Jung Gu Hyeon opens up on working with top K-Pop idols, from Stray Kids to SEVENTEEN and (G)I-DLE
Jung Gu Hyeon, the guitarist and composer known for his unique footprint in game music, recently shared candid takes on working with K-Pop’s biggest names in a Sports Korea interview.
He singled out Stray Kids’ Seungmin as a standout for his falsetto and dedication.
“Not many singers in Korea can sing beautifully with a falsetto, but Seungmin’s singing is different. His voice is not just beautiful, but also very delicate. It’s not easy to find an artist who can adequately express this kind of delicacy, but he does it well.
While working on two songs with him, I came to realize how kind he was. I’ve met many singers in the past, but Seungmin seemed like a kid from the neighborhood and didn’t feel like a superstar. He really worked hard on his music. Even though he was busy, I could tell he had prepared a lot when he came to record the OST.
There was a time a Stray Kids’ concert was scheduled when he was recording a ballad. He practiced choreography without rest whenever he had time while recording the song. I never saw him rest even for a moment. Looking at this, you can see how amazing an idol he is.”
— Jung Gu Hyeon
He also praised SEVENTEEN’s Woozi, D.K., and Seungkwan for their humility despite superstardom while working on their unit song, “Is It Still Beautiful.”
“Although they were superstars, they were so humble and cool. You couldn’t feel a sense of stardom. The song was a unit song, so we paid special attention to harmony. I tried to make an arrangement to make the three sound like a vocal group. Since we recorded the harmony separately, the recording did take a bit longer.”
— Jung Gu Hyeon
(G)I-DLE’s Minnie also earned high praise during their collaboration.
“While working with Minnie, I felt that she was really great. Her pronunciation was so amazing that I, the engineers, and the staff were surprised. She has excellent sound control and a unique charm with her voice. She did so well that I started to get greedy and tried to bring out more, and she followed along better each time.”
— Jung Gu Hyeon
Jung Gu Hyeon highlighted his focus on idols who evolve into artists — naming INFINITE’s Nam Woo Hyun as a prime example.
“Nam Woo Hyun and I have great chemistry. When we get together, we can come up with a song in 30 minutes. Woo Hyun also handles things coolly when recording. For example, when writing a song, you think he will ‘write something like this next time,’ but it’s way more upgraded when you receive the demo. Nam Woo Hyun is a character who shows ‘infinite growth.’”
— Jung Gu Hyeon
Currently, Jung balances his music work with 45% game music, 5% OSTs, and 10% general pop projects.
