[TF Interview] Nam Woo Hyun's '2X8', a Fruit of 10 Years of Labor

16 songs included, including the title track 'DEVIL'10 years of solo activities condensed into one albumSinger Nam Woo Hyun will release his second solo full-length album '2X8' on music sites on the 14th./Billion[THE FACT|Reporter Choi Hyun-jung] Looking back at the path singer Nam Woo Hyun has walked, it resembles a 'tree.'Of course, the mere mention of 'tree' now might evoke a sense of "Really?" as it has already become a keyword symbolizing Nam Woo Hyun.Nevertheless, when reflecting on Nam Woo Hyun's musical journey, it's hard to find a more fitting expression than 'like a tree.'Since his debut as a member of the group INFINITE in 2010, he has remained steadfast for 16 years, and since his solo debut in 2016, he has steadily grown with each album, establishing himself as a full-fledged singer-songwriter.Notably, Nam Woo Hyun has overcome immense hardships that threatened his life in the process, returning stronger and more resilient.The image of Nam Woo Hyun enduring all storms in the same place and bearing fruit naturally brings to mind a 'tree.'That Nam Woo Hyun is presenting another fruit to mark his 10th anniversary of solo debut.Nam Woo Hyun's second full-length album '2X8,' released on the 14th, can be described as a work that condenses the past 10 years into a single album. Therefore, the album features a remarkable 16 songs. met with Nam Woo Hyun at a cafe in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 13th to hear the story of the past 10 years contained in '2X8.'A notable aspect of '2X8' is indeed the number of songs. 16 songs is a massive volume that could even make two full-length albums, yet Nam Woo Hyun managed to pack them all into one album.'2X8' includes a total of 16 songs, including the title track 'DEVIL.'/BillionNam Woo Hyun explained, "I prepared the album for about a year, and the first thing that came to mind was the album title '2X8.' My birthday is February 8th, and it's my second full-length album. Also, 8 symbolizes INFINITE (∞)." He added, "Multiplying 2 and 8 gives us 16, so we included 16 songs."Considering Nam Woo Hyun's intentions for this album, the volume of 16 songs might even feel small.Nam Woo Hyun said, "The number of songs was not a problem at all, as I had many songs prepared. However, I had to revise the lyrics a lot, which was a bit difficult." He continued, "Still, I wanted to include everything I could to match the meaning of the 10th anniversary."He added, "Since it's the 10th anniversary, I wanted to show what kind of singer Nam Woo Hyun has been for the past 10 years." He further elaborated, "People first think of ballads, and while ballads are indeed my strongest suit, my musical range is actually very wide. However, people don't seem to know that. I wanted to convey this."With such intentions, '2X8' features a wide variety of genres, including dance, ballad, rock, and R&B. Nam Woo Hyun introduced the album with a smile, saying, "'2X8' is an album where I thought, 'Everything is in here, so just find what you like within this.'"Among them, the song chosen as the title track after careful selection is 'DEVIL.' Contrary to the vague expectation that "'DEVIL' would be a ballad given it's by Nam Woo Hyun," it is an upbeat dance song that combines pop-rock sounds with dance beats.Nam Woo Hyun stated, "First of all, 'DEVIL' was unanimously chosen as the title track during the selection process. I couldn't ignore that consensus." He continued, "And most importantly, the song turned out great. Of course, I love ballads the most and am most confident in them, but as I mentioned earlier, my musical range is wide. I chose 'DEVIL' as the title to show a cool side," he said with confidence.Another reason Nam Woo Hyun is confident in 'DEVIL' is its 'narrative.' 'DEVIL' contains a unique story centered around the keyword 'tree,' which symbolizes Nam Woo Hyun.Nam Woo Hyun explained, "'DEVIL' is inspired by the story of Adam and Eve, but it depicts the process of the 'tree' itself undergoing various situations and transforming into the 'DEVIL.'" He added, "This narrative is included in all the content, including the music, lyrics, performance, photos, and music video."The narrative centered around the tree can also be found in the album's final track. The 16th track of '2X8' is titled 'Tree,' and it is surprisingly the first time Nam Woo Hyun has named a song 'Tree' in 10 years.While the title track 'DEVIL' is inspired by Adam and Eve, the narrative centers on 'Tree.'/BillionNam Woo Hyun shared, "'Tree' is my most cherished track on this album." He continued, "I placed it as the last track, the 16th, with the meaning of connecting back to the first track. Trees live for hundreds, even thousands of years. Similarly, I wanted to create a song that would live on for a long time, even after I'm gone. It's a song about always looking forward and offering comfort."Among the album's tracks, 'EVERYDAY' stands out along with 'Tree.' This song, originally a CD-only bonus track from Nam Woo Hyun's first solo mini-album 'Write..,' released in 2016, has been re-recorded in a new version for '2X8' after 10 years.Furthermore, Nam Woo Hyun added the name of the late Jay Yoon (real name Yoon Jae-woong), who co-created the original version, to the credits of the new version of 'EVERYDAY,' further deepening its significance.Nam Woo Hyun said, "'EVERYDAY' was performed frequently at concerts and received great fan reactions, but it wasn't available as a digital release, so even I couldn't listen to it often. I really wanted to include this song on my 10th-anniversary album, so I rearranged and re-recorded it." He added, "Also, Jay Yoon was someone who was with me at the beginning of my solo career 10 years ago, and he was like a musical mentor. I wanted to share my 10th anniversary with him, who was with me at my solo debut."Along with his 10th anniversary, '2X8' holds even greater significance for Nam Woo Hyun as it is an album he is fully presenting after overcoming a major ordeal.As is well known, Nam Woo Hyun was diagnosed with gastrointestinal stromal tumor, a rare cancer, in 2023 and underwent a surgery lasting over 10 hours.After the surgery, he released his first full-length album 'WHITREE' in November 2023 and his fifth EP 'Tree Ring' in July 2025, but at the time, he had not fully recovered from his illness.Nam Woo Hyun recalled, "The title track of 'WHITREE,' 'Baby Baby,' was a dance song, and I pushed myself to show that I was doing well. Looking back at the performances then, you can see how much I struggled, so I can't watch them now." He continued, "And on 'Tree Ring,' I included the song 'Cruel,' where I lamented why I was given such a trial."Nam Woo Hyun underwent a major surgery lasting over 10 hours in 2023 for rare cancer treatment. He stated that this period became an opportunity for him to grow to another level./BillionThis period was a time of great pain and hardship, which Nam Woo Hyun described as 'the most difficult time in his singing career,' but it also served as an opportunity for him to grow further.Nam Woo Hyun shared, "My lungs collapsed during the surgery, and it took a long time to re-expand them. To recover, I did a lot of vocal and breathing exercises. Thanks to that, my vocals have become stronger now." He added, "Also, while writing and composing alone in the hospital, my skills improved. Looking back, I think I've become healthier and grown more because of that process," he said with a positive mindset.Thus, '2X8' does not only contain moments of joy and ecstasy for Nam Woo Hyun. He has sublimated the times of pain and hardship, as well as the process of overcoming them, into music. This is why '2X8' includes 16 songs and why Nam Woo Hyun describes this album as 'an album that captures the past 10 years.'Nam Woo Hyun stated, "'2X8' is an album that contains the 'meaning of Nam Woo Hyun's past 10 years.'" He added, "I believe it will be an album that can showcase my strengths and everything I have to offer. I'm sure there will be parts you'll like. I'm confident."laugardagr@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]