Woojin Is Still Dreaming
One of the most evocative releases of 2021 was a mini-album titled “The moment: a minor” from Kim Woojin, a soloist with a voice that expands and belts with simmering pain and hope. The visuals for the album are elegant: Woojin stands in front of a field of grass with mountains behind him dressed in a soft blue, robed suit lined with fabric that gently sways in the wind. The idol’s hair is an icy silver with a pair of Greek wings clipped to his ear. The visual is striking because of how ethereal and powerful Woojin appears. In some photos, a halo of light surrounds him. “Still Dream” was the pre-release single for Woojin’s debut album. Released on July 8, 2021, it is a gorgeous composition that charts the singer’s hope through darkness. Woojin’s mini-album has not come without hard work, all of which is reflected in the pulsating, introspective single.
In an interview with All K-Pop Woojin stated, “Still Dream’ is a song that contains the will and determination to go further without losing the dream even in the darkest hardship in the present.”
The song stuck out to me from the moment I listened to it. Woojin sings the chorus like his heart is on the verge of breaking – but there is a thread that keeps him together: his dream. “Even in the midst of precariousness/ Dreams always bloom,” he sings in the opening lines. He acknowledges that his dream is still “a bit far away in the dark” but “there is a way out.”
“You and I, we all have dreams,” Woojin told All K-Pop “I think everyone is working hard in their own place to make that dream come true. However, sometimes there may be times when hardship continues contrary to the effort. I’ve been through that for a while as well. I wanted to show a hope that even when difficult moments come, if you have dream, in the end, you will be able to overcome the pressure and achieve the dream.”
I was only vaguely familiar with Woojin’s story when I listened to “Still Dream”. Woojin was a member of Stray Kids for a year before leaving in 2019, citing personal circumstances. This would be a year before I began listening to Stray Kids, so I knew very little of Woojin’s story or that the year following his exit from the group was so turbulent.
A year after Woojin left Stray Kids, an anonymous user on Twitter accused Woojin of allegations that were proven false. It’s a time Woojin speaks of. Instead, he funneled his thoughts into his art. “What I thought about the most more than what I’ve learned this past 10 months was that I wanted to play my music as soon as I could to my fans,” he told Rolling Stone India. “I always am grateful for the CUBS for waiting for me, and I’m happy the day I can show you my music has finally come.”
You might assume that his single is autobiographical to Woojin’s experience. But instead, he views the track as a message with universal meaning. ”I wanted to thank my fans, CUBS, who lit up my darkest moments,” he added. “Still Dream” is for anyone going through a hard time. It reminds us of the audacity of hope – something for a while Woojin almost lost.
Over the next few weeks Woojin is embarking on his first world tour, titled “Still Dream” produced by Onion Production. The singer will visit several European countries and cities where CUBS, his fanbase, can share a look into his world.
Since releasing his album, Woojin has been extremely active interacting with CUBS. They are, he frequently acknowledges, the reason he is able to continue and the light that saw him through his difficult times. He frequently goes live on Instagram and YouTube to ask how their day is going or to news about what they can expect from his upcoming schedules. He’s worked hard to create a bond with each fan that connects them closer to his music.
On tour, CUBS will finally meet Woojin after nearly three years. In theaters and clubs, you will be able to see what makes Woojin so mesmerizing – up close. For me, there is a familiarity that pierces through each of Woojin’s songs, even through my headphones when listening to his music. What makes Woojin’s music so appealing to me is how vividly he balances the contrast of hope and loneliness. And it’s something that I am most excited to see how he will hold on stage with an audience before him.
“The moment: a minor” is full of quiet stories that I’m looking forward to Woojin bringing to life on stage. One story in particular that I’m anticipating is the song “In my space”, which again, charts the intersection of loneliness and hope.
The sparse, calm beat allows Woojin’s voice to comfort the listener, especially on a day when they might feel down or like no one is there with them. In Woojin’s room, he sings, there is a universe of his own making. Even if, as he sings in the opening line he experienced a “very difficult day” he can look up and see the starlight that surrounds him:
In my universe shining in a narrow room
I swim as if my body is floating
In a quiet room dyed with blue light
Even old dust becomes small stars
In my very secret universe (Happy as if it were a dream)
“I put my story into the album,” Woojin said while promoting the release of “Still Dream”. “I believe it’s a story that my fans can relate to.”
Yet the lyrics on the album are meant to be universal - they’re not just about him “The album certainly has started with me, but I don’t think the whole story itself is about me,” he reflected. “I wanted to talk about the stories any one of us can live at a certain point in life. So I wouldn’t say the album was influenced by my recent life experiences.”
“Still Dream” is a song that means a lot to me – and like the best music, it has become embedded into my own story. 2021 was an especially difficult year for me, but my art was the one consistent source that I could pour my passion, my fears, and my dreams into. And perhaps most importantly, I’m lucky to have a network of friends in the arts who support me and my own dreams. Like Woojin, I’ve had a lot of moments of self-doubt but I’ve kept going. I’ve kept writing.
“You’re betting on yourself,” a friend told me recently. “We’re all telling ourselves stories for how we will rise above the lives we’re living right now.”
“Shout it out and run to you,” Woojin sings in the chorus of “Still Dream”. “Even if I fall, Fly to you, I will.” He sings it with the urgency of someone who knows what it means to be hungry for hope. When I listen to the song, I can see my own dreams reflected back to me.
““As greedy as it might sound, I want to be an exceptional artist overall,” Woojin said recently. “My goal is to have a positive influence on everyone who knows me.”
Woojin’s tour opens on July 17 in Manila. Tickets and information can be found HERE.
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Follow Onion Production on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook for more info on Woojin’s tour!
