"Back then, I thought of myself as Iron Man," K-pop star Baekhyun shares over a video call from Seoul. The 32-year-old singer, known for his roles in chart-topping groups EXO, EXO-CBX, and SuperM, is reflecting on his 2019 solo debut, City Lights.
"I really like Iron Man. I know I'm not that super but, since this is an interview, I will say Iron Man," he adds, half-jokingly, a slender finger thoughtfully placed under his chin. "I remember when [Tony Stark] first started out [in the 2008 movie], he was in a cave with very limited resources, but he built an armor out of them. It was not perfect, but he started anyway. And from then on, he improved. I think that is quite similar to how I have also improved myself over time."
Baekhyun's latest "upgrade" is his fourth EP and first release in over three years, Hello, World, out September 6. The much-anticipated effort comes at a pivotal moment, too: Baekhyun returned from South Korea's two-year obligatory military service in 2023, and soon established INB100, a new label to support his solo career on his own terms.
Wearing a black T-shirt and a Kusneuf designer cap, with a dainty silver cross chain adorning his neck, the best word to define Baekhyun right now is "comfortable." Judging by his youthful face, most might not suspect he's a veteran artist, much less a businessman. During the interview he sits as close as possible to the laptop screen, staring curiously, smiling generously.
"For listeners to love my songs, I need to love them too. The first impression is really important," he shares about choosing the six tracks that tell the story of Hello, World. "It starts with "Good Morning," which is about a happy and comfortable daily life with a loved one, and then it progresses into a breakup, and meeting that person again."
Inspired by movies, such as Wong Kar-wai's Chungking Express and Peter Weir's The Truman Show, Baekhyun invites the listener into his own cinematic universe, where you can get "anything you want" and "everything you need."
"These days, with [YouTube] Shorts and [Instagram] Reels, for people to listen to a 3-minute song and not get bored, the first 10 seconds have to be really good," he says. "Pineapple Slice," Hello, World's confident, beat-driven single, is proof. "When I first listened to the song, it mesmerized me," he says. But getting to the equivalent of Iron Man's Mark LXXXV suit — Tony Stark's latest, most powerful one — didn't happen overnight.
Born in Bucheon, a satellite city near Seoul, Baekhyun wanted to be a singer since he was 11 years old. "I didn't think I would be able to work sitting in an office, because I'm very lively by nature, and I cannot stay still in one spot," he shared with Elle Korea in 2015.
His colorful tenor voice was distinguishable since high school, where he was the lead vocalist of band 혼수상태 (honsusangtae, or "coma" in English). While preparing for his college entrance exams in 2011, he was cast by behemoth label SM Entertainment — and less than a year later, debuted as one of the main vocalists in boy group EXO. "I was nervous and anxious all the time," he says of his unusually short K-pop idol training period. "Rather than having fun and enjoying myself, I felt a lot of pressure to be really good."
To be part of EXO was akin to being in a superhero movie, he says. "I think we were similar to Marvel's The Avengers, because we each had our own superpower." EXO, whose name came from the exoplanets (planets outside the Solar System), debuted with an intricate storyline where each member was given an otherworldly ability to fight the evil "Red Force."
Baekhyun was granted the power to control light. But what started as silly lore became one of his most meaningful motifs. Through his voice, Baekhyun can bring light and darkness, intensity and softness, all at once. "It felt like another me back then, but now I think 'light' equals the artist Baekhyun," he says. "'Light' is very similar to 'life.' It can [mean to] shine on others, like a lamp, but also to be a positive energy or influence. Right now, I want to make people as happy as possible."
During their first years, EXO found massive success with epics like "MAMA" and sleek jams like "Growl" and "LOVE ME RIGHT." By 2016, they were leading names in the industry, and the announcement of the group's first sub-unit, EXO-CBX, formed by Baekhyun, Xiumin, and Chen, was met with thorough excitement. As their debut single "Hey Mama!" showed, the trio went on to offer light-hearted songs with a witty glaze, contrasting with EXO's powerful style.
"We wanted people to laugh when they saw us," says Baekhyun. The special clip for "The One" comes to mind. He compares the group to the 2009 comedy 3 Idiots. "It's a comic film, so people watching it feel happy, right?" he asks. "Through EXO we showed our cool side, but with EXO-CBX I wanted people to feel closer to us. I'm a very loud and kind of busy person, but [Chen and Xiumin] are so calm that I felt relaxed and comfortable. Even when I made mistakes, they were protective of me, like parents."
2016 was also the year where Baekhyun noticeably improved his dance skills. His steps became infused with emotion, and he often added small tweaks and flairs to the choreographies, effortlessly standing out. In June of that year, EXO released one of their most quintessential singles, "Monster," and Baekhyun's dance solo during The EXOr'DIUM Tour further attested to his crowd-commanding abilities — first with his voice, now with his moves.
Baekhyun also experimented with acting around that time, starring in SBS's TV drama Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, and in the South Korean production of musical Singin' in the Rain. Nicknamed "Genius Idol" for his multiple talents and warm personality, a solo career was the natural next step, and he spent a good portion of 2017 and 2018 rehearsing for it. Through chart-topping duets "Dream" with Miss A's Suzy, "Rain" with Sistar's Soyou, "Young" with rapper Loco, and more, the singular artistry of soloist Baekhyun started to shine.
In July 2019 came his first EP, City Lights, which sold over half a million copies, and eventually became South Korea's best-selling album by a soloist in the 2010s. "Rather than pressuring myself into thinking 'I must be successful,' my debut was a greeting to the world, saying 'Hey, this is what I want to do,'" he explains.
The slow burn R&B of "UN Village" showcased a new side to the beloved star. The single's sturdy self-assurance reflected on the remaining tracklist — five songs doused with drama and desire, made to be listened to after dark. "I was really surprised by how much love I received, and it helped me decide which direction to take [on my] future solo albums."
But before Baekhyun could even start thinking about the future, he was flung straight into his fourth debut: supergroup SuperM. The SM Entertainment and Capitol Music Group project debuted in October 2019, and brought together Taemin from SHINee, Baekhyun and Kai from EXO, Taeyong and Mark from NCT, and Ten and Lucas, also from NCT and from Chinese band WayV, to form "The Avengers of K-pop" — as they were sometimes dubbed.
But for Baekhyun, SuperM went beyond that. "I don't think there's a [movie] genre that I can compare SuperM to. It would be as if superheroes from Marvel and DC Comics and others all came together in one movie."
Baekhyun was appointed the leader of the group, a position that taught him how to be responsible. "I learned how to be diligent, and to work really hard, all the time, at everything," he says. During their promotions in the U.S., he was impressed by the diversity of styles, sounds, and routines that each member brought to the group. "I felt the need to care for other members. Before, I relied on my EXO members a lot, and I felt quite protected."
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 cut short many of SuperM's activities, whose main focus was the international market. However, the K-pop industry endured, as prolific as ever, and in May 2020, Baekhyun released his sophomore EP, Delight.
Less moody than City Lights, the album was a welcome shot of serotonin during dark times, fronted by the juicy synths of "Candy." By July, Delight had surpassed 1 million sales, becoming the first album by a soloist in South Korea to do so since 2001. "It was unimaginable," he says. "I did not expect a million copies sold and all those chart records. But I was sad that I couldn't return that love by [performing live to] my fans because of the pandemic."
During an interview with GRAMMY.com at the time, Baekhyun shared that his main goal with Delight was to showcase versatility. "Fans would always say that they like both my sweet side and the more sensual, performative side, so I wanted to capture both and present them in a bigger package." Even though this was a thriving era for him, the pandemic constraints and his looming military enlistment left a bittersweet taste.
Read more: K-Pop Superstar Baekhyun On His Sweet Solo Single "Candy" & Delightful Second Mini Album
Less than a year later, in March 2021, Baekhyun elevated his abilities with his third EP and military send-off, Bambi. The album, filled with impossible highs and lows and dexterous vocal inflections, was a boundary-pushing labor for the singer. "I wanted to show everything I had, all of my experience, all of my talent, I really wanted everything to be in this album," he says. "Especially since I had to enlist shortly afterwards. Even though there were a lot of difficult songs, I thought 'I will do this, and I will do this well.'"
Baekhyun enlisted in the military on his 29th birthday — May 6, 2021. It would take almost two years before he returned to his activities as an artist, but the break granted him a necessary period of self-reflection. "Whenever I had free time, I would monitor all my past activities through YouTube. I would make mental notes like, 'I look good when I do this' or 'I look awkward when I do this," he recalls. "I also thought a lot about what I like and what I do well, and tried to make them compatible. I think I understand who I am a little bit better."
Following his return in February 2023, Baekhyun was invited by Riot Games to voice League of Legends' character Ezreal in the game's virtual boy band, Heartsteel. He performed the single "Paranoia" live at the Worlds 2023 Finals. He also sang both the U.S. and the Korean National Anthems at the 2024 MLB World Tour in Seoul. While these events confirmed that he was still at the top of his game, the major plot development in his career was the creation of his own label, INB100.
"I always had a desire to do my own thing, but it's very, very hard to make that a reality," he says with a nervous smile. "The main reason I made it is because I really wanted to meet my fans more freely and frequently, and now I can [do that] whenever I want."
"Even as a leader of SuperM, I don't think I was oppressive," he adds. "I always thought about how to have everyone contribute and have synergy. At my company right now, I'm always thinking about how we can work together well. I try to listen to others more, and I always ask what they think. Even if it takes some time, it's important that we all work towards a common goal together."
Despite a decade of star-studded achievements and a new leading role in business, Baekhyun compares this moment in his life to the 2015 comedy-drama The Intern. In it, 70-year-old widower Ben Whittaker (played by Robert De Niro) decides to embrace a new chapter by becoming the unexpected intern of a bustling online store.
"When I watched that movie, I was very touched," he says. "Before, I was always trying to impress my fans, but now I want to be approachable and friendly. I want to be a good worker. I want to be a comforting, reliable person. I try to show many sides [performing], but I would like to show stability, in terms of emotion."
With the mindset of an apprentice and the wisdom of a sage, Baekhyun navigates the new currents ahead with grit, come the obstacles and supervillains that may. When asked what movie he would like his future to resemble, he stops and thinks for a few moments, finger under chin once again. "In a very, very distant future, I would love to be living like the Pixar movie Up."