The last few weeks have been nonstop for Jackson Wang. After travelling to Mumbai, India, for a media tour, he headed to Paris Fashion Week to attend the Louis Vuitton show as a brand ambassador. And as he connects with GRAMMY.com over Zoom, he's in Seoul, South Korea, prepping for the release of his new album, MAGICMAN 2.
"A lot of people on the internet say, 'Hey, why is bro everywhere?'" Wang says jokingly. "I really need to be everywhere because I don't have a label. I don't have a company full of people helping me market stuff. I'm trying my best to get my music out there."
That entrepreneurial spirit is what has helped propel the 31-year-old singer into the global icon he is today. First known as a member of the K-pop group GOT7, who debuted in 2014 when Wang was 19 years old, he's become a star in his own right since launching his solo career with 2019's Mirrors. But as he hinted with 2022's MAGICMAN, fame — and the rigorous schedule that comes with it — began to take a toll. After a whirlwind world tour in 2023, he knew he needed a break.
"I realized that I missed a lot in my twenties, good moments and bad moments. It came down to a point where I was like, 'I don't even know what Jackson Wang is anymore,'" he admits. "I felt like I had to take this time off to get closer to my inner self to ask, 'What is my purpose and value of just being alive?'"
Wang gradually found the answers he needed through spending time with his parents in Shanghai, catching up with friends and writing diary entries. Perhaps most imperatively, he allowed himself to create music whenever he felt inspired — and before he knew it, MAGICMAN 2 was born.
Written and produced entirely by Wang, MAGICMAN 2 continues the story the singer started with its predecessor, exploring themes of growth, finding balance and learning how to set boundaries. But sonically, the album is a departure from the catchy pop hits that defined Wang's early career as a K-pop artist and soloist. Many of the songs on this project are slower, contemplative and raw — words that describe the soul-searching Wang went on to confront his vulnerabilities and better understand who he is outside of the celebrity he's become.
Below, Wang discusses the journey to making MAGICMAN 2 and the value of making art on his own terms.
Can you tell me about the story you wanted to share in making MAGICMAN 2, and how it picks up from MAGICMAN?
It's a self-serving album. You know, growing up from the K-pop system — doing solo stuff and being very comfortable in a cycle of just executing what I'm told — I realized that I've never written a song for myself. I've never actually expressed how I feel as a person. It's always concept after concept, but you get to a certain age and you start to think, "What does it mean?" [The music] is cool, it's ear candy. It's good and entertaining to watch. But what does it mean?
So basically, I took a break for a year and I started writing things for myself… I [was] writing diaries and giving myself time and taking care of myself. The entire album is about how I feel about the industry, society, humanity, family, reality. How do I recover from the highs and lows of my life? How do I find my balance and center as a person?
You tell this story through your alter ego MAGIC MAN. Can you describe who he is?
MAGIC MAN is a character that I created. It simply means my internal self. I created this to represent whoever is inside me, also the person that I was always avoiding and the relationship between me and him. That year off was getting closer to him and understanding him better.
You know, I've never taken a break in my life. Since I was young, I was an athlete, then a trainee, then I was in a K-pop group, then I'm a solo artist branching out to other territories.
It's so important to give yourself time, because a lot of the time, you don't even know you're lost. You're just following how everything is moving.
What did you do during your year off?
Enjoyed life. Just the simplicity of having a decent quality conversation and time with my parents, with my friends. Being able to have a calm and peaceful mindset to observe, to feel.
Back then, it was almost like being on a roller coaster. A lot of times when I'd wake up, I didn't know where I was in a hotel. Sometimes I'm in Paris. And sometimes everywhere feels the same, you know?
So that year, besides just writing diaries, I was able to make music without the pressure of, I have to release this. I can just let whatever inspiration or feeling lead me, rather than have a deadline for certain things.
This album is split into four chapters: Manic Highs, Losing Control, Realizations and Acceptance. What do those phases mean to you?
I'm trying to share to the audience how I recover from everything. Manic highs is about living in the highs, where you don't even have the room to think. You're just going with the flow and things are happening as you breathe. But then you go to the next part and realize, "Oh, things are not what I thought it would be." Then you start to lose control of [your] emotions.
Once you calm down, you start to go through [the chapter] of realization, when you realize certain things are not the way it is. And once time passes, you just accept everything and move on. That is what life is about to everyone. Things happen, you get emotional and then when time passes, you realize what has been done can't be undone.
You've released a number of songs that represent these chapters. "High Alone" sees your MAGIC MAN character trying to escape from a water tank in front of an audience. Why use those haunting visuals to spread your message?
That was very straightforward. It's how people are just here as entertainers or a product. I'm just putting on a show, and when the show ends, people are moving onto the next show. I wanted to use that to express the relationship between humanity, industry and society.
Meanwhile, "GBAD" explores themes around setting boundaries. How have you learned to do that after more than 10 years in this industry?
Setting boundaries is just being able to be honest and speak up. Speaking up doesn't mean you have to be rude. You can just address it professionally or address it specifically. I think whoever that you're talking to would appreciate it, too. That's what I learned. And second, spend more time with yourself, give yourself more space. [Being] selfish is not a bad thing sometimes.
You also collaborated with Indian superstar Diljit Dosanjh on a track called "BUCK." How did that come about?
I DM'ed him, and then it just happened. He showed a lot of love and support.
It's crazy because we [both] performed at Coachella three years ago. He was closing the Sahara tent, and I remember after my performance I went to watch him with my friends. All my friends are really huge fans of him, and I was like, "Oh maybe one day if I'm lucky enough, I can be able to work with this amazing artist."
Three years later, I was writing this song and I was thinking, "Hey, if his vocals are in this track, it'll be amazing." So I just DM'ed him. I gave it a shot. I was lucky enough to get him on the track.
Your parents also play a part in inspiring the tracks on MAGICMAN 2. Can you tell me about their influence on you?
The song is called "Sophie Ricky." When we're born, a lot of the time we forget that our parents did not know what to do either when they first had us. They didn't know how to become a mom or a dad. We always think that our parents will figure it out. We always think they will be here forever.
I think during that one-year pause, I thought about a lot of things and just had deep conversations with my parents. I realized, us and our parents, it feels like we're on the same street, but they're just further up. I just wanted to give flowers to them, and also be able to appreciate how much of a sacrifice they gave me and my brother because they were young too.
You think they never went to a club? They never went to a party and never flirted around? Do you think they were never playful? After having kids, I think it changed them completely. Especially coming from a traditional Asian family, a lot of my friends feel awkward when they say "I love you" to their parents. But I think sometimes you just have to do it.
You reunited with GOT7 earlier this year. What was it like to make music together again after three years apart?
I've always appreciated the GOT7 system because it's very, very comfortable. We gather because we really like each other. We're really like a brotherhood. It feels relaxing and peaceful when we're together.
I really don't have to worry about anything. I can just come in, boom. This is a schedule for a month. I just need to worry and focus on whatever the schedule is and being able to deliver. It's very comfortable versus when I do my own stuff.
Each of you pursued solo careers. Did coming back together change your dynamic as a team?
When we're together as seven, it's not about one individual. What I hope to achieve in the future is we can put our strengths together and maximize it. For example, if I'm more confident in visual production or shooting videos, I should take that role. Whatever the future holds for GOT7, I hope it is something personal to us.
How many more chapters of MAGICMAN do you have?
I'm not sure. I think what I hope to do is like, maybe MAGICMAN 3. I really want to make a mini movie, like a short film.
What do you think has been the biggest lesson you've gained in your year away from music?
I feel like I gained a lot. I know exactly what I want and what I don't want. After this age, I don't want to compromise anymore. It's so important to find that peace and happiness in our own personal standard. I think for over 10 years, I was just sprinting, but with no GPS. Now I think I have my GPS.