared from the stage during the Got7 concert in Thailand, and which now becomes definitive, a musical caress to those who struggle to breathe. The second track, “here we go”, brings light and new air, a more lively rock alternative that speaks of collective courage, of that “is not frightening if we are together” which has always been the invisible thread between the artist and his audience.
It is a farewell only in half, that of Youngjae: there is no heartbreaking melancholy, but the sweetness of a moment that stops, of a bond that does not need words screamed to be eternal. After the recent Comeback with the Got7, the artist chooses to get naked again as a soloist, as if he wants to say thanks once again, and promise to return with the same intensity with which he now moves away.
In the landscape of the k-pop, where everything runs and rarely give ourselves the luxury of slowing down, Stop It is a rare, almost revolutionary gesture: music as a refuge, as a promise, as an act of love towards themselves and towards those who, in recent years, has never stopped believing in its voice.
Panorama spoke exclusively with Youngjae.
You have just published “stop”, an intimate, reflective and full of emotional project. How would you describe it to someone who listens to it for the first time?
I hope that those who listen to it can experience a feeling of peace and inner rest.
In Italian, “stop” can mean a stop, a break, even a moment of quiet before something starts again. Now that you move away from the spotlight for a while, which of these meanings you hear closer to the heart – and why?
While preparing for mandatory military service, I feel closer the meaning of “short break”. I see this time as a moment of quiet to find myself, before returning to fly even higher.
“Escape to me” offers comfort in the idea that running away can be an act of courage. What is the personal truth behind this message for you?
It is a story that comes from my life. I believe that running away requires courage, because the escape also needs reflection and preparation. Rather than seeing her as something negative, I consider it a courageous and admirable choice.
On the contrary, “Here We Go” looks like a new beginning: lighter, lighter, almost spring. Do you see this duality as part of your current mood?
Yes, I think the bond is very strong. I wrote it myself, so I feel even more tied to this song.
You are not just a singer: write, compose, act, create. How have these different facets of your talent influenced the approach to this exit?
Having accumulated many experiences allows me to tell more stories. It reminded me once again that the more you live, the more your creative work becomes rich and authentic.
What part of the creative process attracts you more in this period: write, perform, produce or something else?
Lately I don’t feel I was attracted to a specific part, but I have a strong desire to refine what I am already doing and improving myself more and more.
The crudeness of your voice in this project seems intentional. Did you want to share more than yourself, emotionally, this time?
Yes, it was absolutely intentional. I am proud that this time it has arrived in a clearer way. ^^
Both tracks seem to speak directly to someone. Was there a specific person – or a version of yourself – to whom you were addressing?
Yes, I was talking to the same of the past. I wanted to tell him: “If you can escape, do it. You can take a break and start again. It’s okay to rest.”
You presented “Escape to Me” for the first time during a Got7 concert in Thailand. Why did you choose that moment to reveal it?
Because it was a moment shared with many people, so he had more meaning. I thought that so many would be waiting for it with more enthusiasm, and I wanted to share that feeling.
This moment marks a transition for you, not an end but a change. What do you feel to leave behind and what do you hope to find in front of you, artistically and personally?
At the end of this year I want to take a break and refine myself to become a better version. Then I hope to return as an even bigger artist, but with his feet well planted on the ground.
What does the relationship with other members represent for you today, especially now that each of you is growing in your direction while remaining united?
They are like a family. Even if we are not always together, I feel that we support each other wherever we are. It is a feeling of true comfort.
If someone listens to “stop” in a difficult moment, what do you spend you take away with them? A feeling, an awareness, a quiet inner strength?
Even if everything seems oppressive right now, I hope you understand that stopping for a moment can make everything lighter than it seems.
And finally, if I had to choose a single word to describe who you are right now, what would it be?
Ars. It has the same meaning as my real name and represents the identity that guides me as an artist, helping me not to lose my way.
