Former 2NE1 member Minzy has given her honest thought on her long journey dealing with depression and what made her leave 2NE1.
Minzy, who was a trainee at YG Entertainment from a very young age, has been focusing on her solo career since leaving 2NE1. It’s been almost 2 years since the day that Minzy officially left 2NE1. In a recent interview, the idol finally had the chance to share her honest thought about the difficulties of growing up in the industry and how it affected her social skills.
“I didn’t know how to have relationships with people,” she reflects. “Since I was so young in such a controlled environment, I never learned how to socialize. I really didn’t have a normal childhood — I never went out to play with other kids. I was just training and everyone was older than me.”
Fans were even more surprised when Minzy continued to share that during the a period considered to be 2NE1’s career peak with songs like “Can’t Nobody” and “I Am The Best”, it was also the darkest point in Minzy’s life. At that time, she constantly had to deal with the pressure of being an idol at such a young age of 16, along with the lack of a “natural support system”. Minzy also shares that Teddy Park, the famous producer from YG, was the one who consoled and shared her burden even from when she was young.
When she decided to leave 2NE1 and YG Entertainment in 2016, Minzy says it was the first step in figuring out if performing was her true path. “I needed some time to deal with my depression, find my own way and decide if this was something I really wanted to do,” she explains. She wanted to put herself first and sign with a smaller label. The idol continues to share that: “”Leaving 2NE1, it’s not about leaving or breaking up the group. It’s that I fought for myself, my own future and what I wanted,” she reflects of her now-solo journey.
2 years after 2NE1’s disbandment, fans are still very grateful to finally get to hear Minzy’s voice and thought on the issue from the past. The fan community also felt happy that their idol can open her thought, take care of herself and find the support for mental health problem. Since the idol issue is still a taboo in the K-pop industry, Minzy’s fans also hope that her interview will be able to help and inspire the others.
Sources: allkpop
