SHINee's Key on K-pop Stardom After 30 and Reuniting with U.S. Fans

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K-pop star Key is never one to sit idle.
The 33-year-old, a member of the iconic boy group SHINee, finds himself performing as a group member, creating as a solo artist, starring in multiple reality TV shows and still finding time to have moments to himself.
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'I think every person has their own 12 identities or something,' the singer jokes to The Hollywood Reporter backstage at his music agency SM Entertainment's SMTown Live L.A. He goes on to explain that every person takes on a different identity in a different situation, and that's how he's been able to tackle his many roles as a household name in Korea.
Below, the K-pop star gets honest about growing older in the industry, what kind of music he's looking to create next and what he's most excited about when visiting L.A. this summer for KCON.
How does it feel to be back in L.A. after some time? You said, as SHINee, you haven't been here in 10 years.
I [completed my] military service and [there was] also [the] pandemic. After that, Taemin went to [his] military service, so timing was so, so bad for SHINee. But I've always missed [our] American fans, and of course, I always miss L.A. But you know what? Two days ago I felt – I don't know why – but something's changed a lot. I know it's [been] like six years, but it changed a lot. [It's the] same, but different. At first, I thought, 'Oh God, I have to visit more.' When I saw the fans with my own eyes today, It was heartwarming. [I felt] love, and I felt sorry too, actually.
Did you?
Yeah, a lot.
Are you hoping to get more opportunities to come here?
Yeah. As solo artist or as SHINee as many as if it's possible, I really want to come. Actually, I'm not sure, but I'm in the planning stages for my American tour. I'm not sure [yet], but I want to. As SHINee, I want to come here often, too.
In the last six years, K-pop has become increasingly more popular in the U.S. There's just more of a demand for artists to come perform here than there was six to 10 years ago. Have you noticed a difference in that atmosphere?
K-Pop started [gaining popularity in the U.S.] 15 or 16 years ago. I think. I thought it was kind of sort of a syndrome or something, like anime music. Like a few really dedicated fans. I'm a nerd too. I thought it was kind of like that kind of phase. But five to six years ago, K-pop was popular. And, now, what's K-pop and what's American pop? What does it mean? People dance to [a] Vietnamese song on TikTok… It doesn't matter [to] this generation. I'm singing in Korean, singing in Japanese, singing in English, it doesn't matter now. I'm kind of glad, actually
That must be more freeing to you as an artist.
In the past if you couldn't understand the lyrics, people didn't listen, you know what I mean? But these days, [it's] totally different. I think it changed a lot. It depends on [the] artist's expression, singing English or singing Korean, it's freeing. I feel more free even now than before as an artist.
How do you feel you've changed as an artist? You've had a long career, and you're at a very different place than when you started. Naturally, you've grown into adulthood, but I'm wondering if even over the last few years since you were discharged from the military, if you've noticed a change in how you perform?
Let me be honest, when I was NCT's age, I didn't know I could work at this age [33]. I couldn't imagine it, honestly. People said that a lot. All the senior artists said it's not that long [and] lasting [in a] group is really hard. I heard those kind of things a lot in the past, but now I'm 34 [Korean age] and I'm still doing the same thing. When I was a teenager, I thought when I turned 30 years old, I really thought – what should I do for my chapter? But now it's different. That kind of generation has changed, and I want to show to my junior artists, you guys can do this too [into your 30s], the same [way] you did before. A lot of good things happened to my own career that I couldn't imagine. And everything happened after [I was] 30 years old. I couldn't imagine seriously, and I didn't plan this. I did what I could do sincerely. That was my job, that [I did] with my heart. I didn't quit. That's the point. Then I thought, yeah, maybe 10 years later I'll be doing the same thing, so now I can plan it. That's the biggest thing that's changed in my life.
You're playing KCON L.A. this summer. How are you feeling about that?
I feel really good that I made a promise to all my U.S. fans. I feel like I'm listening to their wishes. I feel really happy. I'm coming back really soon. It feels like I'm proving something to my fans that I told you, and I'm so excited. Actually this time we were in Mexico [right before], and we came here straight from Mexico, so I couldn't enjoy Los Angeles. I couldn't go out. I couldn't enjoy that much, but performing is enough for me, actually.
With KCON, I'm pretty sure I want to enjoy more. It's a one day performance, so before the performance, after the performance, I want enjoy more. I want take more pictures. I want to show everyone [my trip].
was your last release. It still very much feels like a Key song, but it's a little different from some of your past releases. Where do you feel you're at sonically as a solo artist? Are you at a point where you want to try new things?
I think one of the good things of K-pop, there's no genre. As a human… I'm such a weird person [laughs]. I'm movie nerd. In K-pop, you can mix everything, all the cultures, all the genres and all the videos into one album. I'm not saying I'm that talented. I'm not saying I'm capable of everything. But even I don't know what I want to do next. I think it depends on that year's whole environment and vibes and trends. I can pick some ideas from my past. Maybe it'll happen like that. But this year, as a human Kibum [his given name], Pleasure Shop was kind of mild for me. I want to do something stronger. I miss Gasoline so much, so I'm going to bring that again on an album in plan this year.
You said your music is just one part of you. How do you feel you differentiate these parts of your life?
I think every person has their own 12 identities or something. Each person, not even just celebrities. If you are a human, when you go to work, when you are in school, when you meet your best friend or when you meet a friend who you don't like, it's like you become a totally different human. You know what I mean? As an artist, and as a human, it's the same. When I'm in a bad mood, I can be a bad kid. It happens because I'm a human too. In some way, maybe you won't believe this, but I'm kind of shy. I can be shy at some point and hard, and difficult. You can't just express one identity. When I go on a variety show, I think I'm Conan O'Brien. I really feel like that – I'm a comedian. When I'm on stage. I'm a pop star. I'm a Michael [Jackson] on stage. I feel like that. When I'm in a magazine. I feel like I'm a model. when I'm private. It's almost the same in private too. It's like that. There's no more, who am I? What kind of artist is Key? I don't do that. There's a lot of me.
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