Jackson Wang Is Only Just Getting Started

For years, Jackson Wang seemed to exist in perpetual motion. He was moving between countries, cultures and identities, evolving from a fencing prodigy into a global pop icon. But as he turns the page on a new decade in the entertainment industry, there is a sense that he is no longer searching for somewhere to go. Instead, he is learning what it means to stay still.

But stillness does not mean the absence of progress. If anything, it gives him the clarity to see what is possible, what he is capable of and what he wants to pursue next. Perhaps that newfound clarity is reflected in his decision to sign an exclusive global management deal with Roc Nation, the entertainment agency founded by Jay-Z. With the move, he joins an A-list roster that includes Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, and Lil Uzi Vert.

Beyond the Roc Nation deal, Wang has also expanded his creative portfolio with Under The Castle, a dark fantasy and gothic-horror intellectual property (IP) that brings comics-style storytelling into the physical world through events, pop-ups and immersive experiences. According to him, Under The Castle is a personal project. “A lot of what’s in the story also comes from what I’ve experienced and how I’ve grown up,” he says.

In this interview, he tells GQ Singapore why he insists on getting his hands dirty, how he is broadening his creative horizons, and what moving forward with purpose looks like for him.

As your projects become bigger and more global, what are the decisions you still insist on making yourself?

I face a lot of misconceptions and stereotypes about artistes — that they don’t really do it themselves, that a lot of people do it for them, and they don’t know business. But for me, I’m always leading a project and presenting it, and I work on decks all the time. I don’t think it’s anything outstanding because I can do decks. I just think it’s a normal process of preparing for a project, you know?

I think a lot of people would relate to this, but as a creator, when you’re trying to explain something, you have the entire visual and the entire world inside your brain, but people don’t know what that is until you explain it very specifically. So that’s the process that I always go through, and it’s usually the toughest. Landing it on the day of the show or on the day of the launch isn’t really the hardest part. The preparation work is, because you want to get all the “bullets” ready.

“IF YOU’RE PRETENDING TO BE SOMEONE ELSE OR NOT BEING YOURSELF, PEOPLE WILL EVENTUALLY FIND OUT. AND WHEN THEY DO, THE DISAPPOINTMENT IS TEN, A HUNDRED, TIMES GREATER, BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE A BETRAYAL.”

Your new song, Thank You, is dedicated to your fans. What did it allow you to say to them that you hadn’t been able to before?

First of all, I think the reason I’m even able to do this shoot today is because of my audience and fans. Without them, I don’t think a brand would want to work with me. In reality, you have to be able to sell. So the reason I’m able to be on stage, or even have the opportunity to create, is because of them.

It’s also a very honest message and confession to my audience and fans. I tell them straight up: I am a product. I’ve always thought that an artiste is also a product. And that’s why I also see myself as my own project manager or product manager. That’s what I believe.

I don’t think there should be anything between me and my fans. A lot of times, fans or audiences might not know who an artiste really is. Maybe they know you through a perception, through filters, through something that has been packaged or polished. I make sure that my fans know exactly who I am. There shouldn’t be someone between us. I try to be as honest as possible with them, and I’ve always believed in that. If you’re pretending to be someone else or not being yourself, people will eventually find out. And when they do, the disappointment is ten, a hundred, times greater, because it feels like a betrayal.

What are you most excited about in your new chapter with Roc Nation?

I’m definitely very honoured to be able to be part of the family, but at the same time, the signing is very important. The announcement was definitely a moment, but I think what’s more important — the only thing that’s important to me — is what’s next. What are we going to put out, and how are we going to put it out?

And, like I said, at the end of the day, when it comes to the content, the narrative and what’s true to me, every single bit of my output is 100 per cent dictated by me. So I think they really help on a bigger scale when it comes to systems, operations and management, which is something I really needed. We’ll see how it goes.

What do you want to express through Under The Castle, your latest venture?

I think the whole purpose of creating [Under The Castle] was to have something for comic and manga fans. It’s been three or four years since we started, initially focusing mainly on the offline experience, but at the same time, we’ve been preparing for the actual comic to come out.

The reason it has taken this long is because I wanted it to be true to me. I could have just asked someone else to write it, right? But I wanted to take the time to do it myself. The entire story is going to come out next year, and I’m still tweaking, refining and working through a lot of the details and different layers of the story. Then I’ll move on to the graphic visuals and whatever else comes after that.

The main question the story explores is: What is happiness? Does it mean having everything, or does it mean having a perfect world? Is that really happiness? Everyone has a different idea of what happiness means, so it can’t really be compared. That’s the meaning behind the story.

What else are you grateful for?

I’m really grateful that I got on that grind, especially from such a young age. I didn’t graduate from high school. I went to Korea as a trainee, and then I debuted when I was, like, what, 19? I wasn’t ready for a lot of things. I simply didn’t know a lot of things. It was my first time experiencing all of this, and I didn’t yet understand the depth or meaning behind a lot of it.

So, over the years, as I’ve grown older and experienced more highs and lows, the hills and valleys of this dynamic society, I’ve started to realise, hey, I’m actually grateful to be alive in this generation. There are so many things happening every day, in the industry in general, not just in entertainment.

I just feel grateful to be alive and to be able to do what I love as a job. I already feel very fortunate. I’m grateful that my family and I are healthy. I’m also grateful to have fans who are inspired by me and who continue to show me love and support throughout this journey.

Photography: Liu Song 
Editorial Director: Jumius Wong 
Creative Direction and Styling: Jenine Oh 
Casting and Executive Producer: Second Li 
On-site Producer and Set Design: Oolong 
Hair: Lee Han
Makeup: Hong Eunjae 
Wardrobe Coordinator: Kevin Tew, Xixi, Nicholas Chan Lok
Production Assistant: He Wei Wei
Set Assistant: Cai 
Photographer’s Assistants: Tian Shi Xin, Tang Hai Tian
Stylist’s Assistants: Peng, Asang