Jeong Seung-hwan, who was discharged in January, is starting his official activities with the release of his digital single 'In Spring'. This new release comes about 1 year and 11 months after his digital single 'Epilogue' released in June 2023.
Before the release of the new single, Jeong Seung-hwan met with Maeil Business Star Today and said, "Around October last year, I came out on vacation and talked with the company staff about various things, and we decided to release an album in May." He added, "Since this is my first official step after being discharged from the military, I feel particularly nervous. It feels like I have returned as a singer."
Jeong Seung-hwan, who enlisted in July 2023 and served in the Army Military Band, was discharged in January. When asked if he missed the stage while in the military, he replied, "I really wanted to appear on TV."
“When I watched TV in the barracks, I saw my acquaintances singing, and I felt envious. Meeting fans offline is great, and I had a strong desire to release music, but my top priority was broadcasting. I think I thought a lot about wanting to sing on broadcasts.”
Has his mindset changed after discharge? He said, “In the past, I used to get distracted by trivial things and missed out on what was truly important. I feel like I have gained some composure in that regard. Before enlisting, I had a desire to pay attention to and take care of everything in my music work, but now I trust and delegate to those who can help in areas I can't handle. I feel like I have become a bit more of an adult.”
Jeong Seung-hwan has been actively engaged in activities since his discharge. Just 20 days after his discharge, he appeared on KBS2's music program 'The Seasons - Lee Young-ji's Rainbow' in February, and in April, he held a fan concert titled 'University of Seung Hwan'.
When asked if he felt his return through the fan concert and broadcasting activities, he said, “I had a concert just before going to the military, and it felt like the fans who came back to the promised place, even after a considerable amount of time, were still there. I performed for three hours with the emotion of 'my heart is still the same'.”
Jeong Seung-hwan's new digital single 'In Spring', released at 6 PM on the 13th, contains two love stories resembling the springtime when frozen emotions begin to bloom. The title track 'One More Day' and the included song 'Let's Meet Again on the Cherry Blossom Falling Spring Road' all bloom gently with acoustic guitar at the forefront, providing a splendid immersion as it progresses.
When asked when he started preparing for the album, Jeong Seung-hwan said, “I have been friends with a composer who is working as a producer at the company for a long time, so we talked every time I came out on vacation. I started working in earnest around early February, and while listening to various songs in that friend's studio, I worked on 'One More Day' as the title track.”
'One More Day' is a standard ballad that tells a heart-wrenching love story that anyone has experienced at least once, allowing listeners to fully feel the emotions of Jeong Seung-hwan's early debut. It depicts the affectionate feelings of looking back at the other person despite trying hard and making promises.
“I had a vague thought of wanting to create a song related to unrequited love. While writing the lyrics, I tried to make it more concrete by looking at various things, and Makoto Shinkai's '5 Centimeters Per Second' gave me great inspiration for the lyrics and composition. I have loved that animation for a long time and have wanted to express this story through music, and I feel like I have finally resolved that homework while composing 'One More Day'. (laughs)”
Jeong Seung-hwan gained recognition for his skills by finishing as a runner-up in the SBS audition program 'K-Pop Star Season 4' in 2015. Shortly after, he joined Antenna, led by Yoo Hee-yeol, and debuted as a singer with his mini album 'Voice' in 2016.
Reflecting on the past 10 years, he said, “I was 20 years old when I first joined Antenna, and now I am 30. Back then, I really didn't know anything and relied on the CEO for everything. When discussing music, I had nothing to say because I didn't know anything, but now I feel like I have grown a lot as I have gained experience and expanded my own world.”
He continued, “When I was younger, I was narrow-minded and often pushed my own opinions, but now those things have decreased. I have learned to think flexibly about music and human relationships while working with the CEO and company staff. Through the CEO, I have learned how to encompass the whole picture better.”
So, how does Jeong Seung-hwan want to be remembered by the public as a singer in the future?
“I want to be a singer who can be described by just my voice. After all, the voice is like a singer's fingerprint, so I want to be a singer with a beautiful fingerprint. Since I am about to engage in official activities after a long time, I am full of determination. If given the opportunity, I will work hard on all content and broadcasts, so I hope people will recognize that Jeong Seung-hwan has returned. (laughs)”
[Lee Da-gyeom, Star Today Reporter]
