YEONJUN’S Evolution: ‘This album got me closer to understanding who I am’

K-pop idol YEONJUN has had a busy Spring. He made his Paris Fashion Week runway debut in March, treading the boards at Miu Miu’s Fall Winter ’26 show. More recently been trying to win over the affections of Yoojun, the internet’s favourite baby, as part of TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s hugely popular ‘Parenting Diary’ series, where the quintet had to care for an adorable toddler. For all the side-quests he has been doing YEONJUN has also been working hard on his second album, NO LABELS: PART 02, which he has released just as summer is hitting.

A second album can be a daunting project for any artist, especially, when, like YEONJUN you have had great success with your debut album. NO LABELS: PART 01 is one of only eleven albums by a K-pop solo artist to have reached the top ten of the Billboard 200 album chart in history. YEONJUN joined all seven members of his BTS hyungs, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, Jung Kook as well as Jennie,  Rosé and Lisa from BLACKPINK and NAYEON from TWICE in this very exclusive club. He’s in good company when it comes to k-pop legends, but when looking at his generation, he stands alone – being the only 4th Gen K-pop artist to do so. 

In the second album of what is seemingly a series, NO LABELS: PART 02 continues to see YEONJUN experiment with the recipe of his sound. There are plenty of music genre ingredients being blended together on the record, with rap, funk rock, R&B and alternative hip hop all on the menu. ‘Vanilla’ is a great example of how he plays with genres, mixing electric guitars with a touch of seventies groove, sailing through with sweet high notes, winding up and down the tempo of the track, with rap and electric guitar riffs. 

His lead single ‘Ice Cream’ continues the food theme, comparing romance to the dessert and how it can melt if too hot, or give you brain freeze if you rush into things too quickly.  Interestingly, his group TOMORROW X TOGETHER also have a song by the same name (BEOMGYU even sang the chorus to it during YEONJUN’s listening party for the group the other day.) TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s ‘Ice Cream’ also likens love to the frozen snack in a negative way, but it’s wrapped up in a deliciously deceptive candy floss sounding pop track. YEONJUN’s ‘Ice Cream,’ on the other hand, fits his tougher solo sound, injecting his raspy voice singing the lyrics over punchier drums, guitar strums, and electric guitar notes floating over the top of his chilled out summery track. 

He has woven in vintage sounds through the rest of the record too with a retro-gaming synths in ‘No More Disco’ whilst mixing in the modern with his rapping and singing. 

There are a lot of rock elements that have carried over from NO LABELS: PART 02’s predecessor, with a mixture of caustic rapping with rock percussion and guitars in ‘Fxxking Star.’ He slows things down the summery synth sounding ‘Baby Wassup’ before closing the album with the silky smooth R&B ‘Long Way Long Ride.’ The final song is his most personal track on the album. He told his members “I remember sitting alone in my room and crying. I was having a really rough time” when he initially wrote the lyrics. 

Ahead of his album release, YEONJUN sat down to catch us up to talk about the evolution between the two albums, and how he is shaping his sound. 

The last time we spoke, for your debut album, you said you were working on showing who you were as an artist. What have you been exploring for NO LABELS: PART 02?

For this album, my main focus was to strip away all the unnecessary details. I applied this not only to the visuals and choreography, but also to my mindset, and tried to leave only what felt truly essential.

Are there any themes that emerged when making the album?

The core theme of this album was of showing a more natural, unfiltered side of myself. So we tried to stay away from overly detailed or colorful styling in the music video and album photos, and focused more on a raw and authentic vibe. That’s also why the very first video released for this comeback was simply titled ‘CHOI YEONJUN.’ I wanted people to see me exactly as I am.

Has your sound changed at all with your second album? Or is it an evolution of PART 01?

In terms of sound, PART 02 spans a wide spectrum from rock to R&B and alternative hip hop and it builds on what I started in PART 01. We even took the snippet of the song from the end of the previous music video and used it as the intro for ‘Vanilla,’ the opening track of this album. 

Are there any common threads between PART 01 and PART 02?

If I had to sum it up, it’s probably just me. Even though PART 01 and PART 02 explore different sounds and visuals, I think they’re all connected through who I am. There are different sides of me, and I’m still figuring those out as I go. That’s also why the title NO LABELS felt right.

How have the visual elements changed for PART 2? It seems more gritty and candid from the teaser you shared.

For PART 02, the visuals focus more on an effortless, natural look. I went with simple pieces like white t-shirts, denim, and vintage items to show a more relaxed side of myself. I wanted to show a more candid, natural side of myself, so I took a different approach this time.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER also has a song called ‘Ice Cream.’ It’s very cheerful in tone, but the lyrics are in fact the opposite. I am guessing your solo song Ice Cream is completely different in both sound and lyrics?

Yes, they’re completely different tracks. ‘Ice Cream,’ from our group album The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE is more about those small, slightly mischievous thoughts that feel fun in the moment. For my solo track, I started from the idea of ice cream itself—how it melts if it gets too warm, or gives you a brain freeze if you rush it. I used that as a way to talk about a relationship. So it feels very different both sonically and conceptually.

One of your biggest champions is your bandmate BEOMGYU, who loves performing ‘GGUM.’ How did you feel when you saw his EDM ‘version’ going viral recently?  Is It fun to see them call him the official ‘GGUMbassador’? How does it feel to have your fellow TOMORROW x TOGETHER members in your corner and championing your solo career?

I’m just incredibly grateful for my members. Watching BEOMGYU as the GGUMbassador was honestly just funny to me, and I enjoyed it a lot. A while ago, they had a chance to listen to the tracks in PART 02, and they all gave really detailed feedback on what they liked, which meant a lot to me. When I’m working solo, I sometimes miss being on stage together, but moments like that make me feel like we’re still connected.

You and your bandmates often do a surprise visit to support each other on solo projects. How special is it to see a familiar face when you’re in the middle of a hectic solo schedule? Did any of your members visit you this time around?

Even with our busy schedules, just seeing the members gives me a boost of energy. They’re the people who know me best, so having them around means a lot. This solo album came together while we were also preparing for the tour, so it was a really busy and demanding time. But thanks to all the support and encouragement from the members in their own ways, I was able to get through it without feeling too worn out.

What do you miss about each member when you are doing a solo schedule?

It’s usually the small things, like their random jokes or encouragement after a long shoot. When those moments are missing, that’s when I notice it the most.

Do you have a particular track on the album that you’re particularly excited to share with MOA and perform live? Why is this track particularly special to you?

I love all the tracks, but I’m definitely excited to perform ‘Fxxking Star.’ On the surface it’s confident and bold, but it also reflects the kind of artist I want to become. I think it’s going to look so cool on stage, and since it’s a very personal song for me, I’m really looking forward to performing it live.

What lesson have you learned from your last album run that you have carried through to this album?

I used to be someone who always aimed for perfection, but while I was working on this album, I tried to let go of that mindset and spend more time focusing on myself. Through that process, I feel like I was able to take one step closer to understanding who I truly am. Along with that, thanks to my first solo album, I learned how to let go of pressure and actually enjoy the process more. I remember being really nervous sharing my music at first, but seeing how MOA responded stayed with me. That experience made me approach this album differently. I tried not to overthink things and just explore more freely, which naturally helped me expand my sound. I also had a release party a day before PART 02 came out and performed a few tracks. Seeing that energy again reminded me why I do this, and it made me want to get back on stage even more.