★★★ Producer behind hit works by BTS, IU, NCT, PLAVE, and other top stars
Strongly recommended by singers Jung Yong-hwa, Paul Kim, Nano, and Ha Sung-woon

From an idol who once lost his dreams to a producer who creates dreams for others:
A sailor’s journal from El Capitán, the mastermind behind K-POP’s chart-topping hits

This book chronicles the journey of El Capitán, a producer who never gave up on his dreams—even when he stood on the brink of failure—and found his place in music through perseverance and resilience. Debuting in 2013 as a member of the boy group HISTORY, El Capitán experienced the disbandment of the group just four years later. Yet he couldn’t let go of his dream of “music,” so he began sending demo tapes to various labels without hesitation, using sheer determination as his weapon. Through this relentless pursuit, he gradually reclaimed his place in the music industry. This journey eventually led him to collaborate with some of the biggest names in K-POP, including BTS, IU, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, NCT, and PLAVE—and established him as a trusted, “go-to” producer.

In this book, El Capitán takes readers on a musical voyage, tracing his life through thirteen seasons since his debut, guided by the songs he has written himself. From the thrill of first dreaming of becoming a singer to the confusion of his very first day as a trainee, the fear after the group’s disbandment, his transition into a producer, the exhilaration of discovering his own unique path, and the profound sense of responsibility he feels when working with top-tier artists—El Capitán shares intimate, previously untold stories about his inner world. Beyond documenting the creative struggles behind the music, he also meticulously captures the moments of rupture and recovery he experienced outside the studio, revealing how these challenges shaped his growth.

Drawing on the insight that “failure is not the end, but rather an interlude that allows us to flow anew,” El Capitán offers heartfelt encouragement to those who, like his younger self, find themselves facing failure and uncertainty. This book demonstrates that it is the relentless act of challenging oneself and rising again that has forged who he is today—and that every moment of struggle is ultimately a stepping stone toward the day when one’s true potential can bloom. With this message, El Capitán invites readers to embrace a spirit of “one more try,” letting go of all adversity and moving forward with renewed hope.

EL CAPITXN
Born in 1993, he debuted in 2013 as a member of the boy group HISTORY, where he was active until 2017. After the group disbanded, he relaunched his music career under the producer name “El Capitán.” He currently serves as the CEO of Vendors Production, where he focuses on discovering promising creators and helping them develop their professional skills. Vendors Production, which traces its origins to the production team VENDORS founded in 2018, is dedicated to breaking traditional industry norms and creating tailor-made music for artists. Over the years, the company has collaborated with numerous top idol groups—including BTS, NCT, EXO, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, PLAVE, ZEROBASEONE, ENHYPEN, and tripleS—producing more than a hundred songs in total. Today, Vendors Production has established itself as one of the leading production companies in the K-POP scene. In 2024, El Capitán further expanded his artistic horizons by taking the stage as a DJ at “Ultra Music Festival Korea,” marking the official start of his full-fledged activities as an artist.

Intro. The final track has not yet been decided.

Track 1. This song is still unnamed
Rewritten Prologue │ I'll Wait - PLAVE
This Is Me │ When the Lights Go Out - SUNMI, BIBI
Date │ Friday (Feat. Jang Yi-jeong of HISTORY) - IU
Things That Have Changed │ Your City - JUNG YONG HWA
Dream │ Snooze (feat. Ryuichi Sakamoto, Woosung of The Rose) - Agust D
Please Love Me More │ Girls' Capitalism - tripleS
Twenty-Eight │ Eight (Prod.&Feat. SUGA of BTS) - IU
Fragments of a Dream │ Kangaroo - NCT U
Sitting on a Roller Coaster │ 17 - DOYOUNG
Regenerating Cream for Scars │ Daechwita - Agust D
Words and Speeches │ People Pt.2 (feat. IU) - Agust D
The Goal of This Life Is to Survive │ Stay Alive (Prod. SUGA of BTS) - JUNG KOOK
Burnout │ We don't talk together (Feat. GIRIBOY) (Prod. SUGA) - HEIZE
Not Even the Skin to Shed │ That That (prod. & feat. SUGA of BTS) - PSY
Question Mark │ Why? Why? Why? - PLAVE
Timeline │ Our Season - ZEROBASEONE
Fantasy Is Nonsense │ Drama - TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Rules Are Made to Be Broken │ New Rules - TOMORROW X TOGETHER
The Perfect Edge │ Let It Go - Paul Kim
A Planet Full of Lies │ Honestly - Eric Nam
A Timid Rhythm │ No Shame - Eric Nam
Barehanded and Boldly Charging Ahead │ Do What You Do - BAEKHYUN, UMI, EL CAPITXN
Debut │ Dreamer (Narr. IU) - HISTORY
To My Past Self in Every Moment │ From - PLAVE
Old Friend │ How Did It Be? (feat. Kim Jong-wan of NELL) - Agust D

Track 2. Perhaps Not the Last Track
Fear │ AMYGDALA - Agust D
Lukewarm Time │ Hitori no Yoru - TOMORROW X TOGETHER
How to Overcome Pain │ Growing Pain - TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Burying the Past │ Lonely Boy (The tattoo on the fourth finger) - TOMORROW X TOGETHER
No Peter Pan │ While Leaving Neverland - TOMORROW X TOGETHER
Cliché │ Noir - SUNMI
Parting │ Stop, Farewell - EL CAPITXN
Discomfort │ Maladjustment (Feat. YEJI) (Prod. Jang Yi-jeong) - NANO
Loneliness │ Don't Leave Me - JBJ
Walking a Tightrope on a Cliff │ In Dreams - JBJ95
Anxiety │ At Dawn - EPIK HIGH
Try Again │ Girls Never Die - tripleS
High Risk, High Reward │ The Sixth Summer - PLAVE
Uncertain Answers │ Highway 1009 - ENHYPEN
Fearless │ MAMMA MIA - UNIVERSE LEAGUE
Logbook │ WAY 4 LUV - PLAVE
Attitude Towards Life │ Life Goes On - Agust D
Growing Up │ I Think I'm Becoming an Adult (feat. NIve) - Agust D
True Respect │ Respect - BTS
Promise │ Take Two - BTS
A Color Just for Me │ Blue Moon - HISTORY
A Sticky Heart │ Jelly - HOTSHOT
Sure to Come True │ Dream Girl - UNIS
Life Is Always Live │ Generation - tripleS