Hoya Talks About Giving Up Celebrity Life, And Possibly Quitting Entertainment
Many idols struggle to establish a successful solo career after they depart from a popular K-Pop group. In a recent interview, former INFINITE member Hoya shared his feelings about going solo after he departed from the team and the struggles he had to deal with.
When Hoya decided to leave Woollim Entertainment and INFINITE last year, the pressure of establishing his own solo career was so high that he also thought about retiring from the industry.
“I started this life simply because I like singing and dancing, but because I lived as a celebrity, I spent a lot of time doing business rather than singing and dancing. In order for me to perform one song, a lot of deals had to be made.
It felt backwards to me. Also, I felt like I was constantly walking on eggshells, wondering what kind of music the public liked. Because those feelings of fatigue piled up, I even thought about leaving the industry altogether.”
— Hoya
In the end, Hoya decided to continue his journey as an artist, thanks to never-ending support from his fans. Hoya changed his stage name to Lee Ho Won and signed with Glorious Entertainment. He revealed why he chose to sign with Glorious Entertainment instead of a more well-known agency.
“After I decided not to renew my contract last June, I received calls from many agencies. There was even an agency mainly focusing on singers. Initially, I gravitated towards it because I was thinking of continuing my activities as a singer.
However, if I go to an agency for singers, there will be an A&R Team, producers, and composers, and since the agency needs to make money, my voice as an artist will not be important to them. If I yield to all of that, I thought I wouldn’t be able to do the music I truly wanted to do.
Glorious Entertainment is focused on actors only, and the president gave me the freedom to do whatever I like to do with my music as long as they could manage my acting schedule. That is the main reason I chose this label. ”
— Hoya
Recently, INFINITE made a come back with six members for the first time since Hoya departed the team when he decided not to renew his contract with Woollim Entertainment.
Woohyun Confesses Hoya Has Been Ignoring Him Since Leaving INFINITE
Hoya’s fans will be able to hear new music from him sometime in the future as well.
“I am actually producing my own music, at my own pace. It’s very slow, a more difficult process for sure, but I am having fun with it.”
— Hoya
Fans are wishing him the best luck with his solo career and we can’t wait to see what Hoya does next!
