DAY6’s Jae Talks About The Inspiration Behind His Solo Projects

It focuses on the need to talk about mental health!

In an interview with Dazed, DAY6‘s Jae spoke about the inspiration behind his recent solo projects and how important it has been to him over the past year.

One of the first projects was his eaJParkOfficial YouTube channel, where he has been releasing self-penned songs. The desire to release this music was inspired by the belief that he had forgotten what kind of music he liked and wanted to find his identity.

 I was throwing up all this emotional baggage I had (built) up over the years. I just ended up releasing it. I took everyone for the ride because (I thought), ‘If I’m gonna make it, I might as well take you with me.’

Along with leader Sungjin, Jae took a break from DAY6 activities early last year to focus on his mental health. In the interview, Jae also spoke about the issues he was dealing with at the time.

In a taxi ride on the way back from a video shoot for the eaJ project, Jae recalls feeling his body go numb and as if his heart was going to beat out of his chest. After going to the hospital and being seen to, he was told that he had been suffering from panic attacks.

His experiences during this time also helped to inspire his new clothing range From Friends.

The mission statement is (about) extending a helping hand to whomever, wherever there’s a need. It’s very personal, and it’s from a friend. Friends are people who tell you, ‘Hey, you don’t look like you’re doing well,’ or, ‘Hey, you seem a little bit off.’

Jae explained that there is an idea in the K-Pop industry that idols have to be perfect, and any cracks are seen as weaknesses. The range aims to show people that it is okay to not always be okay and ask for help.

He ended the interviewing by speaking about his personal goals for 2021. Although he has released solo tracks, Jae’s focus and number one goal lies with DAY6. It comes after the group revealed that they are currently preparing for their first comeback in a year.

Source: Dazed

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