After almost a year and a half, soloist and TEEN TOP member NIEL made a comeback with his 4th mini-album, ‘SHE’, on April 22. The album, which is a soulful dive into the emotional intricacies of love and heartbreak, is not just another comeback, but a bold new chapter, as it’s his first release under EL&D Entertainment, the agency he founded himself.
In an exclusive chat with Namaste Hallyu, NIEL opens up about the creative journey behind ‘SHE’, experimenting with fresh sounds, and what surprised him about his previous visit to India.
While ‘SHE’ may sound deeply personal with its raw and complex emotions around love, NIEL reveals that the emotional direction of the album began with the music itself. “Rather than there being a specific moment, I think the story for this album started to come together when my producer, DOKO, played the songs for me,” he explains.
Love and breakups can change greatly depending on the person or the situation. I wanted to capture those different expressions in various ways. This album, too, contains a wide range of emotions reflecting those diverse experiences.
From start to finish, ‘SHE’ unfolds like a map of emotions—the emptiness right after a breakup, moments of heartbreak, attempts at letting go, and even moments of joy in reminiscing. “In the intro, you can feel the emptiness and desolation right after a breakup. When you’re sitting alone in an empty house, even the smallest background noises sound louder. I tried to express that loneliness,” NIEL says. He goes on to add, “Sometimes, you’re hurt from the breakup, and sometimes you feel sadness. Sometimes you try to let everything go and give up, and sometimes you try to forget the pain by having fun. You even reminisce, thinking, ‘Those memories were so beautiful.’ I wanted to capture those moments—all those realistic, different emotional reactions throughout this album.”
Capturing these emotions sonically required NIEL to step outside his comfort zone—something he embraced through genre experimentation. ‘SHE’ marks a sonic shift for NIEL, as he explores genres like neo-soul and groove pop. But trying something new wasn’t without its challenges. “Actually, I think the recording process was the hardest part for me,” he admits. “Because it was a style I was trying for the first time, and DOKO also had a specific vibe he wanted for the song, it was really quite difficult to sing just based on feeling. That whole process was new for me, and I think it became a great experience that will help me grow even more,” NIEL concludes.
With ‘SHE’, NIEL is no longer just the artist—he’s also the boss. Launching his own agency, EL&D Entertainment, gave him full creative freedom, and with that, a whole new set of responsibilities. “I was really happy that I was able to try everything I wanted to do,” he shares.
At the same time, it was a bit overwhelming because I had to take full responsibility for it all. Even though both feelings coexisted, thanks to the amazing support from our N-LISS fans, I feel like it was truly worth the challenge.
Beyond music, NIEL gave us a peek into his everyday self. On a no-schedule day, he says, “I would wake up when I want, eat when I’m hungry, play when I feel like it, sleep again if I’m tired, and then eat again when I get hungry. That kind of carefree flow sounds like the perfect day to me.”
As for guilty pleasures, NIEL claims he doesn’t “really have any secret habits or guilty pleasures.” However, he’s open to learning from fans about any habits he hasn’t noticed, playfully adding, “If anybody happens to notice something and think, ‘Hey, you actually do have that habit!’ please let me know!”
NIEL goes on to open up about an unusual food combination he loves, which chai (tea) represents him best, and where he’d go if he had a time machine. He also fondly remembers his last visit to India with the TEEN TOP members, a standout memory, and a surprising thought that crossed his mind during the visit.
When we visited India, both the members and I honestly thought, ‘Wait, there are people here who actually like us?’ That was really fascinating. And seeing that so many people in India loved TEEN TOP, and even loved me as well, made me feel truly happy.
With ‘SHE’, NIEL isn’t just evolving as an artist; he’s showing us all the layers of who he is. Honest, heartfelt, and refreshingly grounded, this chapter might just be his most personal one yet.
Check out the entire episode of ‘Chai Time with NIEL’ here:
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I recently got to know about him and loved his works. This interview is definitely like a close shot into his ideas and work. So proud and happy for his work in the album SHE.