“I was lost”: Jackson Wang opens up about being a K-pop idol and his struggles

Jackson Wang, a member of K-pop group GOT7, soloist, rapper, and entrepreneur, recently opened up about the difficulties of the life of a K-pop idol. Talking to ET about his pre-release single Blow from the upcoming album MAGIC MAN, the Chinese rapper shared that he was “mentally lost” during his days as an idol.

Jackson Wang was previously under JYP Entertainment when he debuted with GOT7 in 2014 but is now in complete autonomy of his creative processes. Before debut, he was cast by the company in 2010 and was in training since then till his debut.

After seven years of being a K-pop idol group, GOT7 left the company in January last year but continues to remain active as a group while also focusing on solo activities.

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GOT7’s rapper Jackson Wang discusses his time and struggles as a K-pop idol

In a recent interview with ET, Jackson Wang spilled the beans about his time as a K-pop idol. He also talked about the new persona he is creating for himself and how he is embracing it. He specifically talked about feeling lost “mentally,” sharing that the loop of activities as an idol affected him and his creative processes.

Talking about his unique and never-seen-before style in Blow, the Chinese rapper said,

“I’m free and I’ve never been this raw ever in my life. For the past eight years, I’ve been living a commercial life,.. I’ve been, you know, [doing] schedules, shows after shows… It’s like a loop. And that’s why like you know eight-nine years I got to a point where I mentally I lost everything. I was lost, I didn’t know what to do.”

He shared that with the help of his friends, he was inspired and motivated to rise back up. The feeling of liberation has also given him newfound ambition where he embraces his new self, and MAGIC MAN is a reflection of that.

He expressed,

“Whatever I had before, whoever I was before, scr*w that. Now I’m the new me and I’m allowing myself to accept it and that’s Magic Man.”

K-pop idols have hectic schedules to complete what seems like a cycle of never-ending tasks. From interviews, vocal and dance practice, meetings, music shows, variety shows, filming for content, creating or producing music, recording songs, or attending award shows, almost every day becomes a cycle. It was this loop that Jackson Wang talked about in the interview.

Chinese rapper Jackson Wang is a multi-package. He is a rapper, singer, dancer, performer, producer, lyricist, fashion designer, CEO of two companies, model, TV personality, mentor, entertainer, and many more things. He also made history at Coachella 2022 as the first Chinese rapper and male K-pop idol to perform at the festival.

Jackson Wang also recently flew to South Korea, sparking GOT7 group comeback rumors.