Full interview with J.Y. Park

First of all, welcome to Brazil

So excited to be here, I mean it. I wanted to come here so bad. It’s my first time in Brazil. My first time in Latin America, South America.

Why do you think K-Pop is so popular around the world?

Togetherness. That’s what it is. K-Pop artists and K-Pop fans are so close. They sing together, dance together, they share stories together. It’s never happened in music history. In no time of music history artists and fans were this close. They communicate. When K-pop artists win an award they go back to their hotel room and do a live chat with their fans. Did you ever see an artist do that instead of going to the after party? It’s that togetherness.

And do you think there’s any specific reason to why K-Pop so popular in Latin America and Brazil? Is the market different somehow?

That communication between artists and fans is the main reason for the success of K-Pop globally, but regarding Latin America, like Brazil, we have the same type of emotion. We use the same core progressions, we use the same melody progressions. I don’t know why. We’re at the exact opposite side of Earth, but it’s so similar, Latin music and Korean music. I mean, it’s more similar than American music because the core progressions are really different, but Latin music and K-pop music… The core progression is almost identical, the chords that we like to use. That ends up making the melodies similar. It’s all about emotional expressions, that’s what it is. I mean, the rhythm is kind of different, between Latin music and Korean music, but the melody and the chords are similar.

As someone who’s been working with artists and preparing idols for a very long time, what are some values that you consider to be important when nurturing artists to become idols?

If you become a successful artist you have so much influence. And influence, if it goes to a wrong person, it hurts the world. I have to make sure, as the owner of this company, that when they become successful and have influence on the society, it should be a positive one. Which means they have to become good people. They have to become good citizens before becoming a successful pop star. So that’s a responsibility that I have in my heart.

What are some characteristics that you look for in someone who wants to become an idol, that you can look at and say ‘I know this person is gonna be a big thing one day’?

I want them to have longevity, so discipline is critical. If you want to have a crazy performance, you can’t have a crazy lifestyle. You have to have a very disciplined lifestyle in order to do a crazy performance until you’re 40, 50 years old. So discipline, and second, a genuine heart, genuine empathy and care for other people. Selfishness would be the exact opposite of what I’m talking about. So yeah, I think those two will be critical to become a good role model for the next generations.

And do you think there’s such a thing as a perfect artist? That an artist could ever be perfect in anyway?

No. I think trying to be perfect, that is enough. Not only in singing and dancing, but in everything in our life. You can only try to be, strive to be the best version of what you can be. I think that’s what matters: just being better tomorrow than today in everything we do, that’s all we can do. So that’s all I ask for from my artists, just that attitude of trying to be the best version of themselves.

You’ve been in the game for a very long time and you are a big name in K-pop as a producer and as the owner of JYP, but I want to know from you what do you think is the most memorable moment of your career so far? Is there just one?

I think it’ll be tomorrow. Because I’m at the exact opposite side of the hemisphere. It’s crazy and I’m meeting my Brazilian fans, which is literally the most distant place from where I live, right? And to meet them for the first time and dance together… I think it’ll be special.

And what would you say is the biggest difference between the artist Park Jin Young and the businessman J. Y. Park?

It’s using the right side of my brain and the left side of my brain. Honestly, I use both in both fields. But regarding my artistry, I try to be more genuine to my emotions. And regarding business, I try to be reasonable as much as I can.

What do you try to do or avoid doing in order to stay humble and keep your feet on the ground?

Wow… The most important thing is that I think I pray a lot. Asking God to keep me humble. And if I go astray, to spank me or chastise me if He needs to. But I think it’s also my parents, watching how they’ve lived their life my whole life. My dad was a salaryman for a company. Every day he would go out in the morning with the briefcase… You know, our parents’ generation were so disciplined. So my discipline comes from my mom and dad and I thank God that I had those parents to learn from and watch.

But at the same time I always know I can lose everything so fast. It’s entertainment at the end of the day, right? What if my next three songs don’t become a hit? What if my next three artists don’t become a hit? Then it’s done. It’s done. It’s entertainment. I can’t afford to feel myself and get puffed up, I can't afford that. I’m so thankful every day that I’m doing what I want to do and it became a two billion dollar company. Are you kidding me? I’d still be doing this if I got paid $1,000 a month, I’d still be doing it in a Brazilian Cafe. I’d do the same thing, I swear. So thinking about those things and reading the bible really helps.

JYP artists have always been very involved in songwriting and being a part of their creative process. Why is it important to you to make sure your artists are a part of what they’re creating and putting out?

First it’s because I’ve been doing it for 30 years. I write and compose and arrange most of my music, so I think that’s what makes them think that they should do that. But at the same time it makes it more personal. When a fan listens to the music knowing he or she wrote it, that makes it more personal, that bond becomes stronger. I think that’s why it’s meaningful.

We’ve had some recent talks about mental health in K-Pop, we’ve seen some artists taking time and stepping back, taking care of themselves. And this is not something that was as usual maybe five years ago, even. How do you see this new movement? And do you believe this stigma over mental health is changing and that K-Pop artists can also have an influence in this?

I think the problem was raised more because K-pop became more and more successful. Their crazy schedule is getting crazier every year, so it just gets your body and mind drained, it just soaks too much out of you. It never reached this level before because K-Pop was never this successful. They have to travel around the world… So now we’re learning the best effective ways to help them, to support them, and now I think we’re slowly adjusting to it and getting better in surrounding them with a better environment, both physically and mentally.

But at the same time, I personally tell them that it’s a marathon. “Don’t be too stressed about how successful you are right now. Look at me. I’m 50. I’m still on stage performing. Isn’t that what you want? I wasn’t always number one among my peers, but I’m the last one standing. So, isn’t that what you want?” So I try to let them think long term. “Guys, look at me. Look at me. This is what matters, doing it for a long time, not how high you go, but how long you go.” I try to keep telling them so. To get less stressed about the success right now and just keep on developing themselves. Take care of your body and mind so you can do it until you’re 50. That’s what’s important.

Do you think that when they speak about it to the public, when they’re open about this, that it can also help their fans and help with the talk about mental health in general?

Just talking about it helps. I mean, have you seen the movie Goodwill Hunting? I think artists talking about it will encourage other kids and other people to talk about it too, and that’s a great start.

I also want to talk about a little bit now about Brazil. You obviously know that many JYP artists are very popular in Brazil. I’d say especially TWICE, Stray Kids and ITZY. We did have a cover with ITZY a couple of months ago and it was crazy! So fans are wondering if there are any chances they would come to Brazil soon, if there are any plans. What are the talks on this?

Definitely! The reason why I’m here is to make you understand how much we truly care about you guys. We always knew and even now we know how much love and support you are sending us so yes, we will come back here more and more. And on top of that, you know, in Japan I made a Japanese version of a K-pop group and in America I’m doing this project called A2K, finding American talents and developing them into a group using the K-pop system. And my next goal is doing it here Brazil and Latin America, trying to find talents here and make you guys a K-Pop group of your own. That’s my next goal.

What do you know of Brazilian culture? What is your relation with our music?

In my sophomore year in college, the girl I was dating back then played me a song. It was by Stan Getz, Girl from Ipanema. And I said “whoa, what is this? I I love it”. I just love how it makes me feel and how at the same time it makes me move. And later, I found out the two musicians behind it, Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes. Then I heard the João Gilberto version of Girl from Ipanema, which was better than the Stan Getz version. And then later I heard that Nara Leão version, which was even better. And since then I fell in love with bossa nova music. And I’m so glad that I finally made a song using Bossa Nova inspirations, which was Alcohol-Free by TWICE. And if you listen to the Nara Leão song Chega de Saudade and listen to Alcohol-Free you kind of go ‘oh, okay, it’s there’. I even had Momo do a separate version of the choreography using latin dance and I love it.

Lately I love Anitta. I think she’s the Beyoncé of Latin music. She can sing, she can dance and her looks ain’t bad also. So I would love to do a song or project with her or maybe have her join me when I’m making the latin version of the K-Pop group. She’s amazing. Anitta, if you’re watching, you’re freaking amazing.

You’re here to shoot a music video for Groove Back. Why Brazil when we have so many options in the world?

You guys can dance! Come on, the way you guys move? You guys are crazy! And the name of the song is Groove Back. Brazil, Groove? Come on! The samba, the festivals… You guys know how to dance so I can’t wait to see how my fans will dance to this music tomorrow. It’s a lot of body movement, the choreography, so I think I’ll lose my mind watching my Brazilian fans dance to this. Brazil has to be there if you’re talking about Groove. I had to come here. It’s in your blood.

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Originally published in Portuguese: https://revistaquem.globo.com/entretenimento/k-pop/noticia/2022/11/jy-park-comenta-passagem-pelo-brasil-e-cita-licoes-a-seus-artistas-bons-cidadaos-antes-de-serem-grandes-estrelas.ghtml