Singer Jay Park spoke about the time he left 2PM.
On March 5th, Jay Park appeared on the YouTube channel “Eyes Mag” in a segment about the psychology of lyrics, introducing his life song, Usher‘s “U Got It Bad,” and shared various stories about being a singer.
When the host said, “You covered Usher’s songs at a fan meeting in 2010 and again in 2012. You were active as an idol, then went back to the U.S. and resumed activities. You must have felt anxious back then,” Jay Park replied, “I wasn’t anxious.”
Jay Park said, “I only felt sorry and apologetic. I caused inconvenience and harm to many people regardless. But I never felt anxious. I just go with the flow and live that way. I always do my best with the situation I’m given, so I wasn’t anxious or anything,” he explained.
Regarding the cover video he posted in Seattle after leaving 2PM, Jay Park recalled, “That’s the reason I was able to make a comeback. YouTube was booming at the time. It was a trend among Asian Americans to post cover videos. I wanted to show my musical taste, so I recorded it in the bathroom with a MacBook I was gifted. That video blew up with 3 million views in one day. That’s when I started getting offers and was able to return to activities.”
Jay Park said, “I’m not the type to be overly afraid of criticism. I just freely do what I want. Of course, I never act rudely or harm anyone. I’m not a rude person.”
He added, “I don’t follow other people’s preconceptions, standards, or so-called ‘rules’ like ‘a singer must be like this.’ Other people’s opinions don’t matter much to me. People nowadays focus on appearances and adjusting their inner selves. I’m not perfect. I have many flaws and make a lot of mistakes, but I think what’s inside is much more important. No matter how much others like me, it’s useless if my inner self isn’t in order. That prevents errors later on. It stops mental and emotional illnesses. If you live only for others, you’ll end up sick.”
Jay Park faced fierce criticism in 2009 for posts on an American social networking site during his 2PM activities that were seen as disparaging Korea. He eventually announced his departure from the group and left for the U.S. Afterward, in 2010, he ended his relationship with JYP Entertainment.