It’s safe to say that Woosung is about to have his best autumn yet.

Following the release of his latest single “Day That I Died”, his first in two years since his previous drops in 2022, and his debut studio album Genre from 2021, the Korean-American musician and composer (who made his name known worldwide as the vocalist and electric guitarist of the South Korean band The Rose) is back with a brand new album titled 4444, his second feature-length album.

Set to drop on October 4th, the eight-track body of work (which is set to feature collaborations with B.I and BOL4) is already destined to be on your weekend playlist, as the lead single has already garnered over 1.3 million streams since its release last month. But that’s not all for the budding supernova, as later this winter, Woosung is set to star in the animated supernatural-action Netflix series Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld, starring opposite Ali Wong, Lucy Liu, Bowen Yang, and more.

VMAN caught up with Woosung ahead of the exciting moments he has in store for fans this season to discover what his experience was like with voice acting, his journey in discovering his sound as a solo artist, and what success means to him.

VMAN: It’s exciting to hear you’re breaking into voice acting! What was that experience like for you? 

WOOSUNG: It was fun and challenging at the same time. You have to concentrate on different things from making music sometimes.  It’s taught me new ways to control my breath, how to understand the character I’m in, and emphasize certain words in certain situations.

VMAN: The Rose is a very unique group compared to a lot of other Korean acts. What do you think it is that makes the Rose so special in particular? 

WOOSUNG: Every group and artist is unique in their own way. For The Rose, I think our trust, experiences, and respect for each other as artists and as friends is what makes us different.  

VMAN: How do you approach the music you do as a solo artist differently than what you’ve done with the group? 

WOOSUNG: As a group, I think we’re telling a collective story. The Rose’s music has pieces of each of us and we try to let each member’s ideas and personality shine. On my solo music, I’m able to do more self-exploration and tell my own story in my own way. 

VMAN: How do you measure your own success—or what does the word “success” even mean to you? 

WOOSUNG: I just want to be free. Being successful means my family is taken care of, my dog is happy, and I get to make music

VMAN: What can you tell us about the album coming out in October? 

WOOSUNG: I loved making this album. I have always loved electronic music and the way it makes the audience feel. So experimenting with that was quite the journey sonically. I also tried some other genres and styles that I had never tried before.  At the same time, my story and narrative for this album is the most personal one yet.  I’m excited to learn about how that can resonate with listeners in their ways.  I also got over some vocal troubles I had been experiencing, so it was a great feeling to be able to sing songs the way that I wanted to. 

VMAN: You became quite the athlete when you were younger. Do you still enjoy sports? Do you see any intersection between being an athlete and being a singer? 

WOOSUNG: Being up on stage, singing and playing nonstop for an hour and a half every other night for the duration of a world tour is taxing for sure. During our second Coachella set it was like 100 degrees out, the sun was beating down on us, our throats were dry, there was dust everywhere. You have to be a bit of an athlete to make it through those conditions. 

VMAN: What message would you like to give your fans about any of your work that’s to come later this year? 

WOOSUNG: To all the Woolfpack, the Black Roses, and everyone else around the world, I hope you enjoy 4444 and I can’t wait to see you on the road! I’m going to places I’ve never been to before, going to meet fans that might not have ever had the chance to see me or The Rose live before, so please stay tuned because it’s gonna be an experience!

Photography Insoo Lee, Euijin Kim

Fashion Kendy

Hair Sooyeon Park

Makeup Sungeun Kim

Styling Assistant Janice Angelica