Singer Lim Jae-bum conveys his heartfelt message to the fans he has been with for 40 years through his ‘Greeting’.
On the afternoon of the 17th, Lim Jae-bum held a press conference for his 40th anniversary nationwide tour and the pre-release of his 8th album at Ilji Art Hall in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. He debuted in 1986 with the first album of the band Sinawe, ‘Turn on the Radio Loudly’, and this year marks his 40th anniversary, having been loved for a long time with numerous hit songs such as ‘Confession’, ‘For You’, and ‘Emergency’.
When asked about his feelings on reaching the 40th anniversary of his debut, Lim Jae-bum replied, “When I first started music, I jumped in without fear, thinking I could do anything. But as 10, 20, and 30 years passed, even making a sound became scary and daunting. It seems to get harder as time goes on.”
When he was told that he must have received a lot of congratulations from those around him, he smiled and said, “My colleagues said, ‘You’ve aged a lot,’ and seniors said, ‘You’ve finally bent. You’ve worked hard. You’ve gone through a lot.’”
To mark the milestone of his 40th anniversary, Lim Jae-bum will hold a nationwide tour concert titled ‘I Am Lim Jae-bum’. Starting in Daegu on November 29, this tour will take place in Incheon, Seoul, Busan, and other locations, and is expected to be a performance that encompasses Lim Jae-bum’s 40-year musical journey.
Regarding this performance, Lim Jae-bum stated, “I plan to unfold the stories of the past 40 years one by one. I am selecting songs from those I have sung from the time of Sinawe to my 8th album that I want to share with you.” He added, “Every time I perform, I struggle with the setlist, but this time I’m thinking of singing ‘Confession’, ‘Emergency’, ‘For You’, ‘Comfort’, and ‘Traveler’.”
He also expressed his excitement, saying, “Especially for the concert at the Seoul Gymnastics Arena, a special sound system will be prepared. It’s a sound system that I’m trying for the first time, and I think the listeners will experience a different sound than before. I think I will be excited on stage with that system.”
Before the nationwide tour, a new song is also set to be released. Lim Jae-bum will release the new song ‘Greeting’, which opens the door to his 8th regular album, on various music sites at 6 PM on the 17th. ‘Greeting’ is his first new work in about three years since his 7th regular album ‘Seven Comma (SEVEN,)’ in 2022, and it is a pop gospel style song that fully conveys his feelings of gratitude and apology to his fans.
Lim Jae-bum described ‘Greeting’ as “a song with a good melody and touching lyrics,” adding, “After finishing the recording and checking the lyrics, I was overwhelmed with emotion. I think it can be a message of gratitude to the fans who have watched over me for 40 years, to God, and to my mother for her infinite love.”
He explained that the reason for creating a song themed around ‘Greeting’ was for the fans. He said, “As the 40th anniversary approaches, the only thing I can give to my fans is a song. I wanted to express my gratitude, and rather than just saying thank you, I thought it would be better to leave something memorable with the fans.”
He continued, “It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I conveyed everything I wanted to say to my fans in this song. There have been many ups and downs, and I am grateful that you have been with me during that time and that you are still stepping forward when I am doing something. I hope you will join me for this performance as well.”
Starting with the release of ‘Greeting’, Lim Jae-bum plans to sequentially unveil various genres of music and videos that he has not shown before, including another new song titled ‘The Time You Come’.
“At this point, it’s hard for me to say when the 8th regular album will be released. In the past, when I recorded, I had excessive confidence. There were times I overdid it and sang, and times I was satisfied alone, thinking, ‘I hope this is enough.’ But now, I ask the people in the recording studio, and after recording, I often look back and think, ‘Shouldn’t I do it again?’ It seems that the tail of regret has grown longer. Please wait a little longer.”
Finally, Lim Jae-bum concluded the press conference by sharing his thoughts on the term ‘legend’.
He said, “Compared to the singers I have worked with, I haven’t performed or released albums that often. Nevertheless, the fans have given me a lot of love. I may not have excellent singing ability, but I think that nickname was given to me because the juniors recognize me. I believe that the title of ‘legend’ should go to people like Cho Yong-pil, Yoon Bok-hee, and Patti Kim. I don’t think I have that level of experience yet, so I prefer the nickname ‘Tiger’ that my fans gave me,” he said with a smile.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
