In your early twenties, life seems to slow for a moment; suspended between the comfort of who you were and the uncertainty of who you’re meant to be. For SYA, that period wasn’t peaceful; it was heavy, doubtful, and at times painfully isolating.

And it became an album.

Known to many as a member of K-pop group BLITZERS, SYA has long been part of a group voice. Onstage, BLITZERS thrive on power, but away from the noise of group schedules and bright lights, SYA found himself wanting to tell a different story, a story that is fully his.

His first full-length solo album, 23:24, is a new chapter musically. After listening to it, it feels like a diary cracked open. “I’m so happy and excited to be able to come back with a full-length album,” he says simply, his happiness sounding just as relieved as it is excited.

While this isn’t his first solo release, 23:24 is his most personal project so far; eight tracks written and composed by SYA himself. Unlike BLITZERS’ adrenaline-filled sound, this record is more subtle, yet emotionally powerful. The concept is deceptively specific: the boundary between ages 23 and 24. But for SYA, that year felt too heavy with emotion to simply pass by. “Because of both the company’s situation and my own personal circumstances, a series of unfavourable situations kept overlapping,” he confesses. “I remember feeling emotionally very unstable and depressed.”

It’s not the kind of confession idols are often encouraged to make; however, that honesty is exactly what gives 23:24 its heartbeat.

[Writing this album] was actually much easier and more comfortable than composing and producing K-pop. I think that’s because it’s an album that contains my own story.

Where BLITZERS’ music is designed to energise crowds, SYA’s 23:24 offers songs you sit with rather than loudly sing along to. Surprisingly, stepping outside the K-pop framework didn’t feel risky at all, because SYA knew exactly what to do with this release. “It was actually much easier and more comfortable than composing and producing K-pop,” he says. “I think that’s because it’s an album that contains my own story.”

Something is telling in that word: comfortable. For an artist who’s spent years fitting into a group dynamic, finally creating without compromise sounds almost like exhaling. Still, his process hasn’t changed. Whether working on one track or a full album, SYA begins the same way: with purpose. “I always start by choosing the theme I want to talk about before making a song,” he explains. “I don’t think this process will change in the future either.”

Some songs, like LANDFILL, DONE, and BURN, deal with darker feelings, while others focus on healing. Together, they draw on a before-and-after portrait of someone learning how to survive their own thoughts. “Since the album tells the story of my life at 23 and 24, and because my way of thinking changed and developed a lot during that time, I felt that aspect was especially important,” he says. “I wanted to show both sides.”

The rise and fall of emotions is most noticeable on the title track, STAY. Vocally, it’s one of SYA’s strongest performances to date: clean and controlled. However, that strength didn’t happen overnight; it surely came from years of studying the music he loves most. “I’ve liked rock, hip hop songs for a long time,” he says. “So I listened to that genre a lot and developed my vocals to be as close to that style as possible.”

You can hear it, that rougher edge, that emotional rasp, giving his voice a lived-in quality that makes each line feel special. Interestingly, his approach to emotion itself doesn’t change whether he’s solo or with BLITZERS. “I don’t change the way I express emotions,” he says. “I adjust my emotional delivery to fit each song.”

Since these weren’t stories I could easily bring myself to talk about, I had a lot of fears. But they were stories I truly wanted to share with the world, so I felt I had to do it.

It’s a subtle distinction, but it speaks to his maturity. The album’s only guest, fellow BLITZERS member WOOJU, appears on the superb 235803, turning the collaboration into something even more personal, a show of support from someone who knows the journey firsthand. “I thought the song would benefit from having vocals, so I chose WOOJU,” SYA explains. “Rather than wanting to display a specific chemistry, I approached it with the idea of simply completing the song as a whole.”

Even here, the focus is on serving the music, and that exact mindset describes 23:24; it simply tells the truth. However, that truth can be terrifying. “Since these weren’t stories I could easily bring myself to talk about, I had a lot of fears,” he admits. “But they were stories I truly wanted to share with the world, so I felt I had to do it.”

I feel like there’s real courage in that vulnerability, especially in an industry where image comes first, and feelings are often pushed aside. With this album, SYA steps outside of BLITZERS’ identity, and in doing so, expands it.

When asked what he hopes listeners take away from 23:24, his answer is humble: “I’d be grateful if people could think, ‘There’s an artist who wants to convey this kind of music and this kind of message.’” Not an idol, not a concept, but just an artist.

Somewhere between 23 and 24, SYA grew braver. And in doing so, he gave BLITZERS fans, and anyone willing to listen, the most honest version of himself yet.

Written and interviewed by Maggie Gogler

Featured image courtesy WUZO Entertainment

_{View of the Arts is an online publication dedicated to film, music, and the arts, with a strong focus on the Asian entertainment industry. As we continue to grow, we aim to deepen our coverage of Asian music while remaining committed to exploring and celebrating creativity across the global arts landscape.}