After a long-awaited return, NIEL of TEEN TOP is making a powerful solo comeback with his fourth mini album “SHE“, set for release on April 22. This moment marks a significant chapter in his career, as it is his first album since launching his own label, EL&D Entertainment. With complete artistic control, NIEL’s album reflects a more mature musicality, helping to solidify his identity as a solo artist. The comeback brings a wave of nostalgia and excitement, especially for fans of second and third generation K-pop.
Keep reading to check out our exclusive chat with NIEL, as he opens up about his comeback, music, and more!
| Q: Your new mini album “SHE” marks a special chapter in your solo journey, can you tell us more it? |
| NIEL: This album shows new sides of myself that I haven’t been able to show you before. It’s filled with new styles of music and concepts that I’ve always wanted to try. |
| Q: Were there any unexpected or memorable moments during the making of “SHE“? |
| NIEL: Not one specific moment, but the moment I listened to the sample track for the first time, the moment we were filming the music video, the moment various edits became finalized and we all celebrated and felt excited… It was my first album since going fully independent, so I think every moment was memorable, haha. |
| Q: Are there any lyrics or a particular line in the album that holds a special meaning for you? Could you share the story behind it? |
| NIEL: ‘그대의 봄, 그대의 마음, 그대의 겨울. 아낌없이 나눌 수 있도록, i love you. 사랑해 줄게요~’ (translates roughly along the lines of ‘Your spring, your heart, your winter. So that I can share without holding back, i love you. I will love you~’) This is part of the lyrics from one of the tracks, ‘If you’re the ocean’. This song is a confession of sincere love. I thought of my fans who support me throughout the four seasons in a year and share their love without holding back while making this song. It’s a special song because I thought of N-LISS while recording it. |
| Q: When you’re unwinding, are there any dramas, variety shows, or even YouTube channels that have caught your attention lately? What draws you to them? |
| NIEL: These days I’ve been so busy preparing for the album so I haven’t been able to watch YouTube or TV shows. I like games and golf so it shows up on my algorithm a lot, so I end up watching a lot of that kind of content haha. |
| Q: If you had a break in your schedule, where would you travel to in 2025? And why that destination in particular? |
| NIEL: These days I’m in need of rest, so I’d love to just float… on water, somewhere at a vacation spot? Haha I don’t have a specific destination in mind, I’d just love to travel anywhere~ |
| Q: Do you have a message for the fans who have been waiting for your solo album? |
| NIEL: Dearest N-LISS who always give me unlimited love and support! Thank you for waiting for me for so long, I will do my best to prepare great music and great promotions so we can enjoy together! I have no words for the gratitude I feel for you 🙂 I love you! |
| Q: What is the most surprising or unexpected reaction you’ve received from someone around you regarding your music or decisions in life? |
| NIEL: I established an agency to go fully independent! When I told people around me about this, everyone was quite surprised (laughs). This was a decision that I kept to myself for a long time, so I think their reactions were pretty predictable haha. I think everyone looked out for me, half-worried and half-supportive. They offered me a lot of advice and words of support so I felt very grateful. |
| Q: Looking ahead, please share one personal or artistic goal you’re setting for yourself this year. |
| NIEL: I don’t have huge ambitions, but I hope that fans will enjoy “SHE” after waiting for so long, and I hope the general audience will know that NIEL can do this kind of music and express these kinds of feelings as a solo artist! That would be enough for me. If I had to come up with one specific goal… I want to go on a solo world tour! I will do my best to achieve this goal! Thank you~! |
