We’ve had the chance to see Stray Kids’ Hyunjin grow through the years and become one of the most talented idols out there – in so many different aspects. His artistry has become one of our favorite things about him. Late last year, Stray Kids released the Korean version of their 2020 Japanese b-side, ‘FAM.’ On this song, each member gets a verse to describe and celebrate another member. It’s their own type of guide to Stray Kids, if you will, full of inside jokes and puns. For Hyunjin’s verse, Han ends the verse by calling him an artist and a genius.
And we’re here to tell you exactly how he’s exactly that – a genius artist!
His Performance Skills
It is no secret that Hyunjin is one of the best performers in 4th gen, if not the entirety of K-Pop. Something about his stage presence blows us away every single time, it’s striking and impactful. Hyunjin has a way of always interpreting each dance in his own unique way, and that alone is a talent. He has a way of making each performance his own, and no one could imitate his style. He’s really in his own league!
His dancing is one thing – it’s unique, it’s mindblowing and it steals the show. But he has also become an incredible rapper, writing his own raps for several songs. And he’s even grown as a vocalist, having more lines each time to show off his sweet yet impactful tone. It’s not only that he has the talent, but the way he interprets everything with his body is something truly special and unique. That alone is a way of making art.
His Choreographies
But Hyunjin isn’t just an incredible dancer and performer, he’s also an amazing choreographer! His passion for dancing and his skills really shine through the best with his own choreographies. He manages to transmit and embody something indescribable. In his choreography for Billie Eilish’s ‘when the party’s over,’ he embodied the silence and loneliness after a concert. The fact that this was released during the pandemic, when Stray Kids couldn’t meet with their fans, made it all the more heartfelt. And you can feel the emotions through every single fiber of his body.
His choreography to ‘Play With Fire’ is probably the most Hyunjin dance out there. With ‘when the party’s over,’ Hyunjin dipped straight into the contemporary side of things, but ‘Play With Fire’ is much more of a mix of everything he’s capable of – it drew from hip-hop, contemporary, and so many different influences. ‘Play With Fire’ embodies him as a person. This was his moment in every single way. Not many choreographies or instances are as impactful as this one, that’s for sure!
Hyunjin is capable to perform every single song with his entire soul and being, but it just goes to another level when it’s his own choreography. Anytime we know he choreographed it, we know it’s going to hit.
His Paintings
While dancing is clearly one of Hyunjin’s biggest talents and passions, he has also developed an insane talent for drawing and painting through the years. It’s been now a couple of years since he started to really paint and draw, and while he was great from the start, he keeps showing more sides of his talent and exploring different routes. He has tried different types of painting, with different materials, and different styles – and he has excelled at each one of them. He has done portraits, paintings of nature, animals, and of course flowers – those are the most precious and his favorites to do! His art is truly beautiful.
And this talent has also poured through music and Stray Kids. He painted the cover for his solo song ‘ice.cream,’ and when they filmed ‘Chill’ in an art gallery, they also included some of his paintings. And even though we never got the confirmation, there’s a big chance that he also made the cover art for Stray Kids’ digital single, ‘Mixtape: OH.’ His paintings are not only proof of how talent drips from Hyunjin’s fingertips, but also of his insane hard work. It is never enough to just be talented at it, he always takes it to a whole other level.
Here’s a thread with most of the drawings he has shown us!
Hyunjin’s artworks a thread 🖼 : paintings, sketches…#LoveHyunjin #hyunpic pic.twitter.com/i05kGsoE0L
— ♥ㅎㅈ♥ (@groovyhyunjin2) October 26, 2021
He’s A Songwriter And Composer
Even before Day 1, Stray Kids have always been a group that is all about creating their own thing, their own art. While most songs are written, composed, and produced by 3RACHA, the other members have always been part of the creative side as well. The intro songs in the I am trilogy as well as the Mixtapes prove it! All the members wrote their own verses in those songs, and they’ve continued to contribute to all their units’ songs.
As the years have gone by, more members became more comfortable composing and writing music, and Hyunjin is a big example of that. His songs are all a testament of his big heart, his artistry, and his genius. The first solo song he released was back in 2020, ‘miss you.’ This song is a soft heartwarming song Hyunjin wrote about his dog who passed away. In 2022, he released his second song, ‘ice.cream,’ which was full of witty and painful lyrics. There are so many layers to this song, and they really prove Hyunjin’s genius. Every Stray Kids member released a new solo track in the SKZ-Replay album and Hyunjin’s ‘Love Untold’ is one of those songs it’s hard to forget. The lyrics are just poignant and the melody is addictive. Seriously, we need more Hyunjin songs!
But it doesn’t stop there, because Hyunjin has continued to contribute to the perfection that is Stray Kids’ discography. He was, of course, half of the brains behind ‘Red Lights,’ which showed a new side for Stray Kids. The fact that this song went from a sub-unit song to being performed as a full group during their tour just proves how good it is – and how much we love it. Hyunjin, as well as Lee Know and Felix, was a big part of the creation of ‘Taste,’ a sub-unit song by Danceracha. And as mentioned before, he has contributed to all of his sub-units’ songs, including ‘Wow’ and ‘Muddy Water.’
And more recently, Hyunjin even wrote and composed a b-side on Stray Kids’ first Japanese full-length album, ‘DLMLU’ (standing for ‘Don’t Let Me Love You’). However, arguably the most important song Hyunjin has written remains ‘#LoveSTAY’ – named after the hashtag he uses on his Instagram posts that turned into the name of their fan meetings. Felix and I.N also participated in the writing of this song, and ‘#LoveSTAY’ is by far one of the most meaningful songs in their discography.
Hyunjin’s ideas are always just beautiful. All these songs are not only insanely good, but they also showcase different influences and sides of him. This man can do it all and these songs prove it. We can’t wait to see more of his artistry whether it’s through his dancing, his paintings, and especially his music. Hyunjin has definitely a lot under his sleeve!
What is your favorite side of Hyunjin’s artistry? What’s your favorite song written by Hyunjin? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.
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