SHAUN Discusses His Continued Journey in Omnibus, Pt.2: Inside Out and Teases His U.S. Tour

With the recent release of his Omnibus, Pt. 2: Inside Out mini-album and a U.S. tour on the horizon, it's a very exciting time to be a SHAUN fan.

The South Korean singer-songwriter's new mini-album dropped last month, following up July's Omnibus, Pt. 1: Kaleidoscope. Over the course of the two mini-albums, he plays with perspectives and shifts his point of view, first peering out at the world through a kaleidoscope, before turning it on himself and viewing himself through its lens. The three new tracks span pop, alt-rock and K-pop, showcasing SHAUN's versatility as a performer and songwriter while demonstrating the focus of his unique vision as he sings about facing the challenges of new adulthood with strength and a sense of individuality. We're anticipating even bigger things from SHAUN in 2023, and we had the pleasure of getting to speak with him about the mini-album—and his exciting upcoming tour in the United States.

Sweety High: What does the mini-album subtitle Inside Out mean to you? How does the new mini-album build off the story you set up in Kaleidoscope?

SHAUN: Omnibus, Pt.2 Inside Out contains diverse stories related to me looking into a kaleidoscope. You could think of Project Omnibus as two different views that come from me looking into a kaleidoscope.

 

SH:  Why did the title track "Shooting Star" feel like the best representation of the mini-album as a whole?

SHAUN: In fact, there are more cases where B-side songs were loved more than the title track, so I chose a song that I thought would be better for my team to work on with. I think the actual title song should be "Swan Song," the song that best captures me now. The reason why I chose "Shooting Star" was because I thought it was the track aligned best with the sensibilities of the previous release, even though the three songs on this mini-album share similar stories.

 

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SH: What do you feel are the overarching themes of the mini-album? What kind of journey do you hope to take listeners on with it?

SHAUN: The main keywords of Project Omnibus are "the world" and "me." Since it has various musical colors, I thought the storyline in each song was more important than the musical context. In Pt.1, I sang about the world I see through the kaleidoscope, and in Pt.2, I captured my life that I live inside the world. I hope you can feel closer to me through these six stories.

 

SH: What was the inspiration behind "Monsters"?" What does the song mean to you?

SHAUN: Like the darkness on the other side of the moon, I thought of the emotions that are hidden behind the bright and colorful sides. Often, I meet a kind and outgoing person who seems happy all the time, but whenever I see such a person, I think about the dark feelings that person will feel when he is alone. "Monsters" has intentions to be with you when you are surrounded by such dark emotions.

 

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SH: What was the inspiration behind "Shooting Star"?" What does the song mean to you?

SHAUN: At first, it was a song with a new wave sound like A-ha or Duran Duran, but I thought it would be nice to put elements that make it sound livelier, so I changed the rhythm and arrangement a little to complete it.

 

SH: What was the inspiration behind "Swan Song"?" What does the song mean to you?

SHAUN: "Swan Song" tells the story of a protagonist who suffers from the gap between the ideal and reality and eventually chooses to die. The main character's internal conflict begins when he sees himself very differently from the adult he dreamed of as a child. After that, the main character, who constantly compares himself to someone around him and spends more and more painful days, jumps into the black river where the splendid city lights are reflected.

"Swan Song" is a letter to my peers. I thought about it sometimes when I was young—about what kind of adult I will become in the future. A lot of time has passed and I've become an adult, but I think I've become a lot different (for the better or worse, either way) from the adult I imagined as a child. It's been so long since my parents gave birth to me, but I don't think I've yet become a wonderful adult like them.

 

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SH: How do you think you've grown, musically and personally, since Omnibus, Pt.1: Kaleidoscope?

SHAUN: Even though it's a two-part series, I'm happy and proud of myself for having completed a series for the first time. I was always ashamed of not having been able to continue making a color-coded series since #0055b7. More than anything, I think it was because I felt that I couldn't keep my promise to the fans who had been waiting for me. That's why releasing Inside Out this time was very exciting.

 

SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

SHAUN: We are preparing for a U.S. tour in the first half of this year. I used to say that I wanted to see you as soon as possible to share my music, but I couldn't. This year, I plan to actually push myself to run around many places. So I hope you will come and light up the place and have a meaningful time singing with me. See you soon! Thank you!

 

Obsessed with K-pop? Click HERE to read our interview with MONSTA X on their new Reason mini-album.