Baekho: "Out of about a hundred swings, there are about two that I like" [GQ Golf - September 28, 2022]
Firmly and clear in the distance. When Baekho swings.
GQ: Let's be honest. How many drivers have you broken?
BH: Hahahahaha, one. Just one broke.
GQ: When you were doing that tee shot and I heard that loud sound and watched the driver break into pieces, I thought I was going to meet a power golfer.
BH: So you've seen that video. Actually, people who swing well probably don't break their clubs, right? I'm bad at swinging so it broke, hahahaha. I felt a little bad then (when the club broke) but out of everyone I was with, my ball went the farthest. It didn't even hit the ground so I don't know why it broke. The driver must have been pretty worn out.
GQ: How long has it been since you started getting into golf?
BH: It's been over a year now. I started taking it seriously since summer of last year.
GQ: You mentioned in the sports variety show Sooro's Rovers (2019) that you weren't really a soccer fan. How did you come to like golf, which has a ball much smaller than a soccer ball?
BH: Just naturally. Since everyone I knew who played golf said it was really fun, I wanted to try it. I didn't know it would be this much fun of a sport. I thought, wow, this crazy tiny ball doesn't follow me at all. When I want to push it just a bit farther, it ends up going somewhere weird... With soccer, actually if someone asks me to play, I have average skills just enough to do it. Even though I like it, I don't spend time practicing to be better. Golf's different. "Oh, I really want to be better. I really want to play better." So I ended up practicing and spending my time on it, though I think it's obvious that I've gone a bit too far. It's a sport that has kind of taken over me.
GQ: People who enjoy golf all say the same thing. When it doesn't go my way, I somehow end up loving it more. Have you reached this spiritual enlightenment?
BH: It really just goes where it feels like going. And at 80, I swing about a hundred times, but only two shots come out well. I can't forget those two shots so I go for another round. Also, it's hard to look for a place to golf in Seoul, right? There are a lot of times when I had to get in my car and go somewhere far, so while driving, I get to enjoy my time with good people and eat something delicious when we're done. I love everything about that feeling. All the things I love are part of golf.
GQ: I'm curious about your opening playlist when you go on a trip. What songs do you listen to on your way to the golf course?
BH: I don't listen to songs on the way. I usually love listening to music while driving. But when I go to play golf, I don't listen to music.
GQ: That look in your eye is such a huge change. It's totally different from what you said earlier about not being too greedy or going too far.
BH: Hahaha, no, it's... I want to go there with a serious, reverent mind. You feel like going back to nature when you're in the city, right? So I want to get rid of all that man-made stuff.
GQ: Ah, to face it quietly.
BH: Yes, quietly. But I don't want to be too crazy about golf. Because I want to do it for a long time. I don't want to lose my excitement for it right away. I don't want to be too into it. I just want it to be a healthy hobby. I'm a singer, not a golf player.
GQ: Sounds good. So let's dive into more of Baekho's healthy hobby. What's your "Lifetime Best Score"?
BH: I swung a 79 once. But the next day, I hit a 100 so the 79 seemed ridiculous.
GQ: What's your average record?
BH: It foes back and forth between 80 in the latter half and 90 in the first half.
GQ: Your style of aiming seems like it's for power golf?
BH: I'm not sure about that. Because now, the thing I hear the most is "lessen your strength." It only goes where I want it to go if I ease up; it will go farther if I ease up. It seems like somehow my strength is getting in the way. I thought that no matter what, strong people will only swing far if they ease up on their strength... Anyway, I haven't been worried about my driving distance. The ball following an accurate path is my main worry.
GQ: What about the opposing forces from nearby disturbances?
BH: I'm an RC car. For example, if someone says "This ball is going to slice," it happens that way, like a remote control was telling it what to do. The people I play with can basically control me with their words.
GQ: Why do you say that so brightly?
BH: It's just funny. Golf is having fun and being comfortable with good people. I love that kind of atmosphere. Rather than having a competitive and strict game, the ball can get kind of dangerous so we try to swing safely. We tease each other and cheer each other on, that kind of thing.
GQ: Was there a particularly memorable golf day?
BH: Yes, there was. My friend's mom had just started playing golf. Since we played it and enjoyed it a lot, they asked their mom to learn, and she really did. That was the first time my friend went on a trip with their mom to play golf. I was with them when Mom stepped on the field for the first time. Moments like that are great.
GQ: Do you call your friend's mom "Mom" too?
BH: Ah! My mom is close with my friends. I'm also close with my friends' parents. My friends call my mom "Mom." I thought that was pretty nice so I followed suit.
GQ: That's great. Friends, parents, and everyone getting along and spending time together like that.
BH: It is really great. We can all do it together regardless of age, so it's really amazing.
GQ: If we use golf as a metaphor, we prepare for a new tee shot at a new hole, right? Like how you've prepared for your solo activities simply as Baekho, not as NU'EST Baekho.
BH: Hm? No, I think it's better to call it my second shot.
BH: Since the tee shot went well, the fairway is in a good spot so it feels like the second shot is going to go well, too.
GQ: So it's not like the hole is over, but the tee shot succeeded through the name "NU'EST."
BH: Right. So it feels like I'm in a good place to make the second shot. It really does. It really feels like I'm having a new start, because it's a new shot. I'm nervous and excited and anxious and worried. But somehow I feel kind of assured in my heart too. I was so happy when I promoted as NU'EST. Because of NU'EST, I've come to a good place. From this place, I can go anywhere I want to go next.
GQ: The solo album that's coming out in October seems to be the direction in which you're going. Are you also participating in all aspects of this album - writing, composing, producing?
BH: Yes. I'm working hard preparing for it. I recorded the title track yesterday, and I really like it.
GQ: Was the song you sang at your fan meeting a hint about your new album? "I, who felt change, have changed" [t/n: literal translation]
BH: Yes, that was a hint. Strictly speaking, it's one of the finished new songs. The fan meeting was decided while we were working on the album, so I wanted to reveal one of the new songs in advance at the fan meeting.
GQ: The NU'EST albums you've produced for about three years have been described as "silk." This song is like a pair of jeans that have softened after a rough washing and sanding. [t/n: i'm sorry WHO described it this way??] Though it's more natural and rough, it still has a soft strength to it.
BH: Really? That was intentional. When I was singing NU'EST songs, I had a lot of high-pitched vocals, but while I was working on this album, my intention was "Let's try to find power without high vocals." What kind of strength can I show effortlessly? I did a lot of research on that.
GQ: This solo album is like another piece of you. If you could express it through a color, what color would it be?
BH: Um... I hope it can be clear. Though the process of working on it and the way I approached it was different, it's really all just me. Then and now, I'm still the same person. So that's why I just want its color to be clear. [t/n: clear as in 'transparent'; not clear as in 'vibrant']
GQ: You said that when you go for a round, you don't listen to music and face it with silence. What about the drive back?
BH: That's when I have to monitor the time. There are a lot of people like us who work at night and sleep during the day, right? So we go for a round in the morning, and in the afternoon, we have to face all the work we put off.
GQ: So you're considering that as well. You're not tired after golf?
BH: No, not at all. It's great. I feel refreshed.
GQ: What are the values you stand for while playing golf?
BH: I don't accept mulligans from my friends. (*mulligan: when a bad swing is invalidated and the player can swing again)
BH: I just hit it. I hit it just the way it is. Whether I hit it well or I hit it terribly, it's still my ball.
[this is a fan translation by a non-native korean speaker and may contain inaccuracies. it has not yet been proofread or edited.]
