Q: What was the most unexpected challenge you faced while creating your new album, QUINTESSENCE?
Taeyang: From the very beginning, creating QUINTESSENCE was a major challenge for me.

The reason is that, instead of working with the producers I’d collaborated with for many years, I chose to create this album with an entirely new team of producers. Every step of that collaborative process was a significant challenge for me.

Throughout that journey, we spent a lot of time exploring new sounds and discovering a new side of TAEYANG. That process is deeply embedded throughout the album.

So, for me, QUINTESSENCE is an album that reflects on the idea of “newness.” It’s filled with the thoughts, concerns, and emotions I experienced throughout that journey, and I believe that’s what this album has become.

Q: Could you tell us about the inspiration behind your new album, QUINTESSENCE?
Taeyang: About a year ago, when I first began working on this album, there was one word that kept lingering in my mind: quintessence - the idea of “essence.”

As I continued learning about what “essence” truly means and digging deeper into that concept, I came across the word quintessence.

That word became a great source of inspiration for me. When I stopped to think about why it had stayed with me so strongly, I realized it was because it was something both the world today and I personally needed.

That’s why I kept reflecting on the idea of “essence.” Every moment I spent contemplating it became a source of inspiration.

After discovering the word QUINTESSENCE, countless new ideas naturally began to emerge, and all of those inspirations are woven throughout this album.

Q: Is there anything about you that fans still don’t know that might surprise them?
Taeyang: That’s a difficult question. I’ve spent nearly twenty years walking this path together with my fans, so I’m not sure if there’s really a side of me they haven’t seen yet.

Still, people around me, and fans who have supported me for a long time, often tell me that once I become interested in something, I completely immerse myself in it.

Looking back on myself, there are times when I surprise myself too. So I think that side of me might be unexpected for fans, or for people who don’t know me very well yet.

Q: Was there anything new you learned about yourself?
Taeyang: For me, this album taught me a lot. I came away with so many realizations.

There’s a lot wrapped up in it, but if I had to point to one thing, it’s how much I learned about sharing this with different people, and about how to get closer and closer to the work I could picture in my head.

And there’s something else I felt strongly about, too. Of course, I was heavily involved in a lot of it myself, and there’s so much of that process baked into this record. But looking back on the finished album, I realized that maybe my part was really just one piece of the whole thing.

The staff who supported me, and so many people around me, poured in so much time and effort, almost like it was their own project. That really hit me.

And then after the album came out, through all the time, memories, and experiences I got to share with the fans, I started to feel like I’m the one who builds the process and sends it out into the world, but it’s really the fans who finish it.

Honestly, I’d always felt that on some level. But going through this album made me believe it even more. I understood it on a much deeper level this time.

Q: Aside from making music, how do you spend your time?
Taeyang: I live a pretty ordinary, everyday life, honestly. I try to hold on to the things I love. It’s less about doing anything special, and more that I genuinely love the ordinary, everyday stuff itself.

I eat healthy, go for walks, work out at set times each day… I’ve got my own little routine. I enjoy exhibitions, books, and movies that I like too.

If anything, I’d say I like savoring quiet moments. As the seasons change, watching the shifting scenery, taking in the air and mood you can feel around you while looking at that changing view, I also enjoy just sitting with my thoughts.

That kind of ordinary, everyday life, that’s what it is for me.

But when it comes to things I’m interested in, or things I want to know more about, I think I’m the type to take my time and really engage with them.

Right now, since releasing and finishing the album, not that much time has passed yet, so I’ve been having very busy days. Being able to have a slow, relaxed everyday life feels like it was quite a while ago.

Spotify Japan Interview, July 2026

Translated by @kwoncircles on X