INFINITE's Woohyun recently sat down for an interview in light of the release of his first solo album, 'WHITREE,' and shared the message he wants to deliver with his new music.

He began by sharing, "I was sick earlier this year (he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer), and on top of that, since I had to change companies, I wondered if it meant 'I should quit everything and take a break.' Nevertheless, during my recovery, I think I became more mature and healthier both musically and mentally, reflecting on many of my thoughts. Despite being unwell, I recovered and am back passionately singing and dancing. So, I want to give courage to others when they see me so they can think, 'I can get back up too'."

On this day, he personally revealed for the first time that he had undergone a 10-hour surgery for a rare cancer called GIST (gastrointestinal stromal tumor) and recovered. Even fans were unaware of his condition during the celebration of INFINITE's 13th anniversary in July-August, when they released the mini-album '13egin' and held a concert.

Even though it was a significant surgery that required a month of hospitalization, Woohyun hastened his recovery because he wanted to meet his fans again and return to work. Woohyun, who underwent surgery in April, explained, "Originally, I was planning to release a single album in the summer, but I was sick, so I blamed myself a lot for not being able to release it," and added "The first people I wanted to see while I was sick were my fans. So, I tried hard to recover quickly. Even though I couldn't walk, I worked hard to walk quickly by exercising."

Although he went through a difficult time, Woohyun took the opportunity and focused more on his musical activities. He had already incorporated his thoughts into his previous music through lyrics and composition. He put even deeper sincerity into this full album. He said, "Even in my previous self-composed songs, I put a lot of my feelings, but this time, I wrote about what I really wanted to tell and the emotions I felt," and laughed, saying, "This album contains the dynamic aspects of my character. It seems like the 'final version' of Nam Woohyun."

The album 'WHITREE' includes a total of 11 songs, including the title track "Baby Baby."

"Baby Baby" is a love song with a City Pop-style melody reminiscent of a carol, filled with warm winter emotions. Woohyun wrote the lyrics himself. In addition, Woohyun participated in writing and composing a total of five songs, and he personally arranged the tracklist to reflect his thoughts. In particular, the 10th track, "Paradise," was explained as being placed at the end because he wanted his fans to sing along during concerts.

When asked which song he is the most attached to on this album, he replied with the 7th track, "I Will Be Alright." Woohyun said, "It was tough to overcome alone when you're sick. It's now in the past, but it was extremely difficult for me at that time. So, it's a song I wrote based on that experience," and added, "I like the number 7, and it contains my thoughts and feelings the most." 

Meanwhile, Woohyun will hold a solo concert, 'Tree Day 3 - WHITREE,' at Jamsil Student Gymnasium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on the 30th and 31st of next month. He said, "I hope this album is a gift to the fans. Since I put all of my energy into the first full-length album, I hope you enjoy all the tracks from 1 through 11," and "If you have a hard time, let's overcome it together and live healthily and happily for a long time."