[Interview] Singers Choi Ain & Seo Ho: "We Hope 'Jjajjarajjajja' Becomes a National Duet Song" (Video)

Singer Choi Ain and Seo Ho / Photo by JSG Jeong Siljang Entertainment

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Heeyoung and Park Sumin PD] Singers Choi Ain and Seo Ho are releasing a duet song and embarking on full-scale activities.

The project song they collaborated on, "Jjajjarajjajjajja," will be released on various online music platforms at 6 p.m. on the 14th. The song captures the playful interactions of a couple in the early stages of romance with witty lyrics, offering music fans a unique enjoyment.

In particular, 15-year veteran singer Choi Ain and rookie Seo Ho, who has been active for one year, radiated perfect chemistry during a recent interview with Asia Economy, raising expectations for this project.

Choi Ain said, "I have occasionally appeared on tvN's 'Suspicious Singer' and MBC's 'King of Mask Singer,' but I am back with a new album after a long time. I am approaching this with the heart of a rookie," expressing her anticipation for the activities.

Seo Ho added, "Through this project, I hope to increase my content and information this year so that people can get to know 'Seo Ho as a singer.' I want this to be a time to introduce myself," sharing his determination.

The newly released "Jjajjarajjajjajja" is a song combining unique lyrics themed around food and drinking, a ballad melody, and the two singers' heartfelt voices. Especially, the repetitive lyrics in the chorus provide a strong addictive quality.

Seo Ho said, "When I first heard the song, I thought, 'What is this song?' The addictive hook in the chorus was impressive. Sometimes there are songs where you can't remember the title, but a certain part keeps lingering in your mind. This song felt like one of those. I liked that part, so I decided to sing this song," explaining his reason for choosing the track.

Choi Ain also said, "What made me like this song at first was the word 'Jjajjarajjajjajja.' When I heard the song, it stuck in my memory, and above all, it was just fun. Trusting that alone, I started this project. Composer Lee Juho, who composed Park Myungsoo's 'Prince of the Sea' and Zia's 'Let's Have a Drink,' participated and captured that emotion perfectly," she explained.

What does "Jjajjarajjajjajja," which captivated both of them simultaneously, mean? Choi Ain smiled and said, "'Jjajjarajjajjajja' is a word that succinctly encompasses the stages of love development between young men and women. It can be a process or an emotion. In dialect terms, you can think of it as similar to 'geosigi' (a vague placeholder word)," she laughed.

This project marks the first time the two, originally solo artists, have sung together. With their strong passion and ambition for music, they surely have musicians they want to collaborate with. Choi Ain said, "There are many musicians I want to work with. If I had to pick one, I would like to collaborate with singer Soyou. I'm curious about the sad voice and emotion that come from her beauty, and I want to capture the synergy in a song when we work together."

Seo Ho chose singer Younha as the artist he wants to collaborate with. He explained, "I really like Younha's unique sensibility. Also, I think she has a tone similar to mine, so when our two emotions combine, it would create twice the rich emotion."

Especially, the two said they actively share their thoughts about music. Since they are working together, they agreed that this is one of the most important processes.

Choi Ain said, "Before starting this project, I told Seo Ho that nowadays there are many different songs, and just because a song is good doesn't mean it will necessarily become popular. I think working on a duet itself is a great opportunity, so I hope we do it hard, enjoyably, and happily."

Seo Ho responded, "We both hope this music receives a lot of positive responses and empathy from many people. Rather than feeling pressured to succeed, I hope we enjoy and have fun making music together," he expressed.

Finally, Choi Ain revealed two goals she wants to achieve this year. She said, "My first goal is for 'Jjajjarajjajjajja' to be loved by many and become a national duet song. I hope couples always look for it when they go to karaoke. My second goal is for the composing team Goldpig to collaborate with great singers and produce the best results this year."

Seo Ho said, "I think I have sung a lot of ballads so far. While trying various music styles is good, my biggest goal is to make music that brings happiness and joy to people," and added, "I hope 'Jjajjarajjajjajja' does well so that we can continue this project."

Meanwhile, Choi Ain, who gained recognition as part of the group M To M, is preparing for a new start by changing her stage name from Choi Junghwan to her current name.

Seo Ho is a rookie who gained attention by singing the OST "Farewell" for the drama "My Country" and is expanding his unique musical spectrum with outstanding vocal skills through songs like "Jullae" and "Always the Same Farewell."