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Chinese superstar Jackson Wang is offering fans an unprecedented look into his personal journey with his newest album, "MagicMan 2," which features raw and unfiltered reflections on his life, revealing a deeply human side of the artist.

Jackson Wang and a China.org.cn reporter sit down for an interview in Shanghai, June 28, 2025. [Photo/China.org.cn]

In an exclusive interview with China.org.cn, Wang peeled back the layers of his meticulously crafted persona, explaining how the album — a follow-up to his first physical solo release "MagicMan" (2022) — was born from a year of introspection, diary entries and hard-won self-acceptance.

"For 10 years, just being on the road always with back-to-back schedules, I felt like I didn't even have time to really think," said Wang, who debuted at age 19 as a member of K-pop boy band GOT7. "I missed out a lot in my 20s."

Wang said he realized he needed to slow down and understand his life's purpose. He described questioning whether he was living authentically or simply conforming to public expectations — a crisis that drove his latest artistic work.

The 11-track album, due for release on July 18, is divided into four sections: "Manic Highs," "Losing Control," "Realizations" and "Acceptance." The songs chronicle Wang's experience with fame's highs and lows, using lyrics taken from personal journals he kept during a year-long break.

A promotional image shows Jackson Wang and his fictional MagicMan alter ego. The image serves as the single cover art for Wang's "Hate to Love." [Photo courtesy of Team Wang Records]

Four singles have been released already ahead of the album's full debut. The lead single "High Alone" hit No. 1 on Apple Music in 22 countries and regions. Follow-up track "GBAD" has over 32.5 million YouTube views, while "Buck," featuring Indian actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh, has attracted more than 8.7 million views. The fourth single, "Hate to Love," reached No. 34 on the Worldwide iTunes Song Chart and has over 16.3 million YouTube views.

Despite their commercial success, the tracks explore darker themes including fame's pressures, betrayal and personal struggles. "High Alone" deals with betrayal and emotional exhaustion, with its music video showing Wang's alter ego, MagicMan, trapped in a water tank, watched by callous onlookers. In "Hate to Love," Wang sings: "Wish I could still trust you, trust you. It's funny how people can be selfish. I give it all, give it all, give it all. But you still want more."

Yet "MagicMan 2" isn't just about pain — it's about perspective. At 31, Wang reflects on life's complexities with hard-earned wisdom. "The main point of this album is talking about what's good without the bad, and what's bad without the good, right?" Wang said. "You need to feel what's bad to know that something is actually good."

The vinyl version of "MagicMan 2" is set for release on July 18, 2025. [Image courtesy of Team Wang Records]

Speaking to a China.org.cn reporter before attending the BazaarGala red carpet in Shanghai, a self-assured and energized Wang said the album documents past struggles rather than current ones. He described music as healing him from severe depression. "Whatever I wrote about, that's in the past. I've recovered. I moved on with it. But my album is about capturing all those highlights of what happened — the journey of dealing with emotions in life."

Among the album's most personal moments is a song titled "Sophie Ricky," which addresses Wang's family. During his period of reflection, Wang said he gained clarity about his parents' sacrifices. "We're born into this world thinking that our parents will figure everything out," he said. "It took time for us as we mature to realize, our parents were just like us."

He described parenthood as a universal cycle: "It feels like, to me, we're on the same street, but they're just further ahead. Eventually, in the future, it's the same thing that might happen — my kids are gonna tell me too."

The album reveals a more vulnerable side of the global star, moving away from the polished image that has defined his career.

Though Wang performed to enthusiastic crowds at the Head in the Clouds Festival 2025 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, in early June, he expressed uncertainty about upcoming concerts. "I would do a concert, but we'll see. If the album's doing good, then obviously I'll have a concert. But people need to come and watch, right? If there's no one coming to watch, then I can just perform at home."

Jackson Wang greets China.org.cn audiences during an interview in Shanghai, June 28, 2025. [Photo/China.org.cn]

Wang said "MagicMan 2" represents more than just an album. "A lot of stuff, no matter if it's good or bad, that happened to a person, it made who you are today," he said. "Everyone needs to go through their version of MagicMan to get through life. That is what I want to tell my audience. That's it."