Infinite's Kim Sung-kyu picks up guitar to tell personal story through new music

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Infinite's Kim Sung-kyu picks up guitar to tell personal story through new music

Published: 02 Mar. 2026, 11:44 Updated: 02 Mar. 2026, 14:15

WOO JI-WON
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Kim Sung-kyu of boy band Infinite [BILLIONS]

For over a decade since his debut as a member of K-pop boy band Infinite, Kim Sung-kyu has been singing about love gained and lost. Now, he is telling a story of his own about his journey from being a young dreamer to a seasoned artist.

"I have sung a lot of love stories and breakup songs, so for 'Over It,' I wrote about myself and what I have experienced," Kim said during a roundtable interview at a cafe in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Thursday.

Composed and written by Kim, the prerelease track "Over It" from his sixth EP "Off the Map," set to be released on Monday night, tells the story of freeing oneself from the expectations and pressure left behind by past relationships and memories.

"When I was in my senior year of high school, I told my homeroom teacher that I wanted to pursue music. But she asked if my family had enough money. To me, it felt like my dream was being shut down."

Although Kim was upset and angry at the time, he says the comment no longer holds the same weight as before and that — like the song itself — he is now "over it."

"Whether someone tried to crush my dream or simply mocked and judged it carelessly, it doesn't really matter anymore. I'm still singing, and I will continue trying new things. I'm fine now — that's the message of the song," he added.

Kim Sung-kyu of boy band Infinite [BILLIONS]

The 36-year-old singer says that as he wrote the track, the album title "Off the map" naturally emerged, which refers to the new story that begins once one leaves a designated path.

Another new element of the album is that Kim plays guitar while singing on some of the songs, including "Over It" — something his fans had long hoped to see him do for his own music.

"I brought the guitar partly for the fans," he said. "But when I looked back, I realized the last time I sang while playing guitar was in high school." Last year, he purchased a new guitar and began practicing with it.

"Playing it again made me want to play guitar at my next performance and also for the new song."

Best known for his high notes and instantly recognizable voice, Kim has in recent years drawn comparisons with Kim Jong-hwan of Nell, known for songs such as "Time Spent Walking Through Memories" (2008), due to having a similar emotional texture.

Kim Jong-hwan has been one of Kim Sung-kyu's musical role models since he was young, and the two have collaborated on several projects over the years. They reunited for this album — a collaboration many fans had long hoped to see again.

"I told him last summer that I would be working with my band members and wanted to create an album full of band sounds," Kim said. The title track "When I Think About You" and the side track "Answer" were composed and written by Kim Jong-hwan.

"The songs he worked on with me this time really carry his distinct musical color," Kim Sung-kyu said. "So at first, there was some pressure. But during the recording, he told me to sing focusing only on my emotions and that the song should convey deep emotion. So, I felt less pressure."

Kim Sung-kyu of boy band Infinite [BILLIONS]

In 2023, Kim Sung-kyu founded Infinite Company to manage Infinite's activities and continue its legacy after the band left Woollim Entertainment in 2022. Serving as the head of the agency, he says the leadership role has also changed how he views his own solo activities.

"I'm signed under Billions for my solo work. If I want to continue here, the company has to generate profit. I know that now better than anyone else. Production costs are very high these days, and I know exactly how much things cost because I've done them myself. So, I thought a lot about how to reduce production expenses while still making something stylish."

Although such financial calculations have made producing an album more complicated for him, the constant emergence of new ideas keeps him going, he said.

"What's fortunate is that when a new concept or new songs come out, I keep thinking of things I want to try. I just have to find the right way to pursue them."

Now marking its 16th anniversary, Infinite remains one of the few second-generation K-pop groups still active.

What moves him the most is the fact that the members have still chosen to stay together after 16 years — something he believes is far from common.

"People can change over time. That's not wrong. But continuing to want to be together for 16 years isn't easy. I know that this isn't common, which is why I am so thankful."

Kim Sung-kyu of boy band Infinite [BILLIONS]

Seeing fans who have grown older with the band — some now attending concerts with their spouses — motivates him to do more.

"There are people who have waited for us. If I don't repay that, it feels wrong," he said.

Now in his late 30s, Kim says he would be grateful simply to be remembered at all — or, if anything more, as an artist who made people feel something through his music.

"If there's something I hope for, it's that just as I once listened to certain artists or bands and felt something — comfort, sadness, joy — I hope my music can make someone feel something too, even if it's just a small number of people."

BY WOO JI-WON [[email protected]]