Seven Consecutive Million-Seller Albums, the "Emperor of Ballads"
First New Album in 10 Years: 12th Studio Release Features 11 Tracks
"I Will Keep Singing, Dreaming of a Beautiful Descent"
Singer Shin Seunghoon listens to a reporter's question at a press conference for the release of his 35th anniversary debut album held at a hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 22nd. Photo by Dorothy Company
"Usually, artists release remake albums or try to relive their past glory, but I didn't want to do that. I want to show that I am still an active singer."
Singer Shin Seunghoon made this statement at a press conference for the release of his 35th anniversary debut album, held at a hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 22nd. He compared his life to the four seasons, saying, "If you look at life as four seasons, I have now passed autumn."
On the 23rd at 6 p.m., he will release his 12th full-length album, "Sincerely Melodies." This marks his first new studio album in 10 years since his 11th album in 2014. The album includes 11 tracks, featuring double title songs "Neoraneun Jungnyeok" ("Your Gravity"), "She Was," and "Truly."
He wrote songs while living in Jeju Island for a month, as well as staying in Gapyeong, Yangpyeong, and Hongcheon. The production alone took three years. Shin Seunghoon confessed, "Maybe because of my age, it was hard to write songs, so I went to a songwriting camp," adding, "I wrote melodies with my heart, thinking this might be my last."
Shin Seunghoon debuted in 1990 and produced mega-hits such as "Invisible Love," "You Reflected in My Smile," "Don't Make Me Cry," "I Believe," and "Mom." He sold 1.4 million copies with his debut, achieved seven consecutive million-seller albums, and set the record for surpassing 10 million albums sold in the shortest time for a regular album in Asia.
He said, "I've always played the role of a messenger as a singer, but now I wanted to tell my own story. There were beautiful times and also fierce times. I wanted to define all my emotions-love, separation, friendship, and my mother."
Regarding the Korean-style ballad, he explained, "It's about being sad but not crying." Shin Seunghoon said, "If I had cried uncontrollably while singing 'Invisible Love,' it probably wouldn't have been loved as much. But by holding back my tears, I left the rest to the listeners." He added, "A ballad needs lyricism. I hope people find comfort in my music during difficult times. That is the true role of a ballad singer."
On the recent changes in the K-pop market, he said, "In the past, it was a record market, but now it's an industry. It's a market that small, mom-and-pop-style companies can't dare to enter." Nevertheless, he added, "I hope it branches out into even more genres."
On November 1, he will hold a 35th anniversary concert at Olympic Hall in Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. "I watched all the concert videos I've done since the 1990s to plan the show," he said. "I've included everything fans loved so they can fully enjoy the performance."
"Like a crane with long wings, even if I fall, I want to come down gracefully at once without struggling. I want to keep singing, dreaming of a beautiful descent."
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