YUTA Avex Interview for "PERSONA"

YUTA Avex Interview for “PERSONA”
Released on 2025.10.24
Translated by @cloudNYT

YUTA, who debuted in Korea as a member of NCT 127 in 2016, will release his first full album “PERSONA” on October 26. YUTA first launched his activities as a solo artist by releasing his solo debut work “Depth” in Japan on November 13 last year. In May of this year, he embarked on a nationwide talk show tour titled “YUTA TALK SHOW 2025”, showcasing his various charms as an artist to fans. This time, to commemorate the release of his solo album “PERSONA”, we conducted an email interview with YUTA, who is currently in the midst of his “YUTA LIVE TOUR 2025 -PERSONA-” tour. He shared his current thoughts with us.

“PERSONA” features a variety of genres and a varied set of album jacket photos. I absolutely love it!

Since your solo debut last year, you’ve held your first solo showcase tour, a talk show tour, and now, you’re in the midst of “YUTA LIVE TOUR 2025 -PERSONA-”. This tour is already generating buzz among fans and seems to be receiving considerable acclaim. Are you feeling that positive response? What kind of tour did you personally want to create?
YUTA: My top priority was to make sure that everyone who came to the venue had fun together. Of course, everyone is free to enjoy it however they like, but I strongly wanted it to be a show where everyone would naturally want to sing along, raise their hands and enjoy the performance together with me.

Are there any memorable scenes or audience reactions from your current tour that has left an impression on you?
YUTA: We were very particular about the stage lighting this time around, so I was thrilled to actually feel the audience gasp in awe during those specific moments. The songs performed during the previous showcase tour and talk show tour have now built up their own crowd-hyping moments, so I’m in the midst of feeling the real thrill of that.

After going through your showcase and talk show tours, what moments have made you feel you’ve grown as a solo artist? Also, is there a difference between YUTA as a member of NCT 127 and YUTA as a solo artist?
YUTA: I don’t really feel like I’ve grown yet. I learned a lot from watching other veteran artists perform while doing music festivals, and I believe that there’s still so much more I can do going forward. The difference between doing group and solo work is, first of all, the musical style is completely different. Being able to do what I want means there’s also the weight of responsibility that comes with it.

Does your mental approach change when doing group and solo activities?
YUTA: The way I feel about the fans is the same, and my desire for them to enjoy the moment to the fullest remains unchanged. In terms of the production process, simply put, there’s naturally more responsibility that comes with doing solo work, so I devote more time of concentrated work.

Looking back on your solo activities so far, are there any events or turning points that left an impression on you?
YUTA: There are a lot, but the most recent one would be performing at music festivals. I learned so much from that. As for turning points, I think they are yet to come.

Your first album “PERSONA” will be released on October 26. What kind of album has it turned out to be? Please tell us about the meaning behind the title, the care you put into the visuals including the album jacket phots, and how satisfied you are with the finished album.
YUTA: In “Off The Mask”, the title track from “Depth”, I sang about breaking out of my shell and taking off my mask. At the time of its release, I had things I wanted to do and had an image I envisioned, but after going through the showcase tour, I wondered if perhaps my own fixations had made my thinking too rigid. There were even times when I thought “maybe this isn’t right”. In a good way, I made these discoveries about myself. Like, I could do more of this, or this approach works too. So, the idea that it would be fun to try putting on all kinds of different masks again led to this album. There’s a variety of genres, and the album jacket photos are also varied. The texture of the album itself is cool, and I absolutely love it!

Your attention to the lyrics on this album is evident. You wrote or co-wrote the lyrics for all the songs. Could you please tell us about your commitment to lyric writing, the messages you want to convey, and your thoughts on the use of words?
YUTA: Rather than telling my own personal stories, I write lyrics that reflect things inspired by daily life, thoughts I come up with together with the people I make music with, or what I feel looking at the current state of the world more broadly. I write lyrics to fit the music, approaching it from many different angles. What I want to convey is important, but first of all, I think it’s also important that the sound of it gets across properly.

I want to do a Zepp tour. I want everyone to enjoy themselves to the fullest at standing concert venues!

In terms of the album tracks, could you tell us about some key points and highlights to listen for?
YUTA: I think “Two Of Us” sounds even cooler now than when we performed it during the showcase tour (laughs). Between getting direction from KENJI03 and receiving advice on microphone work, I discovered a lot of new things. Another track on the album, “TO LOVE SOMEONE,” is a song that sings about all kinds of love. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of scenery everyone imagines when they listen to this song.

Could you tell us about a particular detail you had for the music video or any anecdotes that happened while filming?
YUTA: We filmed with the theme of wanting this to be a song that pushes people forward and ignites the smoldering embers within them. To create a sense of scale, we also shot on location. There are scenes where we had to climb a cliff and film in a sandstorm, which was tough not just for me but for everyone involved, but I think the final result was well worth all the effort.

Speaking of your work in Japan, you have your radio program “NCT 127 YUTA’s YUTA at Home”, which started in December 2020 and is still airing regularly. It’s a long-running show that’s approaching its five full years of broadcast this year. What does this program and your activities in Japan mean to you?
YUTA: I never thought I’d be able to run the program for this long. It’s now become one of my life’s work. There are so many things I’ve been able to do precisely because of my radio show. This is where I share my candid opinions and feelings, and it’s where I get to hear from everyone, so it’s an indispensable part of my life.

You also held a talk show tour this year. It’s quite unusual for an artist to go on tour with a talk show. Was this idea something you came up with yourself?
YUTA: The idea of doing a talk show tour first came up when a staff suggested that I try to do a kind of activity that makes use of my radio experience. I usually talk alone on the radio, so it was fun to talk in front of everyone. I was supported by MCs who joined me on stage, and thanks to them, I was able to finish the tour successfully. Since the timing coincided with the release of my single album, it became an opportunity to actually meet my fans and present a live performance, so as an artist, I was really happy about that too.

Not only can you sing and dance, but you can also compose songs and even do talk shows. If you were to evolve even further from now on, what would you like to try?
YUTA: A Zepp tour. Big venues are fun of course, but as I continue my life as a solo artist, my goal is to have fans enjoy themselves to the fullest at standing concert venues. [T/N: The first floor of Zepp venues are usually standing room only]

What is the dream you envision as a solo artist?
YUTA: Actually, I’m still thinking about it. For now, I think it’s about taking things one step at a time. There are so many things I want to do!! (laughs)

Lastly, please leave a message to your fans.
YUTA: Are you ready!? Let’s have fun together!

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Listen to YUTA's 1st Album "PERSONA" here: Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | YouTube Music

Purchase a physical copy of YUTA's 1st Album "PERSONA" here.