“I Don’t Want To Live A Life That’s Separate From My Music”: Stray Kids’ Seungmin on Growth, Singing and Stability

From his last journal entry to the songs he’s written, everything about Seungmin is intentional.

By Son Anna and Aaron Kok - published 18 Jun 2025

There’s a discipline to Seungmin that often goes unnoticed in an industry obsessed with spectacle. As the vocalist of Stray Kids, he’s no stranger to stadium roars and streaming milestones. Yet, peel back the layers of his performances and you’ll find an artist who’s constantly chiselling away at his craft—not to impress, but to express.

In many ways, Seungmin—the newly minted ambassador for Burberry—stands out precisely because he resists the usual idol playbook. He’s not chasing trends or reinventing himself every comeback. Instead, he’s focused on sharpening his voice, deepening his expression, and building a steady career. It’s a kind of ambition that is built on staying power—and in today’s hyper-accelerated industry, that alone makes him different.

Now, with a few years under his belt and an ever-growing fanbase watching closely, he’s entering a new chapter. What does it mean to sing from experience? To live with intention? Ahead, Seungmin gets real with us about the evolution of his voice, the philosophies that guide him, and why staying grounded might just be his greatest strength.

How was the shoot today? The weather wasn’t great.

Seungmin (SM): I was worried because it rained a lot when I started, but today’s photoshoot felt like fate! The weather cleared up amazingly during the day. I loved the location that we shot at. Lately, the wallpaper on my phone is exactly this kind of scenic photo. [shows us his phone] It’s an image of cows grazing at the foot of the Alps mountains. I was thinking I’d like to lie still in this open space all day long, watching the animals, and have a can of beer. And today, that very same scenery that I love has unfolded before me in full panoramic view—it was amazing. On top of that, getting to do this with Burberry made it even better. I love wearing Burberry’s outdoor range of clothing, especially the trench coat. Actually, the first luxury item I bought after debuting was a Burberry cardholder.

You are the main vocalist of Stray Kids. Looking at your work so far, there is a sincerity that comes through from your songs. I heard that you have been taking vocal lessons since your debut. What are you practising these days?

SM: Should I say that I paid for classes when I first learnt to sing? If I had a sheet of lyrics in front of me, I would even mark the breathing points, plan out how to sing each section and what emotions to express in that section. That’s how I was taught and how I practised. These days, instead of keeping records like that, I try to interpret the song in my own way, based on what I have experienced in life. I think I feel happier when I hear compliments telling me that ‘there’s something different about you’ rather than just, ‘you sing well’.

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What is your vocal style?

SM: It might sound abstract, but these days, what I’m aiming for is this: I want to feel like I am skipping a small stone—which is the song—across the lake of emotions. I want those ripples to continue all the way until the song ends. I hope those gentle ripples are conveyed just as they are to the audience. For this reason, I am trying to be freer in expressing my emotions than I have done before. If I am sad, I cry. If I am angry, I show that anger. I used to be the type to hold everything in. Seeing that there are fans who have noticed it, I think these changes in me are gradually starting to come through in my singing.

How much do talent and effort each contribute to becoming a good singer?

SM: I believe it is 10 percent talent, and 90 percent effort. The more time passes, the more I realise how much a singer’s attitude is connected to their singing. When I sing without thinking, I realise that the listener doesn’t feel anything either.

Is that who you are as a singer now: 10 percent talent, and 90 percent effort?

SM: I’d add a bit more. [laughs] It’s almost like five percent talent and 95 percent effort. I can tell right away if I’ve skipped practice for a day. When I first joined the band, I wasn’t even the main vocalist. Even as a young boy, I don’t have memories of myself singing in front of people. Most famous singers have stories of being exceptionally good at singing from a young age, going to auditions, or standing out in school talent shows. But for me, I just loved listening to music and I worked hard because I loved it. That’s how I got here. While listening to Muse, I had a dream of singing in a band, and it was through listening to singer-songwriter Kim Dong Ryul that I learned what it really means for a song to touch your heart. The great thing about practising is that there’s a sense of pride when you face a wall and overcome it. You can’t always get good results every time in live performances, but through practice, you can improve your odds at nailing a performance.

Muse and Kim Dong Ryul, how analog!

SM: I am actually pretty slow. I don’t have TikTok on my phone and I don’t really watch YouTube Shorts either. I prefer old things to new ones. I think the world is moving too fast. We live in an era where you can create something easily without putting your heart into it. Even translation can be done in an instant by AI. It’s efficient, of course, but I think I’m looking for authenticity. Because of this, I often get told that I’m like an old soul. Well, what can I do? It’s just my preference.

That’s why you keep a diary, right?

SM: It’s become a habit. These days, I write down my emotions in my diary. Even if the content is trivial, when I read it later, the memories from that time come rushing back vividly, and it’s really helpful. I could use my phone’s Notes app, but I insist on using paper and a pen. Writing in a diary is an opportunity for me to reflect and look into my heart, even if it’s just five minutes every night, or even if I write in my diary that ‘I don’t want to write, I just want to sleep’.

Can we hear one line from yesterday’s diary entry?

SM: It goes like this: ‘Tomorrow is a very important day, and I am so sleepy now, but I am holding a pen and writing’. I really just write whatever comes to mind, right? [laughs]

I believe that what music someone listens to these days can say a lot about that person. So, I am curious about what’s on your playlist of late?

SM: When I get hooked on a song, I listen to it non-stop until I get tired of it, or rather, until the emotion fades. So my playlist is always short and concise. These days, I have been listening to Ariana Grande’s “Twilight Zone” for over a week. I am not really an imaginative person. My MBTI is S (Sensing), not N (Intuition). But even so, this song is one that sparks my imagination, and it’s amazing to me.

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You’re the type to seek stability, right? The other members of Stray Kids have said that once you get hooked on something, you stick with it until the end.

SM: I’m not good at handling anxiety. Stability is the best! Whether it’s baseball or singing, I don’t get tired of it, and I just keep going. It’s the same with human relationships. Once I connect with someone, I want to keep that relationship until the end. My closest friends now are still the ones I’ve known since elementary, middle and high school. Without loyalty, I’m nothing.

Everyone owns a T-shirt from a band that they’ve loved since they were teenagers. In other words, it seems that people live their entire lives with music that they’ve enjoyed listening to in their teens and twenties. Looking back later, what song do you think will become your theme song?

SM: I think it’s “As We Are” that I wrote. I think it is a song that expresses my twenties the best. I could choose another song, but this song means a lot to me. To be honest, I found it hard to write the lyrics. It was so difficult to bring out parts of myself that I wanted to be recognised for, yet didn’t want to admit. That’s how much it represents me. Even the music video is somewhat based on my own life.

The lyrics of the introduction of this song, “I tried to do my best / I ran, only looking straight ahead / But I tripped and fell and ended up falling behind / Why does this only happen to me” seems to hint that you want to be seen, even if you don’t want to admit it.

SM: Everyone has those feelings, right? Words that are hard to say out loud, emotions kept inside, stories known only to yourself. I put my thoughts and feelings honestly into the lyrics. I might have thought it was my own way of growing up, but I gathered my courage. I wanted to tell everyone, ‘I’ve thought of the same things that you have, and you’re thinking the same way as I did’. Maybe that might offer some comfort to someone.

Do you think music is a part of everyday life and that everyday life is music in itself? Or do you believe there is real life outside the stage? Based on today’s conversation, it seems like you’re leaning towards the first category.

SM: I want to express the feelings that I have towards music off the stage with sincerity on stage. Even if it is not about music, I believe that living a life that I love also amplifies my feelings toward music in a richer way. I don’t want to live a life that’s separate from my music. The singer Seungmin is, after all, the person Seungmin.

Photographer: Kim Heejune
Stylist: Jeong Yoon Ki, Song Hyunsoo
Interview: Anna Son
Editor: Yoon Hye Young
Makeup: Ahn Seong Hee
Hair: Lee Il Joong
Set Design: Kwon Do Hyung
Assistant: Jang Hye Rin
Design: Han Sang Young