EXO’s XIUMIN reflects on his album ‘Interview X,’ shares aspirations: “I want to be remembered as a passionate artist”

Following his first solo venture with ‘Brand New,’ nearly three years ago, EXO's XIUMIN highlights a strikingly different, diverse, and "brand new" dimension in his latest album, ‘Interview X.’

‘Interview X’ marks XIUMIN's debut release under his label, INB100, and is his second solo mini-album. The title itself is a clever play on his name, with "X" representing XIUMIN and the "unknown X" symbolizing the new facets he reveals in the album.

Built around the concept of an "interview," the album provides a glimpse into XIUMIN’s unique artistry and musical lens.

Boasting a total of six tracks, the album is fronted by the UK Garage-based song “WHEE!” with B-sides titled “Can’t Help Myself,” “Make You LaLa,” “Switch Off,” “Lost Paradise,” and “Love is U,” which was penned by his co-member CHEN.

Following the release of the album, XIUMIN embarked on his anticipated 2025 fan concert tour in Asia, aptly titled ‘X Times ( ),” with stops in Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Bangkok, and Manila.

Ahead of XIUMIN’s show in Manila, allkpop had the opportunity to sit down with the artist to talk about ‘Interview X,’ his recently concluded tour, and how he wants to be remembered as an artist. Check out our full exclusive interview with XIUMIN below!

allkpop: It's been two months since 'Interview X' was released. What fan reactions to your new album have stood out to you? How do you feel about the outcome of 'Interview X' and the growth you see in it?

XIUMIN: First of all, when the ‘Interview X’ album came out, the first reaction that I remember and appreciated the most was when the fans heard the song highlights. They said that the songs in this album are so diverse and good, and that it was worth the wait. Having that positive feedback was really good. After releasing the album and going on tour, I feel like I got to know a little more about what the fans like the most. I think I'll take a lot of that into consideration for the next project, whether it's an album or a concert. I'll be more motivated to create an album and a stage that satisfies the fans more.

allkpop: What was the tour highlight for you or your favorite moment so far? You mentioned wanting to sing "Make You LaLa" with your fans live. How has that experience been for you?

XIUMIN: I created “Make You LaLa” with the intention of singing it together with my fans during a tour like this. While on tour, I invited the fans to sing along, and that moment — singing together — was the happiest and most enjoyable for me. It felt like a shared performance culture, and I’m really satisfied with that experience.

allkpop: This marks your first solo tour. Could you walk us through how you prepared for the stages? How does it feel to fill the stage all by yourself now?

XIUMIN: Every time I prepare for a performance, my mindset is always the same—I approach each stage with the same dedication. But this time, because I had a long break before releasing the album and going on tour, I felt a lot of pressure to fill that time and the stage on my own. I kept thinking about how I could make the experience more satisfying or surprising for the fans, so I practiced and prepared more than ever before. Thankfully, the response has been incredibly positive, and I’m so happy the fans are satisfied. It really feels like pouring my heart into this album was worth it.

allkpop: Which songs from your discography are you most excited to perform, and which song do you think is the challenging one to perform?

XIUMIN: The most exciting stage that I’m looking forward to is “Make You Lala” and the most challenging ones are “Lost Paradise” and “Can’t Help Myself.” It’s because I've never shown these songs to them before. And I’m expecting that the fans will really like it. They are the songs that I absolutely have to make sure that my fans would like.

allkpop: If you could leave an impression in the industry, what would it be, and why? What do you want people to remember about you?

XIUMIN: My goal as an artist is for people to remember and see XIUMIN as an artist first. That once I'm here, I'm really giving my all in. I want to be remembered as an artist who does a really good job when he does something. I want to be remembered as a really passionate and hard-working artist. I see myself growing more and more, and to me, that's really great. That’s the kind of image that I want people to retain of me.

allkpop: Now that you've released an album and embarked on your solo tour, what else do you want to achieve for the rest of the year?

XIUMIN: First of all, there's still a lot of time left in the second half of the year. I sort of have a plan to release another single album if possible. Also, I participated a lot in my latest solo album, and it was fun, and the results were good. So, I'm a bit more ambitious and that motivated me to do and engage more in producing my next album. I'll continue to personally take care of the next albums and participate in them because the response from the fans has been good. That’s my plan for the rest of the year.

Socials:

Instagram: @e_xiu_o
X (Twitter): @XIUMIN_INB100