From a boy for whom the intense energy of rock music got his heart racing, to an idol onstage making every heart in the audience race—that’s TAESAN. We chatted with the BOYNEXTDOOR member about the rock music that shaped his world and what it’s like to be a refreshingly open voice for Gen Z through his own songs.
Getting sucked into rock
TAESAN: I always felt rock music was incredibly cool, with its unique way of openly expressing yourself and your emotions. I’m blown away when I watch videos of old rock bands performing and see how effortlessly cool and free-spirited they are onstage. I’m really into music with a clear sense of progression and songs that build up to the chorus, so rock songs really have a way of sticking with me. I think there’s no better music than a song that can move people, so when I want to listen to some good music, a lot of the time I turn to rock. It’s also a genre with a lot of different subgenres, so I feel like you get a different kind of energy from the songs depending on what kind you listen to. I feel chill when I listen to rock with a dash of old pop song vibe to it, and then alternative or heavy metal gets me excited and gets my adrenaline pumping.
TAESAN’s taste in rock music
TAESAN: I like most rock bands, but my favorites are the Beatles, Nirvana, Oasis, and My Chemical Romance. As far as Korean artists go, there’s no one I love more than Shin Hae-chul. My dad would tell me stories and background info from that time and give me song recommendations, which led me to explore N.EX.T’s music on my own. Their song “Fly, Chick” stands out to me in particular since I performed it for one of my monthly evaluations. I couldn’t get over the way the music’s able to capture how it feels when a baby bird you raised as a kid dies. I think I’m drawn to music from before my time because it’s more than just love songs—it’s got a way of capturing the rebellious, whirlwind emotions of youth in an open, honest way and through an array of different topics. I like hearing their guitarists play, too. Watching Steve Vai playing in his 40s and 50s, I think there’s a certain sexy and cool vibe that only someone with experience has. The electric guitar can sound bright or grungy depending on the effect pedals you use, or it can even sound tender. It’s got a really wide range. I think it’s especially cool at a rock concert when there’s a guitar solo and the crowd goes absolutely wild. I’d love the chance to try a performance like that someday.