WayV's XIAOJUN unveils musical film concept for debut mini album

WayV's XIAOJUN has revealed a detailed blueprint for his first mini album, 'Hey, Somebody,' which features a mirror cover design intended to make the listener the protagonist. The singer aims to create a "musical film" atmosphere through cinematic camera direction and interactive choreography with dancers.

WayV's XIAOJUN has revealed a detailed blueprint for his first mini album, 'Hey, Somebody,' personally designing everything from the visual elements to the direction of the performances.

"The listener is the protagonist": The meaning behind the mirror album cover

XIAOJUN proposed a new approach for this album's cover design, departing from traditional methods. He shared that since last year, he has been conceptualizing an idea to feature a "mirror" on the cover instead of using his own photo. This is because the person who faces the mirror when holding the album is themselves.

XIAOJUN explained that he wanted to convey the feeling that everyone viewing the album is a part of it and the protagonist. Connecting this to the title track "Somebody," he aimed to deliver the meaning that not only fans but everyone who encounters this album can be the main character.

Dreaming of a "musical film" through cinematic direction and interaction with dancers

XIAOJUN identified a "musical film" as the core keyword for this promotion. Moving beyond simple K-pop style performances, he expressed a desire to implement a feeling like a scene from a movie or musical through camera movement and direction. Specifically, for the teaser videos, he wanted short clips of around 10 seconds to feel like individual film scenes.

He also mentioned a specific plan to create videos containing short but impactful lines or acting, making fans want to use his B-side tracks as background music (BGM). He shared a vision of creating videos with heart-fluttering lines, such as "No, no, you don't have to text me every time I text you," or videos composed only of acting and text without dialogue, to create an impact when viewed at night so that fans would want to use his B-side tracks as BGM for their videos.

Regarding his coordination with dancers, he stated, "Beyond simply matching choreography, I want to create a stage with a lot of interaction with the dancers," expressing a hope for choreography that creates a joyful and stress-relieving atmosphere. For the performance structure, he revealed he is considering a musical climax where he and the dancers start with a clear distinction, gradually interact and act together, and eventually merge with the dancers. To achieve this, he has been working to realize this feeling through camera direction using a steadicam.

Tension and immersion on set: "Every nerve is excited"

Vivid details from the album meetings and music video filming sets were also shared. XIAOJUN showed a high level of immersion, stating, "Currently, every nerve in my body is excited" regarding his mindset toward filming. He showed his dedication to preparing for the work, even mentioning that he "could not sleep much yesterday" as he continued to contemplate the project even in his dreams to achieve a perfect result.

Despite variables on the filming set, he attempted to maintain focus based on his accumulated experience, noting, "There are many elements on set, but it is important to ignore them and calm one's mind." His serious attitude during the filming process, along with his communication with staff and dancers to increase the quality, supports the production background of this album.

Source: WayV (YouTube)