A certain level of self-awareness is a prerequisite for anyone to choose honesty when empathy is expected. In a world where MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) has long been used to understand how people think, feel, respond, and react to one another, XEN takes that familiar language a step further with his latest single, “F: KILLER,” released on March 21.
“F: KILLER” captures a reflection of emotional maturity – For XEN, that choice comes from the ambition of valuing himself. In conversation with KpopWise, XEN opens up about his growth as a solo artist, staying honest to his silky vocals and building a musical path that feels fully his own.
“F: KILLER” Audio
Congratulations on the release of “F: KILLER.” How does it feel to have newly released the track to the world in 2026 since your last solo single, “어디서부터 (From Where)” in 2024?
XEN: Thank you so much for loving “F: KILLER” and congratulating me on the release. It actually made me think that I need to keep moving forward and work even harder. While preparing for the release event, I realized that I still don’t have that many songs to share with my fans yet.
“F: KILLER” is rooted in the idea of choosing honesty over expected empathy and draws on the Thinking (T) tendency in MBTI. When working on this track, what aspect of that perspective felt most important for you to convey?
XEN: I wanted to show the process of finding your own honest answer rather than giving meaningless empathy because I value myself.
There’s an interesting tension in the lyrics between understanding someone’s emotions and refusing to perform a reaction you don’t genuinely feel. Was “F: KILLER” more about expressing emotional clarity or sitting within that tension?
XEN: I mainly focused on trying to understand what I really want.
“F: KILLER” has a sense of emotional distance that runs through the track, but without feeling empty. It relies heavily on the vocal delivery of the emotional weight. How did you decide how far to lean into that tone without losing connection, and what did you hold back from expressing too much?
XEN: I wanted this to be a song that people could listen to often without getting tired of it. So I tried to avoid big emotional swings or drastic changes in vocal tone when recording.
Is there something in this song that you hope listeners pick up on without you ever having to say it out loud?
XEN: There are actually a lot of subtle details hidden in the track and vocals, like vocal dynamics and vibrato. As you listen, you might be able to realize those little moments and resonate with the song even better.
After completing this “F: KILLER,” what kind of emotions stayed with you the longest, and how does the song expand or redefine the kind of artist you’re becoming?
XEN: This song made me reflect on my vocals again. It helped me recognize both my overlooked shortcomings and the areas where I had grown a bit overconfident. That’s why “F: KILLER” is a song I’ll remember for a long time, and it will remain as a good motivation for me to keep improving.
You can stream XEN’s recent solo single, “F: KILLER,” on Spotify and Apple Music.
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