Seungmin of Stray Kids: how the K-pop singer’s baseball dreams became musical ones, and why he feared growing up
Stray Kids were a “super rookie” nine-member boy band unveiled by K-pop company JYP Entertainment in 2018. After Woojin, one of the original members, left for personal reasons nearly two years after debuting, the group became an eight-piece outfit noteworthy for writing and producing their own music.
Let’s take a look at the group’s main vocalist, Seungmin, who was born Kim Seung-min.
His early life
Seungmin was born in Seoul in 2000 and, inspired by his grandfather’s success as a baseball pitcher during high school, he wanted to become a baseball player. When he was nine, Seungmin was photographed throwing the ceremonial first pitch at a game for the SK Wyverns, a South Korean baseball team. His sporting dreams, however, were crushed when his family’s financial situation took a turn for the worse, he said in an interview with XportsNews.
Seungmin began exploring music while in fourth grade, where he joined nursery rhyme competitions and performed in a choir.
At high school, Seungmin was close friends with Lee Dae-hwi, who later joined K-pop boy groups AB6IX and Wanna One. Before Lee transferred to the School of Performing Arts Seoul, he became a trainee at JYP and encouraged Seungmin to attend trainee auditions.
Seungmin, then 16, sang a cover version of K-pop singer Kim Dong-ryul’s Old Song, which earned him the first runner-up position at JYP’s 13th round of open auditions.
About a year after joining JYP, Seungmin and eight other trainees competed in idol survival show Stray Kids. Unlike other idol shows, Stray Kids made the trainees work together in missions handed out by JYP.
After 10 episodes, Seungmin made his debut as a member of Stray Kids.
His role in Stray Kids
The main vocalist of the group is known for his baritone voice and ability to hit low notes. On Stray Kids’ first single, Hellevator, Seungmin opens the track with his low and breathy voice. On more recent tracks, such as Mixtape: Gone Days and Mixtape: On Track, Seungmin has explored using a higher register with soft falsettos.
Seungmin is also the group’s resident photographer. “I like to take photos. I go around with my camera or phone and take pictures of members or the scenery,” he said on variety show Weekly Idol.
His solo career
Seungmin does not have a substantial solo career but, during an XportsNews interview, he said he dreamed of one day holding a solo concert for his fans. “I’ll work harder to make this happen sooner,” he added.
Outside his musical work, Seungmin has regularly hosted television variety shows – he was a host on We K-pop on the KBS World channel and Arirang TV’s After School Club for 22 episodes.
His image
On One Kid’s Room, a show that profiles Stray Kids members, Seungmin’s fellow members described him as “diligent”.
During the show, as Stray Kids member Hyunjin discussed the band’s “Young Wings” mixtape album, he said: “Seungmin still tells me, ‘I’m not happy with the recording quality of it’. He’s been saying that for two years. He said: ‘Because it’ll be around forever, I need to give my best’. That’s why he’s so obsessed with it.”
Seungmin holds himself to high standards when it comes to singing. When he has an upcoming performance, he will not turn on the air conditioner – even for his dance lessons. He always wears a mask and warm clothes so he doesn’t get ill.
Still, despite his serious persona, Seungmin allows himself relax with his bandmates, often playing tricks on them and scaring them by letting out squeals and randomly entering their rooms for no reason.
In his own words
Becoming a K-pop star had a great impact on Seungmin’s school life. During an interview months after debuting, Seungmin said he used to walk around with friends and play together while eating.
“But since making my debut, I eat in the classroom. After finishing my meal, I never go outside and only talk to my classmates,” he said. “I don’t always have the chance to talk to my classmates. But when I do, I ask what they’ve been doing and how they’re doing recently.”
Seungmin, who (according to Korean custom) officially became an adult at 20, said he had doubts about whether he could ever grow up.
“I want to stay a student. I don’t want to be an adult,” he said with a laugh in the 2018 interview. “The word ‘adult’ seems awkward, even though I’m a young adult.”
The following year, though, Seungmin seemed to have figured it all out. On One Kid’s Room, he said: “I’d like to be someone who finds meaning from what he’s doing and doesn’t look back.”
