[STARCAST] “How did he become a ballad singer”… Kyuhyun’s pentastich love song

[yukahoo.livejournal.com]

Gwanghwamun is a place where lovers’ memories are contained in it…. It also treasures the time flow. That is why Lee Moon Sae’s 'Gwanghwamun Love Song' could be created. Also another ballad singer sings about Gwanghwamun calmly and lonely… He is Super Junior’s Kyuhyun.

Please forget about splendid idol Kyuhyun, since Kyuhyun is just a ballad singer. Someone said that he’s the next generation’s ballad singer that would continue Sung Si Kyung. Could anyone have imagined Super Junior Kyuhyun and Radio Star Kyuhyun sing traditional ballad song that well?

We came up with this thought of wouldn’t Kyuhyun have had hard times since he took his first step as a ballad singer since it’s not easy to break the prejudice toward an idol. Besides, Kyuhyun has a title as entertainer. He would’ve also got intimidated by the comeback news of Toy and Park Hyo Shin.

It seems like he has made great effort. Maybe practicing would’ve been the only thing to survive since there is nothing to gain without effort. When we listen to 'At Gwanghwamun', we fall into Kyuhyun’s voice without noticing since he sings neatly without any techniques. We cannot imagine how much he had practiced until he could sound like this vocal.

He wasn’t poor at anything. We understood why everyone says that singer is told by songs and actor is told by acting skills. What did Kyuhyun want to say through ‘At Gwanghwamun’? It wouldn’t be just the common farewell story of lovers. He would’ve wanted to tell his growth within it. What do you think, Kyuhyun?

by Dispatch



‘At Gwanghwamun’ is a song which I prepared secretly without letting members know for 2 years. It was the work of releasing solo album among Super Junior members for the first time. I was nervous and felt uncomfortable. I couldn’t release the solo album even though I finished the first recording since many affairs overlapped. So I waited for the time.

I also got angry. I planned to act solo in 2007. It came out in about 7 years. I worked in group and entertainment programs in the meanwhile. I started entertainment in order to act in solo since people don’t listen to songs when the artist doesn’t have profile. So I decided to sing after promoting my name.

The problem was at controlling my conditions. I ran out of energy with Super Junior’s album activities, world tours, entertainment programs, and musical performances. It was really hard to regain my energies. Voice that I wanted didn’t come out when I did recording. So I prepared the solo album by abstaining from drinking for a month.

The reason why I could make sad voice is thanks to my experience of love. Fans would not like this but I believe one cannot sing being a solo since birth. One has to love and also break up. But I don’t have much experience of love sadly. So I asked for writing the lyrics to my best friend, TVXQ!’s MAX.

Composer Kenzie made up for parts where I was not good at and insufficient. I thank Kenzie the most at this work. Actually, ‘At Gwanghwamun’ was a song that was planned to be given to Super Junior’s ballad unit, ‘K.R.Y’. But I gaped after it. Kenzie who knew my passion than anyone else accepted my request without hesitation. Kenzie noona can talk about the story about the project better. [Seems Dispatch removed that last sentence and added in: "Oh, Yiruma also gave a big help." when they removed Kenzie's comment].

by Kyuhyun



I've lived at Gwanghwamun for over 7 years. The longer I live here, the more I love it. There's a special sensitivity of Gwanghwamun where you can feel good about the smoothly-changing seasons. I wrote 'At Gwanghwamun' based off of the emotions you feel here at Gwanghwamun. I wanted to share this sensitivity with everyone through this music.

There was no need for flashy vocals. Composing it in itself was done comfortably. I worked just with how everything was flowing. And when I thought about which singer could unleash these emotions, I thought there was nobody but Kyuhyun. More than anything, I wanted Kyuhyun's skills and voice to show this sensitivity to the public.

The problem was that I'm the most demanding composer in SM. Particularly when we're recording, I'm the kind that pays attention and cares about even the smallest details. I whip singers until the vocals that I want come out (t/n: she 'whips them into shape', keeps at them). But as far as it went with this song, I didn't have a single thing to ask (of Kyuhyun). It was already complete/finished well.

He's different from an ace. Kyuhyun doesn't have any tricks or special technique. His vocals themselves are very clean. It's a big advantage/strength that other vocalists don't have. His voice is inherently like that, and it was combined with his efforts over a long time. All I did was just pull out part of what Kyuhyun does the most outstandingly.

Both of us not losing strength/steam [while working on the song], it's all thanks to Kyuhyun's efforts. He carefully asked about the feelings that the song was trying to convey and kept getting a better understanding of the song itself. I could feel those emotions in the recording booth. Maybe that's why I felt so much happier working with Kyuhyun. Yiruma, who composed track #2 "Eternal Sunshine", may have also felt the same way.

by Kenzie

Cr: @stoppedclock321
(T/N: the original text was included in the Starcast article as a section between Kyuhyun's and Yiruma's. I'm not sure why, but at some point it was removed from both the Korean and English versions of Starcast. I have screencaps of the original content of the article (the image with Kenzie's five-word poem and the original Korean paragraphs of her section).



I listened well to ‘At Gwanghwamun’. ‘Eternal Sunshine’ which I made is a song which the deep emotions of the piano melody outstand. It contains the feeling of a man after breaking up such like ‘I try to hate you / I try to find the reasons for breaking up / but my heart bleeds / I get to encounter you although I haven’t forgot anything’.

It’s a result of harmony. I’m working as a composer team called ‘Mind Tailor’ with composer ‘2FACE’. ‘Mind Tailor’ has the meaning of ‘guessing the mind after reading it’. In other words, we compose in accordance with the artist’s color. I made a sensitive ballad song for Kyuhyun.

Problem? Trouble? There wasn’t anything since he’s a guy that does well usually. I didn’t worry actually since I heard about Kyuhyun’s singing skills around me well. So I didn’t request for a special vocal. Kyuhyun sang after understanding alone. He vivified the feeling of lyricist Yang Jae Sun’s lyrics perfectly.

I could feel the affection. His image of making an effort looked smart. Kyuhyun has the most optimized voice to ballad song. His tone is really stable as if he practiced so much. He is a singer that has attractive sweet voice. I think he has more soft sweeter voice than Sung Si Kyung personally.

I believe he would settle himself as a ballad singer gradually. He has enough potential. The most surprising thing is that it’s just the start for him now. There would be more colors within Kyuhyun. I’m really curious how much this friend would develop to. Let’s ask this to the father of ballads.

by Yiruma



I was quite surprised when I heard ‘At Gwanghwamun’. It felt different from the Kyuhyun that I had known. He distinguished himself at entertainment programs. He’s also a member of dance group, Super Junior. Actually I didn’t have high expectations when I heard that Kyuhyun was debuting solo with ballad.

I think it worked well since it wasn’t a splendid ballad. ‘At Gwanghwamun’ is a traditional ballad of the 90’s. The melody is fresh and warm. It also gives a feeling of Japanese ballad overall. It’s the right song to attract winter sensibility.

I think it has stepped over the threshold. Kyuhyun has broken the prejudice toward idol and has the sensibility as a ballad singer. It definite to show off his vocal if he’s an idol. They expose immature vocal sometimes. But Kyuhyun’s voice is great as itself. It has absorptive power although he sings it calmly.

Was it due to his plaintive voice? He kept on maintaining within ‘top 5’ of real time music charts for 2 consecutive weeks. I believe he’s competing really well among Toy and Park Hyo Shin. I think people enjoy listening to it since it’s not too provocative. And I also think that the secret of its long-run lies on the comfortable vocal. It’s comfortable to listen anytime.

I think it’s just the prologue since I can see his potential fully. He’s strong with his awareness. Every Korean knows Kyuhyun. Besides, since he has been acknowledged for his skills, I believe he would become a Korea’s representative ballad singer if he builds up his years of experience.

by Cho Young Soo [Famous songwriter, "Father of Ballad"]

We expressed Kyuhyun’s ‘At Gwanghwamun’ in pentastich. We rearranged the contents with the interviews of Yiruma, and Cho Young Soo at the basis.

Writing=Kim Soo Ji (Dispatch)
Picture=SM Entertainment • Dispatch DB

Sources:
Dispatch via Naver
@stoppedclock321
@NKsubs

Edited to add comments from songwriter Kenzie. For some reason Dispatch omitted her part from the English translation.


Get that praise, bbq.

Comments

[caramelorchoco.livejournal.com]

i feel so happy to see kyuhyun finally getting all this recognition! he's waited such a long time for this, i mean a lot of people knew kyuhyun was talented but it was always one of those things people never actually had a proper conversation about, its was like 'oh yea that dude, he sings well i guess''

and now, what a change! this is great, super super happy for him!

i hope K.R.Y.S can get recognition like this soon!

[stoppedclock321.livejournal.com]

The original Starcast article had another section for Kenzie's thoughts between Kyuhyun's and Yiruma's sections. I'm not sure why, but it wasn't included in the English article and then when I checked the current Korean version, it had been removed as well.

I had the text saved from when I saw the original article when it came out, so I translated it. I think OP's going to edit it in...?

[yukahoo.livejournal.com]

I will! ...once I get it from you^^

[stoppedclock321.livejournal.com]

Not my fault you vanished for a little ;____; and I sent it over, did you get it? :D

[yukahoo.livejournal.com]

Done!