Kim Woojin’s Dream Is Meeting CUBS

Courtesy of Kim Woojin Facebook, Onion Production and 10x Entertainment

This summer Kim Woojin met CUBS for the first time in a tour across Europe

He traveled from Milan to Paris to Barcelona, hitting fourteen dates in total – and selling out several stops, including London, along the way. If you asked Woojin, like I did, if this tour felt possible even a few years ago he would say he’s been worried about this since debut. But thanks to his CUBS (read as “cubs”), the fandom that has supported him since his debut in 2018, Woojin has been able to see his dream through.

When I caught up with Woojin he had just wrapped up his last date in Barcelona and he felt grateful for the support he received. “I was most looking forward to my CUBS’ passion,” he told me. “As expected, it was amazing, and thanks to the Cubs, I had a happy performance.”

He performed every song from his EP on tour, but also sprinkled in several covers for fans in a nod to the music he’d record on YouTube throughout the pandemic. Those songs would often go viral. ”I like all the songs [that I performed], but the song “Before you go” was loved the most by the Cubs on YouTube,” he said when I asked what his favorite song to perform was. “I’m proud of it, so I will pick this song.”

There is a versatility to Woojin that makes him unique in K-Pop. He can perform an Adele song flawlessly then pay homage to BTS with “Euphoria”. He’s done his homework in pop music, but his own catalog is shimmering with diamonds. 

“Still Dream”, which the tour is named after, and “Ready Now” both track Woojin’s vulnerability as he returns to the stage and is given a second shot at his dream. “Let’s face it together/ I’m ready now,” he sings powerfully in “Ready Now”. “The painful times/ I will end this gloriously/ Cause I’m ready now, it’s the end.” It’s this vulnerability and sense of hope that stays with me a year after the album’s release. 

Woojin’s vulnerability underlies the hope I feel in each song. He doesn’t give up, even when life becomes strange and wild. Instead, what I hear in songs like “Ready Now” or “Still Dream” is someone who finds strength and solace in his music. 

“Singing itself is happiness and hope for me,” he told me. “I get a lot of inspiration and strength from the sweet comments that the Cubs leave when I am tired.”

Of course, performing to a camera with no one around to connect with has to be hard. But on tour Woojin found thousands of CUBS who have connected with his positive message of not giving up. In Madrid when he performed “Ready Now”, the shouts and screams were sometimes so deafening that the room threatened to overflow with passion. “It's my dream that I want to give a positive influence to those who know me or love me,” he reflected. And he wanted his fans to feel proud of his work. “If CUBS are happy, I am happy too,” he said simply. 

Woojin’s connections with CUBS is special. Last year as he released his first album, he would frequently go live on YouTube or Instagram, sometimes once a day, to connect with CUBS. He wanted them to know that he was listening and grateful for their support. He couldn’t meet them yet but he made as much of an effort as possible to connect. 

For the CUBS who couldn’t attend this tour, Woojin made sure to document as much as he could through Instagram and YouTube.” I wanted to go to famous places to take pictures and show them to the Cubs!” he explained. “I'm happy when I share my story with CUBS.” 

While Woojin is currently on a break between Europe and Latin American stops, he is humble about what new fans have to look forward to. “I don’t have that much that I need to say,” he reflected when I asked what he wanted people who might not know him well to learn about him. “I hope that you guys can enjoy together Kim Woojin’s music, message and performance.” 

We all have dreams we’re chasing.

There are times when we doubt ourselves and wonder if we will reach our destination. Woojin’s tour reminds me, and I hope it reminds you, that the dreams can be real. We are all trying to make life work together, even as we fumble towards ecstasy. 

“Dreams bloom beautifully,” he sings in “Still Dream”. “It’s a bit far away/ but even in the dark, there is a way.” In dark nightclubs full of CUBS, Woojin might have found that his dream had arrived. 

 “Actually, I was worried a few years ago whether I could actually meet my CUBS.” he admitted at the end of our conversation. “At that time, I dreamed of meeting them together, so [now] it feels like a dream and I'm so happy to perform for them.” 

Follow Woojin on Instagram or YouTube to see more from his tour. Latin American tour dates are on sale now on Woojin’s website. Special thanks to Onion Production Woojin’s tour promoter for making this story possible. Follow their account on Instagram to see some beautiful photos and learn more about their upcoming shows.

Translation assistance was given by my friend Yu Jeongmin.