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| ▲ This photo of veteran singer Bobby Kim is provided by ATTRAKT. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, April 24 (Yonhap) -- Marking the 31st anniversary of his debut this year, veteran singer Bobby Kim has returned with a new mini album that reflects the life changes he has experienced in recent years.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced him off stage for several years. Then in 2022, as the world began to reopen, he got married. The once nocturnal process of songwriting had to adapt to his wife’s daytime routine, leading him to work during the day for the first time in his career.
His new mini album PART OF ME, released Wednesday, is a culmination of those transitions and personal moments.
“I wasn’t able to perform for a while during the pandemic, so I took long walks and worked out alone. That gave me time to reflect on love and past memories,” Bobby Kim said in a recent interview in Seoul’s Mapo District. “The inspiration from dating my wife also helped complete this album.”
With a smile, he introduced himself as “the singer Bobby Kim, back after three years—as a married man.”
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| ▲ This photo of veteran singer Bobby Kim is provided by ATTRAKT. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
The album, his first official release in three years since the 2022 single I’m Drunk, delivers heartfelt stories from daily life and emotional depth through a variety of genres. It includes five tracks, all composed by Bobby Kim himself: the title track Let Love Flow... and Three Days, the pre-release Morning Routine with lyrics by Tablo, Country Rhythm & Blues written by Dynamic Duo’s Gaeko, and a reggae number Moonlight Serenade.
The title track, Let Love Flow... and Three Days, is a ballad expressing complex feelings of love, parting, and regret, with lyrics penned by Park Sun-joo. “At first, I named it Let Love Flow, but I added ...and Three Days to convey the hope of reconciliation,” he said. “Park Sun-joo is still a scary ‘noona’ to me, though she did compliment my improved Korean pronunciation,” he added with a laugh.
Tracks like Morning Routine and Moonlight Serenade were written with his wife in mind. “Even after marriage, we sometimes went days without seeing each other—me working late nights and her keeping a daytime schedule. I began questioning what marriage really meant,” he explained. “That’s when I decided to change my working hours. That new routine inspired Morning Routine.”
Debuting in 1994 with the band Dr. Reggae, Bobby Kim has since released many emotional ballads, including hits like Whale Dream and Love... That Guy. Yet, he admitted he wasn’t always fond of the "ballad singer" label.
“I didn’t like being boxed in as a balladeer. At one point, I didn’t even want to sing Whale Dream anymore,” he recalled. “But the audience loved it. Especially after the drama White Tower’s OST Pine Tree gained traction, I started to accept their love and even released more ballads.”
Though he confessed to feeling some pressure with his comeback, he noted that “as both I and my fans have aged, I think more people are gravitating toward ballads.”
Still, the fire to innovate burns bright. “I may not chase trends because ofmy age, but the fire in me hasn’t gone out,” he said. “That’s why I collaborated with band musicians this time—to bring something different.”
Looking ahead, Bobby Kim hinted that his next release may include more up-tempo songs. “There’s still so much I want to express,” he said. “In my twenties, I used to do only what I was told. Now I finally feel like the leader of my own journey.”
He also addressed the popularity of trot music, which he has no plans to follow. “Someone suggested I try a trot song, but I turned it down. I haven’t explored that genre, and I don’t see why I should follow every trend,” he said firmly.
Now, Bobby Kim dreams of being a “cool artist” whose music resonates not just with fans in their 40s and 50s but with their children, too. After more than 30 years in music, he says he has never once considered giving up.
“Before Whale Dream, I spent about 10 years in obscurity. Then came about 10 years of shining moments, and another 10 where I wasn’t unknown, but less active,” he reflected. “Still, I never gave up or got discouraged—because I loved myself through it all.”
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