Early Unusual Vocal Development
Chen's vocal development during his childhood was independent of classical music education but equally refined. Even in middle school, his vibrato control and intonation caught the attention of his music teachers. While still in high school, he was featured as an example student in vocal lesson videos at a local music academy.
Late to Join SM but Quick to Catch Up
Unlike other EXO members, Chen was one of the last to join SM Entertainment, but he appeared in the debut songs of EXO-M and EXO-K after only 11 months of training. The fact that Chen's training period, which normally lasts for years, was kept so short was explained by the company's desire to bring his vocal potential directly to the stage.
Breath Control in “What is Love”
The high notes in EXO's pre-debut track “What is Love” bear Chen's signature. In particular, the seamless high vocal transition at 2:43 is classified by many vocal trainers as “impossible for beginners.” This performance earned him special segments on vocal analysis channels outside of Korea.
Vocal Color Blindness Test
Chen has a habit of comparing his vocals to a color scale. In his own words, “natural high notes are blue, and nasal resonance is yellow.” In 2017, his way of describing tones caught the attention of music therapists during a radio program, and subsequent tests revealed synesthetic tendencies. In other words, he can perceive certain sounds as colors.
Microgestures in Stage Performance
Chen's gestures on stage have been analyzed many times. In particular, the way he raises his right shoulder almost imperceptibly while singing is based on his habit of managing his vocal resonance. This movement is a micro-technique that has become a reflex to lighten the load on his throat when he raises his voice.
Dictionaries He Uses When Writing Songs
Chen pays special attention to songwriting in his solo projects outside of EXO. The most notable method he used for his first solo album, “April, and a Flower,” released in 2019, was to use only Korean lyric dictionaries from the 1960s. His goal was to increase emotional intensity by using old expressions rather than modern Korean.
Secret Song Recording Method
Unlike other members, Chen is known to sing in a dark room with his back to the microphone during the recording process. He uses this technique because he says it allows him to sing more naturally “without being in front of the camera.” His producers describe the result of this method as “a voice free from psychological filters.”
Connection to Religious Music
Religious melodies play a significant role in Chen's musical background. While his family was part of a church choir, Chen also joined the choir at a young age. Over time, this experience has been cited as the source of the emotional intensity and vocal vibrations in his ballads. Some fans describe his voice as having a “prayer-like quality.”
Academic Interest in His Vocal Range
Chen's vocal range has been studied not only by fans and instructors but also by some music academics. In particular, he has been documented to be able to transition seamlessly between F3 and C6. In a thesis conducted at Seoul National University in 2021, Chen's transitions were described as “an elastic bridge between mix voice and falsetto.”
Method for Overcoming Stage Fright
Although Chen appears confident on stage, he has stated that he experienced intense anxiety during his first solo performances. His ritual before taking the stage for live performances like “The Truth Untold” involves closing his eyes five times, taking deep breaths, and then looking into a mirror while murmuring a sentence: “I am just my music.” This ritual has been captured on camera on several occasions.
Uncredited Vocal Contributions
Outside of EXO, Chen has contributed vocals to many SM artists without being credited. In particular, his voice can be heard in the vocal layers of the second bridge of Red Velvet's “One of These Nights,” but this has not been officially acknowledged. Chen has provided vocal support for more than five projects in this manner.
Musical Leadership Role in the Military
While serving in the military, Chen was assigned to a special music training unit in his unit. Together with other soldiers, he organized mini stage performances that blended oriental classical music with K-pop. He also sang the national anthem solo at some internal ceremonies, and one of his performances was officially recognized with a thank-you letter from high-ranking officers.
Emotional Range in His Lyricism
Chen has said that when interpreting a song, he focuses not on the words, but on the silence between the words. According to him, the most powerful part of an emotion begins where the words end. That's why he consciously leaves gaps in some of his solo songs. In the song “Hello” in particular, these gaps give the song a melancholic echo.
Low Profile in Fan Interaction
Chen's relationship with his fans is quite unique. He rarely engages in “fan service” outside of the stage, but he makes up for it by continuing the tradition of sending handwritten letters. He is known to send short notes to selected fans on their birthdays. These letters are considered collectibles and some have been sold at high prices on the second-hand market.
Connection to Classical Literature
Chen's interest in art is not limited to music. Influenced by his high school literature teacher, he turned to Korean classical poetry and used images from these poems in some of his lyrics. The metaphor “memory of a faded star” used in his song “Shall We?” is adapted from a 15th-century Korean poem.
Practicing in Silence During Vocal Rehearsals
Before starting vocal rehearsals, Chen spends 10 minutes doing breathing exercises without singing a single note. During this time, he puts on headphones and blocks out external sounds, trying to listen only to his inner resonance. This habit helps him transform his voice into an “internal flow rather than a mechanical one.” He developed this method by drawing inspiration from meditative vocal techniques rather than classical vocalists.
Moments of Emotional Overload
Chen sometimes succumbs to his emotions on stage. During a live performance in 2019, his voice trembled and he paused before reaching the first chorus, unable to continue singing. He later explained this moment by saying, “The lyrics of the song coincided with a real-life event, and my brain went into shutdown mode.” Moments like these reveal how his vocal power is combined with emotional depth.
The Acoustic Structure of His Home Studio
The walls of Chen's mini studio at home are covered with stone instead of fabric. This is outside the traditional studio concept because stone surfaces reflect sound and create echoes. However, Chen consciously uses this echo to create a natural atmosphere in his songs. His preference for “primitive and echoey” tones, especially in his demo recordings, shows his love for raw vocals.
How He Protects His Family Life
Even during the busiest period of his career, Chen managed to keep his family out of the public eye. When he announced his marriage and that he had children, there was a huge public reaction, but instead of hiding it, he shared it openly, becoming one of the first names in K-pop to stand up against the usual fan pressure. Even after this announcement, he did not compromise on the quality of his performances on stage, which was seen as a sign of his professionalism.
Vocal Loneliness Among EXO Members
Despite being one of the members with the most refined singing technique in EXO, Chen has stated that he sometimes struggles to harmonize with other members. This was because his voice frequency was “a little too clean.” During group vocal rehearsals, especially in the three-part harmony sections, he tended to sing louder than the others, so he was asked to consciously lower his voice in some parts.
Interference in Album Cover Aesthetics
Chen also contributed directly to the visual design of his solo albums. The pale blue and white flower illustration on the cover of his first album was his suggestion. When choosing the color palette, he worked with the principle that “after my voice, it should leave peace in the eyes.” While working with the design team, he stated that he tried to establish a metaphysical balance between sound and image.
Special Vocal Recipe
Chen does not resort to traditional methods to protect his voice before long performances. His recipe is quite personal: a mixture of cinnamon tea, apple peel, and a small amount of sea salt. He consumes this mixture twice a day, in the morning and evening, on rehearsal days. He insists it be consumed warm, not hot, as hot liquids can cause the vocal cords to “soften too much.”
His Silent Journey with the Guitar
Despite having barely played the guitar during his time with EXO, Chen has a collection of classical guitars at home. He has been teaching himself to play since 2015. However, he has never performed on stage because, as he explains, “I use the guitar like a friend who doesn't voice my thoughts when I'm not singing.” So, for him, it is not an instrument, but a form of silence.
Secret Composition Hidden by Fans
In 2020, a short melody heard in the background during an online event was recorded and analyzed by fans. It quickly became apparent that the melody was an unreleased composition by Chen. Since then, this short piece of music has been circulating among fans as “Unnamed 2020.” Chen has never confirmed or denied the song.
A Habit of Avoiding Stage Lights
During his live performances, Chen makes a special request to the lighting designers: Instead of direct light at eye level, he prefers filtered light reflected from above. He explains that this choice is not only for eye health but also to protect his mental state. “I don't want a curtain between me and the audience,” he says, but the directness of the light should not “overshadow the soul.”
Concept of Time and Lyric Writing
Chen makes a point of not looking at the clock while writing lyrics. Once he begins the writing process, he turns wall clocks upside down or removes them entirely to avoid perceiving time. He says this prevents the pressure of time from “interfering with the melody.” This concept of time is directly reflected in some of his lyrics: “When you ignore time, memories begin to speak.”
He Only Feels Embarrassed by His Own Voice
Interestingly, Chen finds it difficult to listen to his own vocal recordings, even when he is alone. In his own words, “When I listen to my own voice, both I and the voice feel embarrassed.” For this reason, he never listens to his released songs again, except during stage rehearsals or recording checks. For him, “sound is for experiencing the moment; there is no need for repetition.”
Quiet Fan Observation
Chen doesn't check social media backstage after concerts like the other members. Instead, he watches fan cam videos silently to analyze his own performance. He watches these videos with the sound off because he wants to focus on his body language and facial expressions. He says this helps him better understand the energy he brings to the stage and how it interacts with the audience.
Unreleased Japanese Song
During EXO's Japan tour, Chen wrote a Japanese song in his hotel room and presented it to the group's producers, but it was not included in the album because it was deemed “too sad.” The song's title was never revealed, but Chen mentioned at a few fan events that it was his most sincere but loneliest work.
Emotional Protection Mechanism
Chen uses a specific choreographic movement as a “secret signal” when he feels his eyes welling up during some concerts. For example, if he brings his hand to the microphone stand, it is his way of calming himself down. This reflex has become so internalized that some fans later realized that this movement was his “emotional shield.”
The Connection Between Nature and Solitude
Chen has a habit of retreating into solitude from time to time. He goes on short walks in the mountains outside the city, without his phone or music player. He tries to clear his mind by listening to the sounds of nature. After these sessions of silence, he usually returns with a new melody in mind. This habit has become more pronounced since his military service.
The Singer Who Avoids Album Promotions
Chen prefers to participate in promotions for his solo albums at a minimum level. This is a conscious choice because he believes that “if the song doesn't speak for itself, it's not right for me to explain it in an interview.” Although this attitude is sometimes interpreted as aloof by the media, his fans describe it as “quiet elegance.”
Musical Memory-Based Improvisation
Chen has the ability to memorize melodies he hears within a few seconds and instantly vocalize them. During a 2018 radio program, when the host played an improvised piano chord, Chen repeated the chord with the correct tone and harmony on his first listen. This moment is one of the rare examples that demonstrate the extent of his musical hearing ability.
Use of Light in the Recording Process
Chen has an unusual preference in studio recordings: recording in complete darkness. In interviews with producers, he has said, “The lights make me feel like I'm being watched, so I sing more honestly when the lights are off.” This atmosphere is directly reflected in the sincerity of his vocals, especially in his solo projects.
Microphone Selectivity Due to Vocal Sensitivity
Unlike other vocalists, Chen uses only certain models of studio microphones. It is important to him that the microphones he uses have fabric filters rather than metal bodies because these filters allow the sound to flow rather than bounce. Different studio versions of the same song create a noticeable difference in Chen's voice simply because of his choice of microphone.
Managing Emotional Transitions in Vocals with Rhythm
Chen bases the emotional ups and downs of a song on rhythm rather than words. Especially in ballads, he deliberately sings some syllables half a second behind the rhythm, which gives the words a delayed but more intense emotional resonance. Although this technique goes against classical vocal rules, it creates a “emotional timing” that is unique to Chen.
Use of Half-Sentences in Songs
What stands out in some of Chen's solo songs is the deliberate omission of unfinished sentences. The lyrics suddenly stop mid-phrase, such as “...and if.” This allows the listener to fill in the blank with their own emotions. According to Chen, music becomes real when it “gives the listener the right to complete the sentence.”