WINNER’s Lee Seung-hoon portrayed six supporting characters in a parody of the K-drama “The Heirs” as a rookie idol from YG Entertainment. He played three female and three male characters for “The Heirs: A Parody.”
Initially, he complained he might lose his mind after playing that many characters. Once they started filming, he switched roles and costumes, impressing everyone with his flexibility and humor. Years later, fans still remember him as the scene-stealer of that parody and still use his characters as memes on social media.
‘My Type’
On July 15, a month before WINNER’s 10th anniversary, Lee’s debut solo album was released. It has four tracks, “My Type,” the title track, “Thinkin Bad Things,” “Do Re Mi Fa Sol,” and “Brother & Sister.”
Lee discussed his journey in making the album in a video uploaded to WINNER’s (@WINNER) official YouTube account. Wearing jeans and a shirt with his photo and a simple LSH logo as the backdrop, he introduced himself as Lee Seung-hoon, from WINNER.
He said “My Type” was conceptualized based on two questions: “How can this album encapsulate who Lee Seung-hoon is?” and “How can I satisfy fans and the general public with this album?”
He used keywords to deliver his message, much like Steve Jobs telling his audience about reinventing the smartphone into a revolutionary product. Lee said “My Type” features rhythmic beats, heavy bass, lively synths in the chorus, and a simple yet impactful hook. He incorporated old-school funk inspired by his childhood dream of becoming a world-class poppin’ dancer. The rest of the tracks were also influenced by the energy he gained from dancing.
Fresh and delicious
The album was designed to resemble a golden-brown toasted bread.
Light and compact, it includes a mini-CD, photobook, receipt, custom stickers, and a bread clip to maintain the bread’s freshness. Confidently presenting the fruit of his hard work, he said,“This piece of bread is a piece of magic that will satisfy your needs for a long time, and above anything, it’s delicious!”
In addition, they also produced a short film and a performance video for the title track. Fans can look forward to five more videos.
Collaboration
Lee collaborated with colleagues who became friends. The short film was the idea of webtoon artist Kian84, whom he met in the travel variety show ” Adventure by Accident.” It was released on July 14, with appearances of their friends from the same program – actor Lee Si-eon and YouTuber Pani Bottle.
In addition, their castmates, comedian Jang Do-yeon, and YouTuber Dex, appeared in reaction videos with Lee.
The choreography was by Choi Young-jun, whom he met in “Dream High” the musical.
To make it tastier, he added the gunpoint dance move, YG’s winning dance strategy featured in BIGBANG’s “Bang Bang Bang,” WINNER’s “Really, Really,” and BLACKPINK’s “DDU-DU DDU-DU” “I made it clear that I will make this song into everyone’s “My Type,” he said.
WINNER is on hiatus with the younger members Song Min-ho and Kang Seung-yoon in the military, but they found ways to support Lee’s debut.
In a report by Star News Korea, Lee said his members were the most excited and supportive of his solo album. “They saw my growth and understood my musical direction the most. They gave me insights and offered advice whenever possible.” Song co-wrote the title track. Kang congratulated him through a social media post. Kim Ji-nu had appeared in video challenges with Lee to promote the album.
Hands-on
On top of producing all the tracks, he participated in planning, brainstorming, casting, editing, shopping for costumes, styling, helping with the hair and makeup schedule, and organizing receipts. It was demanding but rewarding. He poured his heart into the album because he wanted it to represent his sincerity.
He said the tracks were born in a small corner of his wardrobe, where he found comfort in writing the most honest lyrics and melodies. He wrote while visualizing himself on stage, connecting with fans and sharing laughter and tears.
He shared the story about a chef he came across in a documentary who spent three years cleaning the kitchen, two years grilling seaweed, and five years cooking, and finally becoming a master in crafting sushi. It resonated with what he felt in making the album, “I believe I have condensed the past ten years of my life into each track.” He wanted to show gratitude to those who believed in him by making music that radiates positive energy. “I hope this album becomes a good friend, helping you to make wiser decisions.”
Lee has portrayed different characters. This time, he took the most important one. He played the role of Lee Seung-hoon, the persistent dreamer who never gives up. He is a winner in every sense of the word, and he is exactly our type.
