ONEW of K-pop boy group SHINee shared the real reason why he left his former agency, SM Entertainment. On August 16 episode of KBS' music talk show "The Seasons," ONEW made a guest appearance. During the show, ONEW admitted, "I've always felt a bit pressured about performing in front of an audience and sharing my songs with them.
" He went on to say, "But I've changed my perspective. Now, I want to meet more people, share my voice, and hopefully make a positive impact, even if it's just a small one. I'm not perfect, but I'm here, singing with the determination to give it my all.
" Recently, ONEW left SM Entertainment, where he had been for 17 years, and signed a contract with the newly established agency, Griffin Entertainment, beginning his solo career. When asked about this, ONEW explained, "Honestly, being with such a great company for so long made me feel a bit too comfortable. So I thought, why not challenge myself and see what more I can do?" He continued, "It's only been 3 or 4 months since I left, and while I'm doing my solo activities on my own, SHINee is still together as a group.
It's not about leaving—it's about balancing both. It's like moving out, but still staying connected." With a smile, he added, "I've been trying a lot of things I hadn't done before.
Lately, what I've enjoyed the most is working on A&R tasks; it's been really fun." Born on December 14, 1989, ONEW debuted as the main vocalist of SHINee in May 2008 under SM Entertainment, after training with .