[Exclusive]WOODZ and IU, 'AAA=First Joint Schedule'... "Empowered by a fist bump" [Interview ①]

*This content was translated by AI.

• WOODZ interview as the Best Artist in the Music category at AAA 2025

To strive for perfection, he sometimes deceives himself just before the stage by saying, "Let's just do it," and to endure for over a decade, he paradoxically vows, "Let's quit tomorrow." This is the story of WOODZ (Jo Seung-yeon), a singer who fiercely proves himself behind the dazzling praise of being an "all-rounder," filling a 360-degree performance venue to the brim.

At 'AAA 2025', WOODZ left a strong impression once again by exchanging a solid fist bump with his senior artist IU from the same agency. Now, while gazing at Seo Taiji's stage, he envisions the grand ultimate dream of a "stadium tour." Putting aside the breathless days of the past, we met him, who is now taking care of those around him and practicing the aesthetics of "letting go" as "human Jo Seung-yeon," to look into his true feelings both on and off the stage.

Recently, WOODZ conducted an interview at the StarNews building in Seorin-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, for the '10th Anniversary Asia Artist Awards 2025' (10th Anniversary Asia Artist Awards 2025, hereinafter 'AAA 2025').

-You attended 'AAA' for the first time in four years since 'AAA 2021'. How was the atmosphere of the awards ceremony, which you felt for the first time in a while?

▶When it was held domestically four years ago, it was during the pandemic, so I performed on stage wearing a mask. This time, I took off my mask and communicated a bit more with the fans. It was also good that I could talk with many other artists.

-If there are any lingering thoughts you couldn't express on stage, what are they?

▶I greeted everyone through 'AAA' for the first time in a very long while. In the meantime, I served in the military, and the song 'Drowning' was loved by many, allowing me to end the 'AAA' stage with a happy heart. While on stage that day, I thought a lot about "How can I show a better image?" The audience gave reactions far greater than expected. Even after the stage ended, they showed enthusiastic support, so I started this year with a grateful heart. Many people have listened to my story and offered their empathy and love, and I will carry that feeling well. Going forward, I will become a singer who delivers good songs and messages.

-You must have received many congratulations from those around you. If there are any memorable reactions from friends, or who was the first to send a congratulatory message?

▶The first person to send a congratulatory message was my mother. When giving my acceptance speech, the first person I thought of was my father. Although it's not a Navy Headquarters award, whenever I receive an award, fans are always in front of me. I expressed my gratitude directly at the scene that day, and I also feel grateful to the fans who couldn't come.

-Among the LINE-up for 'AAA 2025', was there a specific actor, singer, or stage you really wanted to see?

▶I was curious about Stray Kids' stage. They are doing so well these days and are a team that is elevating the status of K-pop worldwide, so I thought I wanted to see their performance live.

-With the reverse run of 'Drowning', WOODZ's popularity has also risen. Are you feeling a sense of reality about it?

▶I feel it strongly that many people like me, recognize me, and are increasingly coming to see my performances. In fact, I feel a sense of pride in this process. I think that what I have stubbornly pursued without giving up, which I once considered "stubbornness," is now being recognized as "effort." I think I am developing a positive mindset, thinking that I must do what I need to do at every moment, even just to show well to those people.

-That's why, not only the public but also fellow entertainers are mentioning WOODZ a lot. What do you think is your biggest charm?

▶I also saw shorts on SNS like "Reasons to like WOODZ," and when I heard people say, "WOODZ was such a treasure trove of stories?", I thought, "Is this my charm?" In fact, I really don't know, but if I think about it, I have worked hard in one category for a long time, and even though I didn't give up on my stubbornness, I waited until the moment my efforts shone. I think many people feel the charm of my personality. Rather than living day by day to be recognized by others and enduring for 10 years, I feel like I am someone who has lived day by day, filling in what is necessary and lacking for myself. I think people are giving a lot of points for consistency these days.

-Do you have any personal unwavering principles or mottos?

▶I think, "If this job ever ruins me, I will quit this job. Until then, I will do my best." When thinking as a singer, I think the focus is more on "Let's create good music as I see it" rather than "Songs to look good."

-What exactly do you mean by "ruins"?

▶For example, it refers to pressure or the various stresses one receives while doing this job. During my approximately 12-year career, there was a time when I felt difficult once. That was when my mother said to me, "If the day ever comes when I lose Jo Seung-yeon, I don't want that. Then you must quit WOODZ. Jo Seung-yeon must remain. So, if the moment ever comes when the self named WOODZ ruins Jo Seung-yeon, quit." I think I am living today with the thought of quitting tomorrow.

Fans also know this content. Because I think I can quit anytime, I think I can live every day with the strength to do so. For example, there are days when it's really hard and I don't want to go to the studio. If I think, "Let's quit tomorrow. Let's try quitting after this week," I can endure one more day. This is my ultimate mindset. These days, I think I am living happily with the fun of being loved by many people more than the thought of "quitting," and the corresponding sense of responsibility.

-What makes WOODZ happiest these days?

▶There is the sense of accomplishment of finally executing the plan for a full album release, which I thought about last year or before enlisting, something I really wanted to do in my life. Recently, I was happy to have time to do nothing after finishing the concert. For about one or two months, there were things left to do, so I needed a bit of anxiety and a lot of concentration, but these days I am emptying my mind by thinking about what to do next. I didn't listen to music at all. When making an album, I accumulated what I liked by listening to various music, but now that I am listening to music and watching movies, I think there is a joy in "going through the process of letting go of what I planned before."

-It must be even more meaningful to attend 'AAA 2025' together with IU, who shares the same rice bowl at Idam Entertainment.

▶At that time, there was no time slot where I could meet my senior. I had a chance to greet her just before leaving for the venue, and we exchanged a "Hello" with a fist bump about the size of a bean. In that process, I felt strength. In fact, it was my first official schedule with my senior. The thought that I was with my reliable senior gave me strength even while performing on stage. There were many seniors and IU's acquaintances present, so it was quite burdensome, but the fact that I was at the venue with IU was one of the reasons I could perform confidently on stage.

-You have experienced a 360-degree stage, but this is your first time at such a large venue, isn't it? You performed at the stadium for two consecutive days up to 'ACON'. How was it?

-As I always say, my ultimate goal is a stadium tour. I started as a singer, and if I end as a singer, I want to enter the stadium. After performing on a 360-degree stage filled with 50,000 seats, I felt like I had slightly experienced my dream. It was a day where I indirectly felt, "If I ever do a stadium tour, I will be a truly happy person." So, I felt a great sense of relief while simultaneously relieving the burden, and a happy ecstasy coexisted in that I could taste that dream for a moment. After the stage ended, (Bae Jong-han) CEO said, "You fit the stadium well." I want to do the stadium tour steadily without being in a hurry. This time, I indirectly experienced it by borrowing 'AAA', but I thought I would like to achieve it with my own strength someday.

-To be continued in Interview ②.

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*This content was translated by AI.