46th Anniversary of Debut Kim Chang-wan: "The Driving Force Behind Half a Century of Music Activity is 'Letting Go'"

Kim Chang-wan Releases New Album 'Naneun Jiguinida' After 3 Years
Synthpop with Strong Electronic Music Sound

Kim Chang-wan (69), a singer with 46 years of experience, is meeting the public with new songs for the first time in three years through his new album 'I Am an Earthling.'

Singer Kim Chang-wan is performing at a press conference for the release of his solo album 'I Am an Earthling' held on the afternoon of the 23rd at Veloso Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

He confessed, "I hope that I am not the same person as yesterday every day, and I live with a mindset of constant self-renewal," and said he is pondering what he should let go of to create better songs. Having consistently embraced music and connected with the public for nearly half a century while building his own artistic world, he eventually defined "letting go" as "breaking free from the desires I currently have."

At the press conference for the release of the new album 'I Am an Earthling' held on the 23rd at Veloso Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul, Kim Chang-wan introduced the title track by saying, "I wanted to convey how precious this Earth is as an earthling wandering around it, and how happy we are to walk on it." He added, "One of the everyday phrases is nature protection, and I included reflections in the song on how harshly we have made the world, to the point of being vigilant even about a single straw."

This album is a solo album released three years after 'Moon (門)' in 2020. It contains a total of 13 songs. The title track 'I Am an Earthling' is synth-pop that incorporates retro sentiments based on electronic music sounds. Kim Chang-wan's calm voice is layered over an up-tempo electronic beat, leaving a deep impression.

Singer Kim Chang-wan is performing at a press conference for the release of his solo album 'I Am an Earthling' held on the afternoon of the 23rd at Veloso Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

He played the guitar melodies himself on the 12 tracks excluding the title track. Along with previously released songs such as 'Old Man's Bench,' 'Just the Two of Us,' and 'Cold Tea,' the album features 'Moonlight,' a guitar arrangement of Beethoven's piano sonata, and 'I Like Pretty Things,' a children's song-style track, both of which are being released for the first time through this album.

Kim Chang-wan said, "I was very brave 40 years ago. I dared to include mackerel in the lyrics and boldly performed without knowing even a bit about classical music. I don't know what state of mind I was in back then." He added, "On the other hand, now I am somewhat mature enough to say I know a little about Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata,' but I am always anxious. It seems I have lost the bravery I had before."

He also expressed his hope that young people would enjoy this album. "When I was young, I shouted for freedom, but at the same time, I didn't realize how trapped and stubborn I was. Compared to that, today's younger generation is very conscientious and has a broader perspective. I am truly grateful to the younger generation. I hope young people do not place adults as opponents but broaden their views to understand them."

With that hope in mind, this album will be released as an NFC (Near Field Communication) card album, CD, and LP. The NFC album and CD will be released next month, and the LP will be released in the spring of next year. On the 13th of next month, he will meet the audience on stage in a joint performance with Crying Nut at Blue Square in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.