Malaysia’s first-ever K-Pop Idol, Isaac Voo, stops by on Close-Up Culture to talk about the Olympics, future plans for IN2IT and his YouTube channel.
Welcome Isaac! I saw on your Instagram that you’ve been watching the Tokyo Olympics and cheering on the Malaysian athletes. What have you enjoyed most about the Games?
I’ve watched the diving and I am always especially excited to watch the badminton. Back when I was younger, I really loved playing badminton with my friends and I’ve always wondered how to do a smash like the athletes.
The pandemic has been a disruptive and challenging time for artists around the world. How have IN2IT adapted and kept in touch during these times?
Yes, it has been very challenging for everyone. Some of the members are in the National Service now, so we keep in contact through text. I also did an Instagram live with one of the members to celebrate his birthday.
You started a YouTube channel a few months ago, and have been posting some fun vlogs and challenge videos. How are you finding the experience of creating content and interacting with your fans through it?
I find that the experience of creating my own content is relatively interesting as I can create contents from the ideas that pop up in my mind when I was showering. I love creating content that I can interact with my fans and to make more people get to know both Isaac and IN2IT.
I hear you are back in your hometown, working on new content. Can you tell us anything about that?
Yes, I’m back in my hometown now. I had a chance to join an Idol survival show in China but due to the pandemic, I wasn’t able to join. While I wait for another chance – hopefully – to join, I’m trying to make more content in Malaysia as there are still a lot of people who don’t know about me.
How would you like to see your YouTube channels, and other social medias, evolve in the future?
I hope my YouTube channel and social media can reach out to more people, be it K-Pop fans or not, and that my content can brighten their day.
The pandemic has been an opportunity for many of us to reflect on our lives and what means most to us. What have you learnt about yourself over the last year or so?
This is such a good question. Last year I was someone who always liked to follow in other people’s footsteps. But when I came back to Malaysia, my group members had to go for National Service and that’s when I suddenly felt so empty. I realised I need to do everything by myself in Malaysia. So, what I’ve learnt is to be brave. Like what I put on my phone’s wallpaper, ‘Be Brave’, to remind myself whenever I feel small and scared to take the next step.
Lastly, do you have a special message for your fans?
I just want to say thank you all so much for spending time with me and loving me always. I really hope to meet everyone. Thank you for staying with me so I can feel that I’m not alone. Unleash your inner sparkle!