Lee Seung-hyub is known as the band leader and rapper of South Korean pop rockers N.Flying, but he’s also trying to go his own way with his alter ego, J.Don. The name was coined by a friend for Lee to use while exploring how to express himself musically. “Rap is how I can share my feelings in an efficient way since a lot of words can be fitted into a rap,” the 28-year-old artist tells the Post following the release of his first mini album, the three-track On The Track . Released on February 22 and fronted by the single Clicker , On The Track derives its title from the call-out phrase at the start of many of his verses: “J.Don on the track.” The stage name doesn’t mean anything specific to Lee, but it helps him differentiate his roles as a soloist and as a member of N.Flying. “I’m not usually the one singing the main chorus on stage [for N.Flying] so as J.Don I’m able to get to try new things. It’s a way for me to hide that I’m Seung-hyub,” he says. Within N.Flying, who were formed in 2013 but flew under the radar until 2019 and their breakout hit Rooftop , Lee does a little bit of everything: the band’s website lists his roles as “leader, rap, vocal, guitar, piano”. He is also a songwriter, has collaborated with other artists, and began acting a few years ago. As a band, N.Flying are known for their exuberant pop-rock and at times humorously uplifting performances, with Lee lending his distinctive brand of rhythmic rock-rap to the mix. He has brought that to On The Track but added his own style. K-pop band Pentagon on love, fame and their new album Lee is focused on becoming a better person and performer. He has dipped his toe in solo performance but is still learning the ropes. “To be honest, I made [the creative and promoting process] harder for myself than it needed to be. I wanted to make things perfect, so I was strict on myself. I think it really paid off. I was thinking, ‘Why am I not good enough?’ at certain points, so I had to make myself work harder on the things I felt I wasn’t good enough at. “But I think by telling myself to do things better, the outcome was really positive and the end product is great. I actually wrote a song about this [struggle to improve] and it may be included on future N.Flying albums.” This mindset is evident on the jocular single Clicker , which was inspired by the Pavlovian-style training his family’s three dogs received. “When they do something good, we use the [training] clicker and they get a prize. When it’s repeatedly practised, the dog will feel happy and positive when we use the clicker. It came to me that when I have negative thoughts, I can use a clicker-like mentality to rapidly change my mindset,” he says. “I tend to be very nervous and afraid of starting something new, but I think it’s like a weapon that I can use for a better outcome. If I don’t feel nervous or afraid, I won’t work myself into a state where I need to prepare myself and work harder. This works well for me.” According to him, drinking with N.Flying’s members and talking to them about work is the clicker-like reward that helps him get through these struggles; he particularly enjoys drinking Kaoliang (a sorghum liquor known as goryangju in Korean), which is eaten with lamb. Another clicker for him is Mooyaho – a meme song remixed from a clip of the Korean TV show Infinite Challenge. “It doesn’t have a particular meaning, but whenever I listen to it, it’s like a clicker for me. It makes me instantly happy. I want to make music that makes people instantly happy.” Meanwhile, the B-side Moon & Cheese was inspired by the Academy Award-nominated Wallace and Gromit 1989 animated film A Grand Day Out , in which the titular characters visit the moon to get some cheese. The album’s third track, Superstar featuring vocalist Cheeze, is based on his life and those of people around him. Lee says his favourite lyric from the album is on Moon & Cheese : “escaping is your choice / bye youth”. “I wrote these lyrics because I don’t like change. But then I thought that in a world that keeps changing, I cannot run away. So when things change, I have to accept the changes to become a better person and develop. It may be cheesy but I really like that lyric.” Releasing and promoting his album as a soloist was a bit of a change for Lee, who says it made him recognise just how much of his energy comes from him riffing off N.Flying’s four other members. “My mood is not so high on my own, and people may think that I’m in a bad mood. But that’s not it; it’s just how I am. N.Flying have become known for our energy and fun mood. “I feel a lot of responsibility on my own to make people laugh, but it made me realise how much I’ve been influenced by the other members to naturally bring about that sort of fun atmosphere.” J.Don didn’t necessarily hit it big with his album or single, but that’s fine with Lee Seung-hyub. At least for now. “I’m not really aiming for a visible outcome or high charting [with this album], but just trying to let people know that I’m a soloist, that I’m J.Don, that people can begin to know. “This isn’t all I have to offer, this is just a start. This is a warm-up, and people can stay tuned for more from me.”