[INTERVIEW] Female artist Gummy - Part 2

10: You probably talk more with the producers too, the more you pay attention to details and the consistency of your music.
Gummy: I'm always interested in the producing. Because you're not done with your job by just singing a song that someone has written. I make a song based on continued discussions and producing the song together.

10: what do you ask of the producers?
Gummy: We make the vibe of the album consistent when we're working on the arrangements and before that, I explain the music I like or the performance I would want to put on. The first thing I do is sing the songs. The singer has to sing the songs to bring out their color. That's why I record the guide vocals first. Many of the people I work with have worked with me for a while now so they know what I like. They probably had a hard time working with what I want.

10: How was it working it YG Entertainment's musicians like Teddy?
Gummy: It was quite the different experience. Even though I've been with YG, I worked with a lot of people from outside because I sang ballads. And I only started working with them a lot this time around. I'm not someone from outside, yet I wasn't like the other singers at YG who work while hanging out at the agency. I got to talk a lot with Teddy this time around but we had felt a bit uncomfortable around each other in the beginning.

10: You seem to be in a unique position, both in and outside YG. (laugh) Wherever you go, somewhere in the middle?
Gummy: That's right. So it's a bit tiring. (laugh)

10: You must have more concerns because of your position in the industry. Aren't vocalists your age and in your position worried a lot about where they currently stand?
Gummy: There's a certain scope of music one can do because the more you do music, the more you find your domain, but the public wants something else. Some worry that people may get sick of them doing just one type of music while I worry about how I should change. I'm also very worried about aging, and how we should position ourselves amidst the growing presence of idol groups. You can tell who is more popular by just looking at the order that people appear on music shows. Who opens the shows, who closes them. The viewers know it too. That's why singers sometimes feel hurt after just looking at the cue sheet for rehearsals. I felt it with my last album too but even more so with this one. People try to judge singers based on their position rather than their singing abilities. That's what makes me more sad.

10: You must have a hard time figuring what to do because girl groups have taken over much of the market.
Gummy: I think that's why everyone is quite depressed these days. They are depressed. Male singers whom I never really kept in touch with have been contacting me, saying we should all keep in touch. (laugh)

10: How do you feel when you see idol singers these days?
Gummy: First of all, I'm impressed with their talent. Back in the days, I don't think anyone ever got as good as their seniors, no matter how hard one would practice. But I'm worried about them working from such a young age. I'm worried about a lot of things even though I debuted after living a normal life so I think they would have such concerns from an even younger age. Because they know too much about the world too quickly. And they may not know how to deal with difficulties. These days, I feel empty on free days. I also wonder why I live my life in such a way and why I made the album.

10: You must also become increasingly indifferent to life.
Gummy: That's right. Nothing is changing. When I don't have work, I exercise at the agency, receive lessons and learn Japanese and English. I almost never drink either unless it's an official setting.

10: Does it have an effect on your music? It seems that you let everything go with the flow in your latest songs.
Gummy: I constantly think about how to live a happy life, how to live a comfortable life. Before, I used to think of how to live each day to the fullest but now, I think about what I want, and what the return will be when I fulfill that desire. But I think I'm always the same when it comes to love. It's been a while since I've loved someone so I wondered whether my emotions would have dried up but when I sang of it, I realized it's still there. I think loving and parting are always all the same. You don't know what to do and bother yourself when you break up with someone although you know you'll be okay after a while.

10: And music is repetitive too. It's nice gaining popularity when you first debut but now you know that you have to do music again even if you are already popular.
Gummy: I've decided not to think about that starting a few days ago. (laugh) Such thoughts would make me feel more frustrated and lost so I told myself I won't think about it. But I will keep doing music till I die so I hope people who like my music will continue to sympathize with it. I don't think about anything outside of that. But I do sort of want to go back to singing ballads like I did in the beginning. There are still many people who like songs like the ones I sang in my first album. But now I want to sing songs that I can feel rather than just sing in consideration of the public. I want to do music which is me from both the past the present.

10: It's been almost ten years since you have debuted. What has changed?
Gummy: In the past I used to think being a singer would be all fun. I beared through the times with my sole passion to become a singer and I thought all would be okay when I become one. But now I know that that's not just it. I had a hard time back then but I beared through it because I wanted to sing and things are still tough but again, I bear through it because I like to sing.

Senior Reporter : Kang Myoung-Seok two@
Editor : Lee Ji-Hye seven@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@