Singer Park Ji-yoon confessed that she experienced confusion about her identity due to ‘Coming of Age’.
Debuting in 1997 with ‘Sky Blue Dream’, Park Ji-yoon gained significant attention with ‘Coming of Age’ and emerged as a representative sexy icon of South Korea. However, this was not the image she wanted to express, and the negative perceptions that followed her, created by producers, left deep scars.
In an interview with EBS ‘Space Sympathy’ airing on the 19th, Park Ji-yoon reflected on her past, saying, “I think I experienced confusion about my identity,” and “At that time, I had a lot of regrets about being a singer,” expressing her honest feelings.
After a long hiatus of six years, Park Ji-yoon finally released her album ‘Flower, Again First’ in 2009, which contained her true self. Struggling to receive the songs she wanted due to the prejudice of being a ‘sexy pop singer’, she learned to play the guitar and began writing her own music. She completed the classic album ‘Flower, Again First’ with songs produced by herself and those given to her by musicians who viewed her without prejudice, including Kim Yong-rin, Lucid Fall, and Kim Jong-wan of NELL.
The album, which came out after a long wait and preparation, captured the essence of the ‘real Park Ji-yoon’, who loves quiet music and acoustic sounds. Her voice, harmonizing with piano, guitar, and cello melodies, along with heartfelt lyrics, was enough to move the hearts of the public. With reactions like, ‘It feels like the song of the real human Park Ji-yoon’ and ‘I waited six years to hear this music’, Park Ji-yoon transformed into a perfect singer-songwriter.
In the classic album series - Park Ji-yoon ‘Flower, Again First’ episode, the behind-the-scenes stories of the included tracks and the tales intertwined with the classic album, as well as Park Ji-yoon's musical life, are highlighted.
Recalling the time of working on the classic album in an interview, Park Ji-yoon said, “I was happy on my way to the recording studio for the first time.” She added, “Unlike the past when I had to repeatedly record the same parts due to someone’s instructions, I was able to fully focus on my voice and emotions, and I enjoyed the feeling of creating music together with my colleagues,” reminiscing about the time she recorded the track ‘Sleep Talking’.
What does ‘Flower, Again First’ mean to singer Park Ji-yoon? This album is an important work that allowed her to start making music again and shaped the Park Ji-yoon of today. Park Ji-yoon emphasized that “If I hadn’t made my 7th album that way, I probably wouldn’t have been able to make it to my 10th album,” highlighting that the classic album was a significant turning point in her musical life. She also expressed her deep affection for music, saying, “I gained confidence through music, and there was a moment when I realized that music allows me to exist as myself, which is why I continue to sing.”
In this broadcast, live performances of the classic album tracks ‘Faded Memories’, ‘You Are Like a Tree’, ‘April 16’, ‘Sleep Talking’, and ‘It’s Okay’ will be featured. Additionally, songs from her 9th album ‘Park Ji-yoon9’ released in 2017, such as ‘O’, and from her 10th album ‘Breathing’, including ‘My Whole Body Hurts’, will also be presented. Viewers can enjoy Park Ji-yoon’s stage, characterized by her clear and deep tone, along with heartfelt lyrics.
Concluding the interview, Park Ji-yoon expressed her gratitude, saying, “Thank you for allowing me to share my story again after a long time, and I will gather more courage to make music.” Overcoming the confusion of identity she experienced in her childhood and her regrets about choosing to be a singer, Park Ji-yoon’s story, which proves herself solely through music, is expected to resonate deeply.
Meanwhile, EBS ‘Space Sympathy’ is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024 and has selected ‘100 Classic Albums of Korean Popular Music in the 2000s’ based on ‘artistic value’ with 11 selected committee members, focusing on 20 of those albums in a ‘Classic Album Documentary Series’. The 10 episodes of the ‘Classic Album Series’ released last year provided deep resonance to music fans with honest stories from the live stages of the included tracks to the birth of great music. The return of ‘Space Sympathy’s ‘Classic Album Series’ featuring Park Ji-yoon ‘Flower, Again First’ will be available on the 19th at 10:45 PM on EBS 1TV.
