EXO’s Kai says greatest lesson as 10-year idol is taking care of his ‘mental health and mindset’
Kim Jong-in, also known as EXO’s Kai, revealed that taking care of his mental health and personal mindset is one of his priorities as a K-pop idol who has been working in the industry for 10 years.
Kai opened up about wanting to live a “happy life as a human being” in an exclusive interview with U.S.-based The Recording Academy on Tuesday, March 14, as he reflected on his career as a K-pop veteran.
“Being an idol is a job too. The line between my daily life and my life as a celebrity is very ambiguous. From time to time, I could feel more stressed out, and as it is a job where I can share emotions with the public, there’s a bit of pressure on that too,” he began. “The most important thing to do is to take care of my mental [health] and mindset, and this realization was a chance for me to grow.”
The EXO member then added that he wants to share positive thoughts to fans in hopes of living a happier life.
“I’ve been thinking deeply on how to become a better person, how to live a happy life as a human being, and I think that, as Kai, I really want to share more positive and happy thoughts with my fans and the people all around the world,” he said.
Even if it’s been 10 years since Kai’s debut, he admitted that he’s the kind of artist to put in more effort to achieve the true meaning of freedom, which is mentioned as a nod to his third EP “Rover.”
“Honestly, I still don’t know. I do feel free, and I do feel freedom when I’m on stage, and in order to feel that true freedom, I think it’s not just throwing away something that’s inside of you. It’s more like trying your best and putting more effort into that freedom that you’re seeking,” he said.
Soloist Kai vs EXO’s Kai
The “Peaches” hitmaker also noted that while he does feel “free” while performing, he makes sure to not lose sight of himself and what truly matters, saying, “A lot of my fans say that I seem very happy and free on stage. I really want to be like that. I realized that, in order to be free, there’s a lot of things that I have to try harder behind the stage.”
Kai also reflected on the pressures of promoting as a solo artist and as a member of EXO — where he noted that he exists as a singer because of the group, according to a separate interview with California-based Uproxx on Monday, March 13.
“There are differences to this actually. So, when I’m in the group — as a member of EXO, I feel more comfortable because we’re able to share this pressure that we feel altogether. I tend to rely more on the members than relying on myself. And it’s also that I really do enjoy and like being in EXO when in a group altogether,” he said.
The soloist, who debuted as EXO’s center, visual, and main dancer in April 2012, also stressed that he “sincerely” enjoys performing as himself and as part of the nine-member group.
“Because there’s EXO, I exist. Because of EXO, there’s Kai. But even as a soloist, it’s very fun. I enjoy it as well since it’s only about me doing well, and me doing the best that I could do. It can be comfortable in those terms, but sincerely do enjoy both. Because, once again, I think Kai exists because of EXO,” he said.
Kai made his solo debut as a solo artist in November 2020 with his first EP “Kai,” featuring the hit title track “Mmmh.” He also debuted as a member of the SM Entertainment “supergroup” SuperM with EXO bandmate Baekhyun in October 2019. EDV