WOODZ says first album 'Archive. 1' was a chance to 'redefine myself'
WOODZ says first album 'Archive. 1' was a chance to 'redefine myself'
Olivia Munson, USA TODAYWed, March 4, 2026 at 3:01 PM UTC
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South Korean artist WOODZ does not "want to be confined into one box."
"I want to keep trying and taking on new challenges musically. I continuously put myself into that situation where I need to break through," the 29-year-old tells USA TODAY.
Born Cho Seung-youn, WOODZ is a multi-hyphenate – singer-songwriter, producer and performer – with a career spanning over a decade in the South Korean entertainment industry. He was a member of two idol groups, appeared on several music competition shows and is a solo artist known for his versatility and boundary-pushing sound.
WOODZ.
WOODZ's music has garnered over 1.1 billion global streams, and with five EPs under his belt, he's ready to embark on a new career chapter – releasing his first studio album "Archive. 1", out now.
"('Archive. 1') being a full length album carries a big meaning, and one of the biggest goals that I had as an artist after I finished my military service was to present myself as more approachable," he says. "I did not want to settle for just mediocre sounds or mediocre results. This is an opportunity for me to redefine myself."
Defining 'Archive. 1'
WOODZ began working on "Archive. 1" nearly three years ago, he reveals, but its foundations date further back. He describes the album as "basically a collection of my reflections on life, as well as the genres of music that I enjoy."
When WOODZ started releasing solo music again around 2020, he made songs with the general audience's tastes in mind. But as time went by, WOODZ began questioning his own musical appetite. "I started asking myself more about what I really enjoy," he says, and that ultimately led him to hone in on rock.
WOODZ.
As WOODZ released more rock-influenced tracks, "I tried to focus more on that essential question of what exactly do I like, instead of what other people like," he says.
This sonic shift came to fruition especially in "OO-LI", released in 2023. The rock-centric EP was one of WOODZ's last prior to his military conscription in early 2024 and saw a viral resurgence as single "Drowning" topped music charts throughout 2025, becoming the No.1 most-listened-to song of that year by South Korea's Melon and Circle charts.
During his enlistment, WOODZ would release music on SoundCloud, defining these songs as "0.9," or the ones that did not quite make number one, he adds. After finishing his military service in July 2025, WOODZ performed a two-show concert series in November, called "index_00".
"It was a showcase of all the songs that I have collected and made so far, which were not quite the complete one, and I feel like now I'm finally ready to present the complete one, hence the name 'Archive. 1'," WOODZ says.
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Genres, themes of WOODZ's first album
WOODZ enjoys art that has "very clear and distinctive characteristics and their own unique edge, and I thought that's the kind of art that I want to pursue," he says of creating "Archive. 1".
He sought to spotlight a rock base with the album and also include different sub-genres, such as ballad and metal. But sound was not the only driving force when finalizing the 17-song track list.
"Being bold and honest to myself was the general attitude that I had toward making this album, and I think that resulted in some songs having strong bass sounds, some songs having very touching melody," he says.
WOODZ further conceptualized this – with the help of a music video director – into highlight categories of instinct, emotions, relationship and identity.
"Each of the songs have very vivid colors, and I wanted to use those colors and sort of compare and draw an analogy. I feel like those different themes were perfect in showing the different dimensions of who I am," he says.
This can be heard throughout the track list, from the pensive love-lost tale of "CINEMA" to single "Human Extinction", which underscores the conflicting nature of the human condition.
WOODZ as the artist, Cho Seung-youn as the human being
Although WOODZ has been active in the music industry for over ten years, he says it's only now that the world is beginning to notice him.
"I got to spend a lot of time with myself, thinking, reflecting on who I am and how I want to be as a human being and an artist," he says. "I wanted to make sure that I separate those identities ... to make sure that I have a way to protect myself."
WOODZ.
This clear, separation has helped WOODZ become a better artist, he believes.
"I think as a human being, Cho Seung-youn also feeds off of WOODZ the artist, and the achievements that WOODZ makes, because I know that a lot of people get encouraged by my music," he says. "I try to become a better person as a human being to make sure that I don't mess up as an artist."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: K-pop icon WOODZ talks first solo album and what fans can expect
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
