No elaborate styling, no constructed persona. With “THANK YOU,” Jackson Wang embraces a more unfiltered side of himself. He talks about turning 30, his unwavering focus on work, and why other people’s opinions no longer matter.

PHOTOGRAPHY Doris Chen
STYLING Takafumi Kawasaki

Jackson Wang’s career has taken him far beyond the path he first imagined for himself.
From fencing to music, and later into fashion, creative projects and business, each chapter has opened the door to another. More than a decade since his debut, that momentum shows little sign of slowing.
In conversation with&nbsp;L’OFFICIEL, he reflects on how far he has come, the people who have stayed with him along the way, and the possibilities still ahead.

Your new single, THANK YOU, feels like a letter to your fans. Why did you choose this particular moment to say thank you?
First of all, I’ve never done it before. I’ve expressed my gratitude through words and writing, but I’ve never actually made a song for my fans. So I wanted to do it this time.
The second reason is that I believe there shouldn’t be anyone in the middle, dividing or dictating what happens between an artist and their audience.
Why am I sitting here today? Why am I able to do this shoot? Why am I in front of the camera? Why can I go on tour, perform and make music? At the end of the day, it’s because of my audience and my fans. Without them, who would care?
I understand business. It’s show business, after all. I understand that. But sometimes I feel like the people in the middle are taking too much credit.
The most important relationship is between the artist and the audience. When there are too many people in between, as a fan, you start wondering whether the artist you like is the person you imagine them to be, or who they really are. You’re always guessing. You don’t know.
That’s why I try to be as transparent as possible. I don’t think we need all those layers in between. It has always been about us. That’s why I wanted to write this song to express how thankful I am.

In the song, you thank your fans for allowing you to be a “wild child”. What does being a wild child mean to you today, compared to when you first debuted?
It’s actually just a way of describing how grateful I am that they’ve allowed me to be myself.
I was very fortunate to debut in a boy group. But when you’re in a group, there are rules. You’re not one person; there are seven of you representing one group. Of course, you have to respect the other members and the company. Everything was arranged very well, but it wasn’t entirely who I was.
I think it’s the same for anyone who’s been part of a boy group or a girl group. At that stage, you can’t be 100 per cent yourself. But was that a bad thing? No. We all gained a lot from that experience.
When I started my solo career and became independent, I began trying all kinds of things. I had all these crazy ideas, and I wanted to try them. Throughout that process, my audience continued to support me. That’s what I mean when I thank them for letting me be a wild child.

The visuals for THANK YOU strip away elaborate styling and constructed personas. What did you want to convey through this more candid approach?
It’s just who I am. Even during the shoot, I didn’t wear any makeup. I didn’t do my hair. I was just wearing what I normally wear, like what I’m wearing right now. Nothing was packaged.
Everything in the music video, every visual, was intentional. There’s nothing unnecessary. I wanted it to be pure, transparent and straightforward.

When I started my solo career and became independent, I began trying all kinds of things. I had all these crazy ideas, and I wanted to try them. Throughout that process, my audience continued to support me. That’s what I mean when I thank them for letting me be a wild child.

People often see your drive and intense focus. But away from the cameras, in those quieter moments, what is Jackson Wang really like?
Honestly, I don’t really think about anything other than work. I used to have a lot of expectations for my personal life, but I’ve realised that I’m thinking about work every day. Is that stressful? Yes. But I also think it’s a good kind of stress, because at least I’m doing what I want to do every day. As I get older, I think I’m learning to focus on the work rather than the people.

You’ve said that you hope your music can offer encouragement to fans during their darkest or loneliest moments. What do you believe music can do for people?
I’ve always believed that, as an entertainer, your job is to bring happiness and entertainment to people. There’s already enough chaos in the world. That’s the whole purpose of entertainment, at least to me.
I feel a responsibility towards my audience. Whether they come to my show, listen to my music or engage with anything I do, I hope they can take something away from it. Maybe they laugh, maybe they get angry, or maybe they just need to release their emotions. How would I know what they’ve been through that day?
When someone comes to my show, I don’t want them to just have a great time for two hours and then leave without taking anything away. I want them to actually get something out of it. I’m not trying to teach anyone or lecture them. I’m just sharing what I’ve experienced.
Maybe you’ve been through something similar, in your own way. That’s what makes it more meaningful to me.
I could easily go onstage and dress up as a panda, a cat or a dog. But what’s the point? I really want to do something meaningful for my audience.

Fashion has always been another language of self-expression for you. When you choose what to wear today, what do you want it to reveal about Jackson Wang?
What do I want people to know about me through what I wear every day? I don’t care what people think about me anymore. Especially after 30, I’m just tired.
I’m so laser-focused on the projects I’m about to launch that I don’t really care anymore. At the end of the day, people only care about results, and I know I will win. I know that.
So, yeah, I don’t really care.

From being a competitive fencer to becoming a Global Ambassador for the International Fencing Federation, what has fencing taught you that continues to shape who you are today?
What sport has taught me is that you need to know exactly what you want. Be clear about it, do your job properly and don’t talk too much. Just get started.
Taking that first step is the most important thing. You can’t achieve everything overnight. It might take a year or even ten years, but the most important thing is to take that first step.
That’s the energy and attitude I learned from sport. My parents were both involved in sport, and I grew up in a family of athletes.
From a professional athlete to an artist working across music, fashion, creativity and business, you’ve taken on many different roles. Do you still care how other people define Jackson Wang?
I’ve never really cared about how other people define me. I don’t think I have any particular identity. I just keep doing things. I’m doing the same thing in different industries.
Take fencing, for example. I think there’s so much more that can be done with the sport. When I was younger, I watched MMA and UFC. How did they become so popular?
It’s the same thing I was talking about with entertainment.

“THANK YOU” looks back at the people and experiences that have shaped who you are today. As you move into your next chapter, what are you most excited to pursue?
Definitely my music. Definitely my next album. There are a lot of projects. Over the past few months, we’ve been restructuring our team, infrastructure and business model. I have a very good feeling about it.
These include Under The Castle at Ocean Park Hong Kong in late September, as well as TWD’s collaboration with Edison Chen’s CLOT. A few more projects will be launching soon, with plenty more on the way. But 2027? It’s going to be a blast.

PRODUCERS Aileen Soh &amp; Angel Fong
MAKEUP Hong Eunjae
HAIR Lee Han
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Nini &amp; KK
STYLING ASSISTANTS Yori &amp; Recho
TAILOR Cai

Nothing to Prove: Jackson Wang

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