Kim Junsu (XIA) expressed gratitude to fans who have supported him for more than two decades, after his latest album achieved the highest first-week …
Kim Junsu (XIA) expressed gratitude to fans who have supported him for more than two decades, after his latest album achieved the highest first-week sales of his solo career.
On June 13 KST, Kim Junsu took the stage at KSPO Dome in Seoul's Olympic Park for his '2026 XIA 6th Asia Tour Concert Gravity in Seoul', where he shared behind-the-scenes stories from the making of his fifth studio album, 'GRAVITY', released on June 2 KST.
The album marks his first full-length release in a decade, following 'XIGNATURE' in 2016. During the concert, he performed the title track along with several songs from the album, making the occasion even more meaningful as it was his first solo concert at KSPO Dome in nearly 10 years.
Speaking candidly to fans, he admitted that the project came with considerable pressure.
"There was definitely pressure. I felt like I had to create something I wouldn't be ashamed of in my career," he said. "At some point, I started to feel that the kind of music I personally enjoy had drifted away from the styles that are currently popular and successful."
He revealed that he reviewed songs from producers known for creating hits for today's idol groups but struggled to find material that suited him.
"I received a lot of songs from composers behind some of the biggest idol hits these days, but there was just too much rap," he said with a laugh. "It's not that I can't rap. Before debuting with TVXQ, I was actually known for rapping during my trainee days. I was Ryan JS — the guy who was supposed to succeed Tiger JK. But with so much rap and so many similar flows, it wasn't easy to adapt those songs into something that worked for me as a solo artist."
According to Kim Junsu, 'GRAVITY' was ultimately selected from a pool of roughly 400 songs.
"In the past, I could prepare an album in about two months, but this one took a full year," he explained. "I listened to everything, revised tracks, and re-recorded parts along the way. That's what makes this album even more meaningful to me."
Kim Junsu then turned his attention to the fans who helped the album reach a major milestone.
"You've helped this album achieve the highest first-week sales of my career," he said. "Every worry and concern I had while making this record has completely disappeared because of you. I heard it even surpassed my first solo album, 'TARANTALLEGRA', which was released 14 years ago. I'm truly grateful."
He also shared that the music video for 'GRAVITY' had surpassed 7 million views before the concert began and thanked fans once again for their continued support.
"Seeing your love and passion makes me wonder what would have happened if I hadn't released this album," he said. "I'm sorry it took 10 years, and I'm incredibly thankful that you've shown it so much love after such a long wait."
During the show, fans from his fandom, Coconut, suggested a variety of promises for reaching 10 million music video views, including an encore concert, a fan meeting, and even a rap challenge. Kim Junsu responded that he would do his best to make as many of them happen as possible.
Kim Junsu's Asia tour will continue with stops in Tokyo on July 3–4 KST, Osaka on July 9–10 KST, and Hong Kong on July 17 KST, with additional tour dates expected to be announced later.
SEE ALSO: Kim Junsu drops powerful “Homage” live clip MV from 5th album ‘GRAVITY’