Translation: incessantbeat / sosweetniel
Q1: While you were recording for PD101, did you expect to achieve this much?
Daniel: No. To be honest PD101 to me was my last challenge. I challenged myself once thinking that I would fail. I didn’t have any self-confidence, and I was also very worried and scared. But then after getting to know the bond with my fans, my perspective completely changed. Since then, it’s been a fun ride and there has been endless energy.
Q2: Before going on stage, do you have any special habits?
Daniel: I always have to crack my neck and ankles. And I think to myself that “I’ve got to make everyone who’s watching this stage today fall in love with me”. Even if it’s not for Wannabes, I still want to leave a deep impression in the minds of everyone who’s watching me.
Q3: What has been the strength that made the Daniel we see today?
D: I started b-boying since I was in middle school. You can’t b-boy well if you’re not fit, so I learned to dance while developing my muscles. And I always stayed until the (dance) academy closed to practice. I think that effort had been my foundation.
Q4: Even though you were cool even before debut, after debut you became even sharper and finer.
D: I don’t have any secret tips. If ‘m tired, I even slept with my make-up on. And my weight is the same as when I was in PD101S2. But then fascinatingly, I only lost weight on my face. I can’t work out a lot either. Even if I don’t know why, I think it’s because I have people that I can call my fans now. There’s this saying, right? A person gets prettier when they’re in love… Could it be that effect?
Q5: If you were to make a performance that can show the talents that only Kang Daniel has, what kind of stage would you want to do?
D: If there ought to be a stage that focuses on me only, I would like to show a new and gentle performance through a pop style, something like Michael Jackson.
Q6: What kind of stage do you want to try as a part of Wanna One?
D: I want to do a stage that overflows with excitement. Like “songs that are banned during university entrance exam” that make you move your shoulders just listening to them. Ones that make you groove along. For example, something that gives off the vibes like Seventeen sunbaenim’s “Clap”? If there’s a chance, I would like to show that kind of energetic stage.
Q7: Don’t you feel tired because of so many schedules?
D: I say this often but being tired and disliking what you do are 2 different things. I’m doing what I’ve wanted, so even if it’s tiring, I’m happy. And I’ve been constantly busy so I can feel that I’m living life to the fullest.
Q8: If you were to have 4 days 3 nights, how would you want to spend it?
D: I to go to Hawaii, on the beach packed with tourists, fool around, relaxing with the members all the while, dancing, swimming, shopping, and fishing too. Now that I’ve mentioned it, we have got to gather together and plan our travel.
Q9: Do you have something you want to say to Wannables?
D: I always say that I’m thankful, but I know that it’s never enough. But we still have a long way to go together, so what I really want to say is that I want to treasure this moment. I’ll tell you everything later on. Please keep watching over and loving me.
Q1: What do you want to add up, subtract, multiply, and divide?
Daniel: What I would like to add; strengthening my mind a little bit more during the rest of promotions. What I want to subtract; too much tension. We have experienced promotions for some time now, so I want to subtract excessive tension but maintain a proper amount of tension. What I want to multiply; the amount of practice. What I want to divide(share); the precious memories with members and Wannable. Since that time won’t come again.
Q2: You are usually playful and get along well with all the members. Your social and gentle side is in contrast with your pursuit of perfection when you are on the stage or working. What do you think of yourself?
Daniel: I take it seriously when I’m performing on stage. However, I’m not that serious of a person in daily life, honestly. But this is my job. so I really care a great deal about doing it seriously when I’m performing and it’s the biggest part of my life.
Q3: Then when you change your position from every day life to the stage, do you self-suggest yourself to change the mode?
D: Well, rather than self-suggesting myself, I change my posture instinctively. I sometimes hypnotize myself when I’m nervous. But I didn’t think of these questions like, “What should I do on stage? Should I do this?”, on purpose.
Q3-2: Do you get nervous then?
D: Rather than being nervous in front of a stage or camera, I feel more nervous when people who know me are watching me. There are many people who know my usual look in daily life. It is new and fun for me to show them another, new aspect of me. So whenever there is a new album realeased, I think of these; “How I should present this album to people? How will this promotion look like?”, “I should show a newer side of me to the people who already know me.” This kind of thinking makes me more nervous.
Q4. You have a reputation that you are excellent at expressing lyrics of the song with your own gestures. What do you do when you interpret the song into dance?
Daniel: When I learn a choreography, firstly I memorize all the moves. Then I give thought to the reason why some specific lyrics are going with specific moves. I also observe subtle gestures and facial expressions attentively, and quickly catch what is needed in that part. Rather than expressing the mood of the whole choreography, I try to deliver the story hidden behind the lyrics.
I consider dance as a kind of sign language.
Q5. Someone described Kang Daniel as “eager but not desperate, thorough but not suffocating.” (These are words from GQ magazine’s editor). It means you are busy but not rushed in any situation. This kind of pace controlling, is it your own effort or innate thing?
Daniel: I think it’s my trait and runs in my family. When I was young, I lived a tough life. However, both my father and mother didn’t lose their composure and were always confident. I felt a lot when I saw them. In some ways, this kind of composure in a situation where you don’t have many things can be said as a useless pride, but it has become a way not to hurt myself and also a way to let others treat me more comfortably. Through my parents, I have learned and cultivated the way how to protect myself.
Q6: You said before that you want to be a man of bigger caliber, and also you always said there’s a lot more to show. When you look back on yourself at the past year, what part of you has grown in your opinion?
D: Actually, there was not that much time to practice. But I could accumulate know-how, my own way to acquire what I need to learn in a short period of time, and the way to complete it. To be honest, I’m a person who really loves to practice because you will get as good result as the practice you put in. In this sense, it’s a bit sad that I didn’t have much time to practice as I wanted, but I’ve got the know-how. So I hope there will be some opportunities to use it.
Q7: When you look back on Wanna One’s activities, when is the moment that you felt a lot of things in particular?
D: There are so many memorable stages, but if someone ask the moment I felt many things, I think it was the first time to perform for a music show. Honestly, I did the recording for the first time in a situation where I didn’t even know which camera should I look at. And it was so hard to look at the place where the red light was on. This experience was a fresh shock to me, and it was a stage that I could get this fighting spirit, “I should do well. I can do it well.”
Q8: What do you always carry with yourself?
D: Earphones, earrings, mood light. If I am outside without carrying (or forget to carry) earphones, then I buy them ringt away. Because I always listen to music. Also I take earrings from the accessory box on day-to-day basis. The spiderman mood light is a gift from a fan. It’s made of jelly-like material. I always took it before I went to bed during the world tour.
Q9: What do you want to say to a particular member in five letters?
D: I’ll say it to Woojin. “Handsome Woojin!”
Q10: Kang Daniel’s MY song?
Daniel: The ‘12th star’. We recieved this song during the world tour. I was hooked on the song as soon as I heard it and read the lyrics for the first time. I love it to the extent that I heard it whenever I took a shower.
Q10-2. Which character of the song did you like that much?
Daniel: I like the number 12, but the biggest reason is that the 12th star particularly symbolizes ‘Wannable’.