Bea Jin-young discusses his solo debut, past group experiences, and aspirations for growth as an artist after leaving CIX.

Bea Jin-young, who made his solo debut, reflected on his group activities with Wanna One and CIX. Recently, he met with Newsen at a location in Gangnam, Seoul, for an interview commemorating the release of his 1st mini-album 'STILL YOUNG.' 'STILL YOUNG' is the first album he released as a solo artist after leaving CIX last August. It signifies unchanging passion 'STILL,' solidly honed skills 'STEEL,' the vitality and spirit of challenge from youth 'YOUNG,' and a new challenge starting with the original intention '0.' The title track 'Round & Round' and a total of five songs are included. When did he decide to pursue a solo debut? Bea Jin-young revealed, 'While doing group activities, I had the desire to release a solo album. However, at that time, I was part of a group, so I focused more on group activities than on individual ones. After leaving the group, I became serious about working as a solo artist, and I have a strong desire to expand the dreams I couldn't fulfill until now.' In this work, he attracted attention with his unique styling, including a buzz cut and piercings. He stated, 'I wanted to show a lot of new looks,' and added, 'This album is challenging in both styling and music. I like challenging things.' Bea Jin-young debuted as a member of Wanna One after finishing 10th in Mnet's audition program 'Produce 101' Season 2 in 2017. After completing Wanna One's activities, he became a member of CIX in 2019 and left the team last August. Choosing to stand alone after eight years since his debut, Bea Jin-young reflected on what he learned through group activities, saying, 'During Wanna One, it was my first experience living in a group, so I learned a lot about behavior and attitude. I was very busy and really young back then, so honestly, I don't remember how I was active. Time passed too quickly. During CIX, I felt the importance and urgency of the stage a lot.' He mentioned that he was loved by many fans during his time in Wanna One, and in the early days of CIX, he was sometimes referred to as the 'Bea Jin-young group.' He reflected on this, saying, 'There was a lot of pressure because of such words. However, I think it's more important to unite with the members and have the same goals to achieve, so we talked a lot.' More than a year has passed since his departure, but Bea Jin-young maintains a good relationship with the CIX members. He said, 'The members are very busy with activities recently, so we can't meet often, but we keep in touch. I saw them on music shows, and we give feedback when we have time or remember each other.' He also shared that the members of Wanna One have given him feedback, saying, 'Hyung Sung-woon, AB6IX's Daehwi, and Hyung Woo-jin told me I looked cool when the teaser video was released. Recently, we shot YouTube content and have been in touch frequently.' He expressed his thoughts on the often-discussed 'Wanna One reunion,' saying, 'Personally, I feel more sorry for making you wait so long than feeling burdened. Still, I appreciate that you mention the reunion every year and show interest. I think it would be great if we could reunite when the members have time and the environment is right.' When asked how he wants to be seen as a solo artist, he expressed, 'I would be happy if people think I've grown as an artist. I would be glad to hear compliments like 'very good' or 'very cool.' Conversely, I would also be happy if people say, 'Who is this kid?' I think there are probably many people like that.' With eight years of experience, he has grown a lot personally. He said, 'I used to be very introverted and closed off to the world. I had a lot of thoughts. Even when I had worries, I couldn't talk to anyone. But now, perhaps because I have to handle everything alone, I have become more adaptable and have opened my heart. I think my personality has become brighter than before. I believe this kind of personality is necessary at this time. I felt that meeting people is important during this blank period. Rather than being confined to the frame of 'idol singer Bea Jin-young,' I realized that various experiences as 'human Bea Jin-young' are important.'