ESQ: Your first move after being discharged from military service was to hold a charity flea market and an auction to raise funds for Snail of Love, which helps people who suffer from hearing loss.
TAEYANG: I thought a lot about how to meet my fans for the first time after my discharge. When you’re in the military, all you wear is your uniform. That made me realise that I have way too many things. I thought about how to deal with my many belongings, which led me to decide on a flea market and donate the profits. The initial intention was how to meet fans, but the idea answered different thoughts.
ESQ: Why did you pick Snail of Love?
TAEYANG: I looked into many charities and I found myself moved by them [Snail of Love] the most. As a singer and a musician, I value the very act of hearing beyond music. Seeing is important too, however, I think a word or some beautiful sound changes people the most. In that sense, I wanted to give special presents to hearing-impaired kids.
ESQ: You said you thought a lot about life while in the service. How was your life in there? As you enjoy and cherish your job as a singer so much, it must have felt strange to not officially perform on a stage for two years.
TAEYANG: I actually had a lot of fun. I think I really needed that time. Of course I had some tough times there too, but overall, I needed that time so much and I think I would’ve been a less mature person without that time. I said it was fun and enjoyable because I had worked without a break since I started my career, hence I used to suffer from mental fatigue all the time. Before entering the service, I had an endless chain of decisions to make, but in the military I just needed to follow the given daily tasks. I found that kind of time so relaxing. It gave me great mental peace.
Esta historia es de la edición March 2020 de Esquire Singapore.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición March 2020 de Esquire Singapore.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
THE MILD HANGOVER
Hangovers get a bad rap. We know. If you’ve gotten this far in the magazine, you’ve surely divined that we’re mildly hungover most of the time.
AN ELECTRIC FUTURE
Polestar, the minimalist electric Swedish car brand, turns the voltage up on its competition.
LET'S GET REAL (ESTATE): LUXURIOUS LONDON
Royalty, shopping, the best tea and scones the world has to offer, and a lifestyle worthy of what you're working for. Here's why London is ripe for your next investment
NEXT UP....ZARAN VACHHA
As Co-founder of the events and talent agency Collective Minds and Managing Director of the Mandala Masters, Zaran Vachha is definitely not new to the culture scene, but he's certainly shaping what comes next.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED...
I DON’T WEAR SOCKS except in January.
The Body Is a Language
A bad handshake is such a turnoff; we feel irked when someone rolls their eyes at us; we can't stop pacing when we're nervous-ever wondered how certain body language has the power to change how we feel instantly? We explore why.
EYE OF THE TIGER
Hailing from Singapore, Japan and Brazil respectively, Evolve Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes Darren Goh, Hiroki Akimoto and Alex Silva are proof that the ring demands as much from mind as it does from matter.
THE ADONIS COMPLEX
With the rise of superhero culture making a return and bringing with it the celebration of the classically ‘masculine’ body type, can men really overcome the pressure to conform when culture keeps getting in the way?
FUNNY BUT TRUE
A comedian, an iconic Singaporean, and now a man much evolved. After overcoming two years of pandemic limbo, unlocking career milestones one after another and undergoing a life-defining physical transformation, Rishi Budhrani is ready to emerge into the world renewed-and anew.
LIKE NO OTHER
With its horological triumphs, Hermès has truly come into its own as a watchmaking maison. In this exclusive interview with Esquire Singapore, CEO of Hermès Horloger, Laurent Dordet sheds some light on his timepieces' rising stardom and the importance of being different.
