Bias Duality: ASTRO's Lionheart JinJin Is The Emblem Of Strength In Softness

What is your favorite part of JinJin's duality?

Ishani Sarkar, Kpopmap Editor
9 min to read · Published : May 2, 2022 · Updated : Jan 9, 2023

Bias Duality: ASTRO's Lionheart JinJin Is The Emblem Of Strength In Softness

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Welcome to the thirty-seventh article of Kpopmap's weekly series exploring the amazing duality of K-Pop idols, actors, models, and more! Every week, we shine the spotlight on one artist who embodies the very essence of duality and has mastered the flair of harnessing their multifaceted talent to create the most brilliant art we have ever seen. You can find all of our "Bias Duality" articles in one place by clicking here!

This week's "Bias Duality" article is dedicated to K-Pop's resident comfort idol, ASTRO's JinJin. With 32,809 votes from Kpopmap readers, JinJin proudly took first place on our poll asking fans who they would like to see featured in this series.

To participate in choosing the artist who will be featured in our next "Bias Duality" article, you can vote for your favourite idol/actor below! If you would like to see a different idol/actor (one who is not mentioned in the poll) featured in the series, please leave their name in the comments section, and we will add them to the vote lineup next time!

Who would you like to see in the next "Bias Duality" article?

May 02, 2022 ~ May 06, 2022

DREAMCATCHER's JiU

0.4%
(58)

WEi’s Kim DongHan

1%
(136)

ATEEZ’s WooYoung

1.3%
(174)

GOT7’s YuGyeom

1.5%
(211)

ZE:A’s Park HyungSik

2.5%
(351)

EXO’s Kai

5.7%
(785)

ENHYPEN's Sunoo

11.9%
(1,656)

SF9’s RoWoon

75.7%
(10,489)

Now, onto our bias!

From Park JinWoo To JinJin

A shining star in the artistic firmament of the global music industry, ASTRO's JinJin is a force to be reckoned with. Like a true Renaissance man, JinJin is not only a deeply nurturing, empathetic and wise leader to one of the most beloved boy groups in the world, ASTRO, but he is also an excellent rapper, dancer, lyricist, composer, producer, model and arguably one of the most entertaining podcasters in all of K-Pop. JinJin is what I call the ace of aces, and a huge part of his electric appeal stems from the brilliant duality he embodies in a myriad range of performative spheres.

Before we move on to explore this duality, however, it is important to take note of a rare singularity that he possesses. While it is common for artists in show business to create distinct stage/public personas, when it comes to JinJin, what you see is what you get. The gentle sensibilities of Park JinWoo as an individual and the resilient passion of JinJin as an artist coalesce into the angelic 'one' (pun intended) who is cherished all over the world. If Park JinWoo is a poet, JinJin is the poem, making them distinct yet inseparable at the same time. As a matter of fact, on the "K-Pop Daebak Show" with Eric Nam, JinJin even revealed his dream of shifting the spotlight from JinJin to Park JinWoo through a personal YouTube channel!

This deep desire to share his self or selves with AROHA says everything we need to know about the priceless connection they share. It is this unchanging sincerity that makes JinJin feel like home. With his halo of endearing familiarity and a smile that radiates the warmth of a thousand suns, JinJin effectively creates a safe space for AROHA to also love themselves just as they are. Now, that's the kind of bestie we all need in our lives.

ASTRO's Twitter

The kindness, compassion, and pure love with which JinJin nurtures ASTRO, treating each member like family, speaks volumes of how capable he is as a leader. As a matter of fact, one of the biggest reasons why ASTRO's line distribution recently has been one of the fairest in K-Pop is because JinJin, who is heavily involved in the production process of ASTRO's music, makes it a point as a leader to ensure that all the members shine.

Kpopmap

JinJin is never not conscious of his members' condition, comfortability, and preferences. From making sure they're well-fed and protected at all times to listening to them ardently when they need someone to lean on, this is a man who only knows how to put others first. Needless to say, his selflessness is reciprocated manifold with boundless love and affection from his members, JINUWU and AROHA alike.

Duality In Expression

One of the most striking ways in which JinJin's penchant for self-expression manifests itself is through his tattoos. The idol once revealed that his love for tattoos comes from being able to engrave and remember the course of his life through them. 4 out of the 5 tattoos JinJin wears proudly on his sculpted body are script tattoos representing the four core principles his mother ingrained in him: "Don't Chase Money Make Money Chase You.", inspired by his mother encouraging him to go after his dreams since success would naturally follow; "Treat Myself Well To Treat Others Well." as her reminder to always take care of himself; "Play With The Process." and "Always Be Humble.".

LAMP FAIRY

Lastly, in an ode to his first solo song, 'Like A King', and in keeping with his role as the leader of ASTRO, JinJin has a lion tattooed on his chest. The composition frames the lion in the silhouette of a crown, indicating his unrivaled position at the top. With "majestic", "powerful", and "fiercely protective" all being words to describe both the King of the Jungle and JinJin, he could not have chosen a better tattoo to symbolize himself.

Now, while it is true that JinJin embodies the glory of a lion, it is equally true that he has the playfulness of a cub. In particular, with his fondness for biting his members, the comparison is clear as day!

good morning / Artur Stankiewicz Photography

Fatally handsome on the one hand and cute as a button on the other, we just cannot get enough of JinJin's duality!

Angel King / Lamp Fairy

What's even more surprising is how he could possibly look both alluring and adorable at the same time!

JinJin might have the cutest bunny ears on, but his eyes tell a different story altogether. His lips curl ever so slightly upward in a smile and we melt into a puddle. JinJin is fully aware of the power he holds, and that is exactly what makes him all the more charismatic.

He can pull you in with his charm and make you swoon, but in the very next moment, his aegyo will have you shooting finger hearts left and right. This duality translates seamlessly on the stage too, where JinJin can go from sassy to sweetheart in no time!

Is your ideal type the mature older guy or the cute younger one? Regardless, JinJin is set on winning your heart!

Perhaps, his own reaction describes AROHA's the best as you're left clutching at your chest, contemplating the meaning of life when you see the world in JinJin's eyes.

If you're like us, picking between JinJin's suave and sweet side is too much of a herculean task and the best place to entertain such a dilemma is on JinJin's own Instagram. From fit checks to selfies, barefaced goodness to sensational stage looks, JinJin's Instagram feed is a sight for sore eyes.

JinJin's Instagram

A simple change of clothes can take JinJin from a high-fashion model to a campus boyfriend and in some cases, it doesn't even need to be two separate outfits!

JinJin's Instagram / Kpopmap

With his facial expressions alone, JinJin can take us from marveling at his smolder to cooing at his cuteness. However, the most incredible thing about JinJin's duality is that it leaves us longing for more. Right when you get the poised and enigmatic version of JinJin, you cannot help but want to see him transition to his beaming baby side. After all, when he breaks into a smile, all our blues disappear.

JinJin's Instagram

The genre of JinJin's Instagram feed might evade us with every post, but it is impossible to not be deeply invested nonetheless.

Duality In Art

MBC

Finally, our piece on JinJin's duality would never be complete without giving due props to his creative brilliance. An all-rounder in the truest sense of the word, JinJin channels his duality into multiple avenues of art: from songwriting and rap making to vocals and dance alike.

JinJin's debut solo song, 'Like A King' (ft. SUPERBEE, myunDo, prod. Dok2) is the perfect example of this binary. JinJin boasts a deep, husky rap voice to start with, setting the groove for the quintessentially hip-hop track before moving on to a higher-pitched, unrestrained vocal tone, putting his range on full display.

Similarly, when it comes to the subject matter JinJin works with, his versatility is beyond compare. It is truly fascinating that the exhilarating vigour of 'Mad Max' and the candied mellowness of 'Lazy' came from the same person!

The confident assertion of love in 'One' ("I can feel you without touching you / I can reach you with my eyes closed / All my reasons are you") stands directly in opposition to the tender devotion of 'One & Only' ("It's alright, it's alright, it's alright / When things were hard, you held me / You became such a warm, warm, warm existence / So now I’ll embrace you").

While 'Blue Flame' burns with a fiery passion ("Even if I don't get an answer / I'm not giving up on you you / Don't blame it on me / You brought the flame in my heart"), 'Bloom' surrenders to a confessional ("I don't know where to start / I have repented and blamed myself enough / I'm dying for the fact / That you aren't next to me like you once were /I can’t forgive myself for not being able to say those bashful words").

Not only does JinJin hold songwriting credits for all of the above songs (besides countless others), but he also composed 'Mad Max' and 'One & Only', co-composed 'Bloom' alongside fellow member MJ, and both composed and arranged 'Lazy'. JinJin's duality might be unfathomable, but one thing is certain: he pours his soul out into his art, and it shows.

Finally, one of JinJin's most admirable talents is his ability to make the stage his playground, giving free rein to the language of dance, duality, and everything in between. JinJin draws a fine balance between commanding the audience's attention and sharing the stage, which allows him to shine brightly without ever overshadowing his members. Two ASTRO performances that perfectly illustrate this quality at its best are the "MCOUNTDOWN 2019.1.17" stage of 'All Night' and the "Show Champion Ep. 390" stage of 'All Good'.

Last but not least, we cannot possibly conclude without giving a shout-out to the fancam that started it all and the one that now represents the culmination of JinJin's artistic faculties. From 'Breathless' to 'Just Breath', the musical evolution of ASTRO's JinJin (and Park JinWoo) has been unparalleled, to say the least, and this tour de force was only possible because JinJin remained true to himself through it all.

In an ever-changing industry like K-Pop where trends are constantly in flux and new artists debut every other day, JinJin has established an unbeatable sonic aesthetic that is uniquely his own. We cannot wait to see what this masterpiece of a man has in store for us next.

What is your favourite thing about JinJin's duality? Tell us in the comments section down below!

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