Yangpa: “This is my turning point at my peak… I sang with my back against the wall”

연합뉴스 / 2025-12-18 11:42:32

▲ This photo of K-pop singer Yangpa is provided by her agency, Milk and Honey. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- “Although I debuted in 1997, I actually haven’t been active for even 10 full years. I see my 30th anniversary as a turning point and a new beginning, and I won’t stop again.”

Singer Yangpa released her sixth full-length album, “Homecoming,” her first studio album in 18 years, and met fans through a nationwide concert tour for the first time in 27 years this year.

She released her first album in December 1996 and officially debuted on TV music programs the following month, in 1997, producing hit songs such as “Love of a Beginner” and “I Know It All.” However, her career included long pauses due to factors such as studying at Berklee College of Music in the United States.

Taking the stage for a nationwide tour after 27 years—longer than the age of many idol stars—Yangpa returned to music as suggested by her album title “Homecoming,” expressing through her voice her resolve never to leave again.

In an interview with Yonhap News at a cafe in Seongdong District, Seoul, on Monday, Yangpa recalled, “I was in terrible condition at the first concert, to the point where the production team even considered canceling it. I could barely breathe, but I sang with my back against the wall, thinking I just had to get through the first song.” She added, “People warmly welcomed me song by song, and it was deeply moving.”

▲ This photo of K-pop singer Yangpa is provided by her agency, Milk and Honey. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

“The audience smiled brightly, like welcoming an old friend,” she said. “It really felt like coming home. I felt a new chapter of Yangpa had begun. I promised myself I would stay by fans’ sides through steady activities, growing old together like family. It feels like the water has finally risen.”

Yangpa named the oriental ballad “Fragments of Time” as the title track of the first part of her sixth album, released last month, reinterpreting classic ballad conventions in a modern style.

In the song, which she wrote herself, she sings tender emotions tied to time, with lyrics such as, “Time, please stop for a moment / Let me hold you close / Help me say all the words I couldn’t.” Her signature clear voice amplifies the song’s sentiment.

“At this age, I find myself thinking a lot about time,” she said. “The song is about old lovers facing each other across a crosswalk, but it’s also a message to fans—to mark the pages of our happy times so we can return to them whenever we want.”

In an era where singles or mini-albums are the norm, releasing a full-length album is no easy task. Yangpa said she even attended presentations on crutches due to a leg injury to receive album production support from the Korea Creative Content Agency.

“There’s a growing perception that full albums are wasteful, but people from my generation know the power of a complete album,” she said. “A full album gives depth to an artist’s inner world and narrative. I believe you can feel the weight of a singer’s life only when there is a story across the album.”

She added, “If you’re a performance-oriented singer, you need a full album to fill your setlist. You can’t just sing hit songs or other people’s songs.”

Yangpa said she is planning the second part of her sixth album for next year. “I already have a few songs prepared, and there will be tracks collaborating with fellow singers,” she said. “With my 30th debut anniversary coming up the year after next, I want to try many new paths.”

Yangpa released her first album at age 17 in December 1996, with “Love of a Beginner” as the title track, showcasing emotional maturity and vocal skill beyond her years. Asked about the source of her pop-diva-level sensibility, she replied, “Thanks to my mother’s strong emphasis on education, I attended YMCA English classes with foreign instructors from a young age.”

“People may not know this, but my entire first album was produced in Los Angeles. ‘Love of a Beginner’ was also written by a foreign composer,” she said. “When I first received the demo, I was so excited that I listened to it all night on my Walkman and went to school without sleep.”

“Debuting as a singer already felt unreal, but hearing the demo and being told, ‘This is your song,’ felt like a dopamine explosion,” she said. “‘Love of a Beginner’ is like my first love.”

She officially began her singing career in January 1997, appearing on TV music programs the month after the album’s release. She still vividly remembers her debut stage, which coincided with the day H.O.T. earned their first No. 1.

“I was just a high school student performing on TV for the first time, and I was shocked that everyone in the audience sang along,” she said. “It was terrifying and fascinating at the same time. Soon after, I even took over the No. 1 spot on TV after H.O.T.”

The new album includes a self-remake of “Love of a Beginner” under its original demo title, “Heart Beat Away.” Yangpa said, “Now that it’s common to hear K-pop songs entirely in English, I wanted to present a more accessible and younger English version than the original.”

The teenage girl who once sang “Love of a Beginner” with a clear voice is now a singer approaching her 30th anniversary, while the young fans who once cheered her on in school uniforms have grown into parents. She said she wants to continue supporting fans’ lives through music.

“In the film ‘Wonderful Life,’ there’s a scene where people choose the most precious memory of their lives,” she said. “If it were me, I’d probably choose the moment I became singer Yangpa. My life as Lee Eun-jin has been filled with Yangpa, and it will continue to be.”