Sungkyu of K-pop boy group INFINITE (Courtesy of DoubleH TNE) 

For Sungkyu, the leader of K-pop boy group INFINITE, 2023 is a milestone marking a turning point in his career.  

The 34-year-old put out his fifth mini-album, “2023 S/S Collection,” on June 28 shortly after staging a series of solo concerts abroad. It has taken more than a year for him to come up with a new album, following the release of his fourth EP, “SAVIOR,” in 2022.  

Unlike his previous releases that mostly had a somber and serious vibe, his new mini-album is packed with bright and breezy tunes. It is fronted by “Small Talk,” a feel-good song dedicated to those who are eager to escape isolation and find someone whom they can share their hearts with. During a recent press event, Sungkyu – whose career spans more than a decade – said he wanted to take a stab at new things this time and exhibit his unexplored sides.   

“I think ‘2023 S/S Collection’ best defines my musical identity as it captures my most recent thoughts and voice,” Sungkyu told the KOCIS. “Taking on a new challenge is both thrilling and terrifying, but as I geared up for my mini-album, I realized that it is entertaining as well. Although I am not 100 percent satisfied with its quality, I think I need to love it first so that other people can love it too.”  

The K-pop star recently made headlines for showing his vocal skills on the YouTube series, “Killing Voice.” The 19-minute clip, which was unveiled in June, features Sungkyu singing his numerous hits such as, “60 Seconds” (2012) “Kontrol” (2018) and “Savior” (2022). The video generated a buzz online, clocking up more than 500,000 views as of July 24. A legion of people lauded his musical prowess and likened his voice to a treasure.  

“It seems they were very generous with their compliments,” Sungkyu humbly said. “I still have a lot of room for improvement, so I am working hard to further polish my skills. Since many people recognize me by my sharp singing voice, I am trying to utilize it as my competitive edge.” 

Sungkyu of K-pop boy group INFINITE (Courtesy of DoubleH TNE) 

Sungkyu just rolled out his solo release, but he still has a lot of things on his plate. His group INFINITE will make a comeback after several years of hiatus and hold concerts at home and abroad. He and his bandmates – Dongwoo, Woohyun, Sungyeol, L and Sungjong – even established a new record label named INFINITE Company to prepare for their upcoming musical activities. Sungkyu is the CEO of this company.  

“I still feel a bit awkward to take the role of CEO,” he said. “However, INFINITE Company is not my own company. It is a label dedicated to all our members and I hope they feel at home here. It will be great if they can chill out here after working hard.”  

INFINITE – which arrived on the music scene in 2010 and rose to stardom with its 2011 smash-hit “Be Mine” – plans to unleash their new album “13egin” on July 31 in celebration of the 13th anniversary of its debut. It has taken five years for the sextet to reunite since the release of “Top Seed” in 2018, as the members had to fulfil their compulsory military service. INFINITE is also poised to hold concerts in Seoul on August 19-20, prior to performing in Yokohama, Taipei and Macau.  

Sungkyu added that all of the members contributed a lot to the thinking that brought their much-awaited album to life.  

“It wasn’t so easy to cover all the details, but we tried hard to do it,” he noted. “And I want to thank our fans for waiting for us. I can’t wait to see them again.”  

Reminiscing on his career, Sungkyu revealed that there were moments when he was stuck in an anxiety loop. The singer, however, gradually learned that worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles.  

“Now, I know that worrying does not change anything,” he said. “So I am trying to maintain my composure these days.”