Nam Tae Hyun On Past Issues And His Struggle With Mental Health, Goals For His Band, And More

Nam Tae Hyun, the leader and vocalist of the band South Club, recently hit up bnt International for a photo shoot and interview.

For the shoot, the singer adopted a variety of styles with his model-like physique, including all-denim fashion; oversized, wide-legged pants; and an oversized blazer paired with leather pants, for an overall unique, chic, and rebellious look.

Nam Tae Hyun has a big interest in fashion, and even wants to try making clothes himself. On his own style preferences, the singer said, “I think it’s best to choose styles that are well-suited to you, rather than trying to emulate someone else. For me, I like oversized clothes, so I’m always wearing bigger sizes.”

Introducing his band, Nam Tae Hyun explained the origin of the name “South Club.” He said, “It’s really simple. ‘South’ just means south, and then we added ‘Club’ because we liked the movie ‘Dallas Buyers Club.’”

Nam Tae Hyun is yet another young idol turned CEO, and the name of his agency is of the same origin: South Buyers Club. Being the head of an agency naturally brings with it pressure, and Nam Tae Hyun said, “I’m usually really lazy, but I’ve changed into a much more meticulous and developmental person, and I’ve become much more careful in my personal life, as well.”

His big goal for the agency is to eventually build his own headquarters. He said, “As the CEO of South Buyers Club, I want to put up our label headquarters faster than YG did. I want to help the members of South Club, as well as everyone who’s been working with us, succeed.”

Nam Tae Hyun admitted that after leaving WINNER, it hasn’t been easy, and that even now, financially, it’s rough. But he has no regrets. “It was overwhelming at first, thinking I would have to do everything alone. But looking forward, it was the choice that would, in the end, make me a more experienced person. I haven’t once regretted my decision. My life motto is to, once you decide something, never regret it. Because regret only makes it harder on yourself.”

He continued, “As hard as our start was, we’re going to work even harder with the belief that good days will come, and pay off our loans.”

Nam Tae Hyun is confident he can overcome the prejudice that people have about idol singers. Not only has he practiced countless hours on overcoming the limitations of his own voice, but he’s confident in his music. “If people see us perform, I believe that the [idol prejudice] will disappear.” He said, “Before, I was desperate to create music that would satisfy others. Now that I’m in a position where I need to take responsibility, I’ve come to think a lot about the balance between popularity and art.”

As a singer-songwriter, some of the most memorable songs that he wrote for WINNER are “Baby Baby,” “Sentimental,” and “I’m Young,” which was a solo track. Nam Tae Hyun said “Baby Baby” is his favorite, and he’s really proud of “Sentimental” because of how well it did. He added, “‘I’m Young’ was a gift for an ex-girlfriend, and it’s something that I didn’t want to be released to the public.”

From South Club, said Nam Tae Hyun, he’s attached to the song “Hug Me.” “It’s the song that I wrote at my most difficult time, and even now, I really like the melody.”

Looking back on past issues and headlines, Nam Tae Hyun talked about his struggles with mental health, and what was most difficult for him. He said, “In addition for it being easy for me to feel very lonely, I had severe bipolar disorder, which was dizzying. Beyond it just being difficult for me, I think my ups and downs made it very hard for the people working with me, too.”

On the attitude controversy that still seems to be following him around, Nam Tae Hyun said, “I think I just wasn’t thinking and showed disrespectful actions. Though there were news articles that exaggerated and sensationalized what happened, in the end, it was my fault.”

Nam Tae Hyun spoke briefly about past dating rumors he had with Jung Ryeo Won and Son Dambi: “I think the dating rumors started because we’re so comfortable with each other. And [Jung Ryeo Won and Son Dambi] are the best of friends. Dating Jung Ryeo Won and then Son Dambi would be completely ridiculous.”

Looking forward, in addition to his goals for his agency, the singer said, “I want to create music that people can go wild for. Right now, hip hop is the big trend, but I want to become a global band that brings a lot of love and interest to blues or band music.” On a personal front, Nam Tae Hyun said, “I never want to become jaded. There are times when I’m tired and times when the future is uncertain, but I want to keep at it and live a fun life.”