A K-Pop star honestly shared that he doesn’t want to do fansigns and explained why.
Recently, INFINITE member Kim Sunggyu held a round interview at a cafe in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to commemorate the release of his sixth mini-album, OFF THE MAP.
OFF THE MAP is a new chapter that begins the moment one veers off the beaten path. It naturally reveals the “artist Kim Sunggyu” through a deeper musical palette than before and sound changes. The title track, “When I Think About You,” was perfected with the participation of Kim Jongwan of NELL, who has had a long-standing relationship with Kim Sunggyu, and composer Spaceboy.
Most K-pop singers hold fan signing events to both communicate with fans and boost album sales when releasing new albums. But when asked about his upcoming activities and plans for his next album, Kim Sunggyu said, “I didn’t want to do a fan signing event this time,” piquing curiosity.
“I know the people who come have a hard time… I’d rather hold a listening party so I could at least perform live for them. I hoped not to have schedules that burden the fans. I said I’d rather do something that could show something to them, but the company said, ‘Some fans might want a fan signing.’ I questioned, ‘Do they really want it?’ but ultimately I ended up doing it. I have to consider the company’s position, you know. If I didn’t, I would have preferred to do concerts or festivals.”
Kim Sunggyu’s remark was entirely for his fans. In fact, he had originally planned to hold a listening party because he wanted to give something to the fans and let them hear the music.
He said, “The company probably hates listening parties. You need a sound team, musical instruments, band members, which increases production costs. It costs as much as filming video content, so from the company’s standpoint, it’s not a profitable activity. Still, just as the company said, ‘Let’s try it,’ I also thought that if there’s something I have to do, I should fulfill it.”
Kim Sunggyu’s sixth mini-album OFF THE MAP was released on the 2nd at 6 p.m. via various online music sites.