WONHO’s Syndrome: How a beloved K-pop idol maps the arc of love and kicks off a new era with his first English album

South Korean heartthrob WONHO celebrated the release of his first full English album in New York City this month with a triumphant shout from atop the Empire State Building.

It’s been five years since WONHO debuted as a solo artist and in that time, he completed his mandatory military service, released a string of EPs, and reunited with fans at last December’s Welcome Back WENEE fan meeting. Now, with the release of his debut English album “Syndrome,” featuring standout tracks “What Would You Do” and “Better Than Me,” WONHO is stepping boldly into a new chapter.

amNewYork sat down with WONHO after hiking to the top of the Empire State Building to discuss the inspiration behind “Syndrome,” his artistic ambitions, and what drives him forward.

“I feel very happy to be able to even be doing these promotions as an artist,” WONHO said, promising that he’s been working hard on improving his English. “I’m not really putting my entire journey into this album but working with the concept that I want this album to be about. I want to continue moving forward with this concept, and I believe there’s no limit to the genres I want to explore. I just want to keep trying as many as I can and keep thinking about what my fans would like… and put this into the album.”

WONHO at the Empire State Building.Photo by Amanda Moses

WONHO at the Empire State Building.Photo by Amanda Moses

With drums from the Veterans Day Parade echoing from Fifth Avenue and 60 mph winds whipping through the Empire State Building’s observatory deck, WONHO pressed on with his promotions for “Syndrome,” a testament to the unwavering determination that has defined his five-year solo journey. He credits one source above all: his fans.

“It may be cliché, but my fans have always been my main motivation,” he said. “Even having conversations with my fans inspires certain themes that become songs on the album. I keep thinking about what kind of songs I want them to listen to, that always comes first for me.”

“Syndrome” is about mapping love through sound. The album expresses the shifting stages of love, from the initial spark to rising intensity, to the quiet afterglow. WONHO structured the track list to mirror his own emotional experiences, while crafting themes that reach beyond the artist–fan relationship.

“I think the track list follows this order of feelings,” he explained. “Whenever I meet my fans or spend time away from them, those emotions are incorporated in the songs. The stories aren’t just about me and my fans. I wanted them to be about emotions everyone can feel.”

Even before the album drop, teaser announcements asked fans the question: “What’s your love syndrome?” For WONHO, the word carries a hopeful meaning.

WONHO at the Empire State Building.Photo by Amanda Moses

WONHO at the Empire State Building.Photo by Amanda Moses

“It’s positive,” he said. “I was basically asking, what is your idea of love? What are you feeling right now? I hoped a song on the album would include the emotions the audience is feeling, that they’d find something to relate to.”

The road to preparing this album spanned both before and after his military service, which he completed in September 2024. With a little over a year now behind him, WONHO said the time away gave him the space to shape “Syndrome” with precision.

“The military itself wasn’t a direct influence,” he shared, “but the break allowed me to perfect this album and really picture it. Before, I would always release mini-albums or singles to meet fans quickly. This time, I had the time I needed to complete the album exactly the way I wanted.”

A new era of WONHO is here, and that transformation begins with his title track. WONHO took special pride in “If You Wanna,” contributing to its lyrics, arrangement, and composition.

“The song definitely makes an impact, especially the wording,” he reflected. “I was able to show a side of me I’ve never shown before. While producing it, the original sounded more ’90s, but I added distortion and ripping sounds in the bass to make it stronger and more modern. It was a good challenge for me.”

WONHO at the Empire State Building.Photo by Amanda Moses

WONHO at the Empire State Building.Photo by Amanda Moses

While WONHO has long been hands-on with his Korean releases, creating an English-language album opened new creative pathways. Inspired by early-2000s Western boy bands like *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys, he leaned into a different style on tracks like “Better Than Me.”

“For my Korean albums, I write the songs myself,” he said. “For this English album, I was able to work with other producers and try things I couldn’t try in my Korean albums. If I keep doing English songs, I’ll keep trying more of these things. But in Korean songs it’s not as cool for me to express these kinds of things,” he added with a laugh.

With “Syndrome,” WONHO shows that he can be both an unforgettable voice on the global stage and an artist unafraid to assert his worth. He captures the album’s emotional core into one line from “Better Than Me”: “No one could ever love you as I did.” Still, his ultimate hope is simpler: that listeners feel him beside them, in any moment and any state of mind.

“I want my fans to enjoy the songs, songs for when they’re sad or happy or bored,” he said. “I want them to always feel that I’m next to them, singing for them. Like they have a little mini WONHO next to them. Through this album, I want them to feel happiness and freedom.”