When A.C.E debuted with CACTUS in 2017, WOW began a journey that would see him spend the next several years performing, making music and growing alongside the other four members. Since then, the group have moved through different sounds and concepts, never really staying in one place for too long, while WOW has built much of his career as part of the group. Now, with his first solo single LOW, he can show what happens when the music is entirely his own.

Going solo, however, puts WOW in a very different position, because this time there are no other members beside him and the choices about what the music should sound like, what he wants to say and which side of himself he wants people to hear are much more personal. His answer to that freedom is LOW, his first solo single, released on September 21, which takes him towards Afrobeats, a genre he had wanted to explore for some time and one that gives the song a sound quite different from what listeners might immediately associate with his work in A.C.E.

That difference matters because LOW is not simply a song that was handed to him for a solo debut. WOW is credited as a lyricist, composer and arranger alongside Strawberrybananaclub, making the single a much more personal introduction to the artist he wants to become. As he tells us during our conversation, LOW started with his love for music and, quite simply, how much he wanted to be on stage again, which followed him through the writing process and eventually became part of the song itself. He began thinking about reason and about the moments when instinct takes over despite everything your head might be telling you, which is also where the snake in the visuals came from, representing that very basic desire that pushed him towards music in the first place.

After so many years with A.C.E, WOW seems ready to try things without worrying too much about whether they sound like something people already associate with him. Fans have known him for years through the group and have also seen a much more casual side of him during his TikTok LIVE broadcasts, but LOW gives him another way to express himself, especially through music that comes directly from what he is feeling and interested in at this point in his life. There is a freedom in that, especially when he talks about wanting to explore different genres in the future rather than deciding now what a WOW solo release is supposed to sound like.

Following the release of LOW, View of the Arts spoke with WOW about finally stepping out on his own, why Afrobeats was the sound he wanted to begin with and what the snake appearing throughout the visual concept actually means. We also talked about working with Strawberrybananaclub, his recent collaboration with fellow A.C.E member JUNHEE, how different it felt to take responsibility for his own song from beginning to end, and what he would like people to discover about WOW now that he can show a side of himself that perhaps did not always have as much room to come through before.

View of the Arts: “LOW” is your first solo single, and what a wonderful song to begin this new chapter of your career with! To start, I’d love to know what made “LOW” the right song to introduce yourself as a solo artist?

WOW: I’ve been deeply drawn to Afrobeats for a long time, and if I ever had the chance to start my solo career and fully show my own colour as an artist, it was the genre I wanted to try first and, more than anything, one that I really wanted to explore. I felt that the mood and energy of “LOW” were the perfect fit for introducing this new beginning.

VOA: There’s a snake featured in the visual concept for “LOW”. What does the snake represent to you, and is it connected to the meaning or story behind the song, or was it simply “just” a snake you wanted to include in the music video and on the cover of the single?

WOW: In the concept for this song, the snake symbolises “instinct”, and the starting point for creating “LOW” was that pure feeling of instinctively craving music and wanting to be on stage. I wanted to visually express the genuine emotions and desires stirring deep within me, rather than approaching them through rational thought.

VOA: You’ve spent a lot of time doing TikTok LIVE. How has that period of having more freedom to create changed the kind of artist you want to be?

WOW: In the past, a big part of my creative process involved adapting myself to the situations and concepts that were given to me, but after spending more time freely expressing myself through things like TikTok LIVE, I started looking more deeply into questions such as, “What do I really want?” and “What am I really feeling right now?” Now, rather than following external standards, I want to become an artist who can honestly express my own stories and emotions through music.

VOA: You recently said you’re trying to expand the range of music you want to share with people. Were there any genres, sounds or artists that influenced the direction you took with “LOW”?

WOW: As I mentioned, I was heavily influenced by Afrobeats, and while there are so many amazing artists within the genre, the song that really made me fall in love with it was “Attention” by Omah Lay and Justin Bieber. Its unique rhythm and atmosphere left a deep impression on me and became a major source of inspiration for the sound of “LOW.”

VOA: You also featured on JUNHEE’s recent album, “LOVE METHOD”. Since you know each other so well and have spent years performing together as members of A.C.E., how was the experience of working on his album compared with creating a song that represents you personally?

WOW: When I featured on JUNHEE’s album, it felt like the table had already been beautifully set and all I had to do was bring my spoon, but with “LOW”, I had to personally handle every step, from choosing the ingredients to cooking the food and setting the table. That’s how much more time, energy and intense thought went into this project, and it truly is the result of my blood, sweat and tears.

VOA: You are credited as the lyricist, composer, arranger and producer of “LOW”, so this song is truly yours from a creative point of view. What was the first idea you had for the song?

WOW: The very first thing that came to mind wasn’t anything grand or elaborate, but rather this precious feeling I have of genuinely loving music and wanting to keep doing it. I took that pure desire as my starting point, and from there, the story of the song gradually took shape and branched out into two keywords: “reason” and “instinct.”

VOA: “LOW” has a very different feel from some of the music we have heard from you with A.C.E. Was there anything you specifically wanted to do differently with this song, either vocally, lyrically or in the production?

WOW: I’m usually the kind of person who gets caught up in my thoughts and tends to overthink things a lot when I’m working on something, but with “LOW”, I tried to hold on to the intuitive emotions and feelings I had when I first sketched out the song. Rather than making major changes along the way, I boldly pushed forward with that first feeling, and that in itself was the newest and most special thing I tried to do differently this time.

VOA: You also worked with Strawberrybananaclub, who are credited on the composition, lyrics and mixing. What was it like working together, and was there a part of the production where their contribution changed the direction of the song?

WOW: The collaboration process was really smooth and enjoyable, as Strawberrybananaclub really connected with and loved the overall story and framework for “LOW” that I had initially envisioned. That allowed our ideas to create a real synergy, and we were able to complete the song quickly without making any major changes in direction or getting stuck along the way.

VOA: Now that you have explored this sound with “LOW”, for your next release, would you like to continue in a similar direction, return to the classic K-pop sound you have worked with before, or go completely outside your comfort zone and experiment with a sound you have never tried before?

WOW: I don’t want to limit myself to any one particular genre moving forward, and as long as it’s a form of music that can best express my emotions, what I’m feeling and the stories I want to tell at that moment, I’m open to any genre. Whether it’s a style I’ve worked with before or a completely new sound, I want to try it without hesitation.

VOA: “LOW” is finally out. What do you hope people understand about WOW as an artist that they may not have seen from your work with A.C.E or your TikTok LIVE activities?

WOW: During my time with A.C.E and on TikTok LIVE, I mostly showed a bright and energetic side of myself, as well as a more approachable side through my interactions with people, but as a solo artist, WOW, I want to show more of my deeper emotions and a more serious side of myself. I hope people can discover something new about me and think, “Oh, WOW can pull off this kind of music too”, and I want to become an artist that both my HONEYs, who have supported me and waited for me for such a long time, and those hearing my music for the first time can look forward to hearing more from in the future.

Written and interviewed by Maggie Gogler

Featured image courtesy of WOW

_{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.}