Park Ji-min unveils new solo album

[waves-of-light.livejournal.com]

Since Park Ji-min rose to stardom almost overnight back in 2012 when she won Season 1 of the SBS talent search show "K-pop Star," the path she took was different from her competitors.

Unlike her rivals who made their debut as singers immediately after the reality show, Park, then 15, tried to slow down in chasing fame because she didn't want to be trapped in the curse of early fame.

She disappeared from the public eye for some time and led a life as a trainee after signing a contract with JYP Entertainment.

A few months later, the teenage singer was back in view and officially debuted in the female duo "15&" with fellow trainee Baek Ye-rin. Fans had anticipated the young musician would break out as a solo artist.

It was in 2016 when Park finally took on a solo career with her first mini album "19 to 20." Highly acclaimed for her poignant vocals and high notes, the then 19-year-old co-wrote the songs in a true reflection of growing up at the end of her teenage years and the beginning of adulthood.

"After winning 'K-pop Star' and debuting as a singer, I had a team of people who helped me. But then I realized that to do my own music, there's work that I myself had to take care of and no one can do it on behalf of me. So I started writing my own music," Park said during an interview at a cafe in Seoul with The Korea Times, Monday.

Working on her second album "JiminxJamie," Park Ji-min tried to reflect the trials of adulthood. The album's title indicates a blend of "Jimin" with bright, energetic vibes, and "Jamie" with a bold hipster-ish personality.

The lead track "April Fools (0401)" is a pop dance song with electro guitar riffs and synthesizers. The X-rated music video shows Park delighting in schadenfreude as she inflicts pain on a former lover.

"I'm not sure if fans are ready to accept my music, but I no longer wanted to be known as a 15-year-old girl who would sing 'Over the Rainbow.' As a newly-minted adult, I wanted to sing dark and moody songs," Park said. "It's taken two years for me to release the second album, so I hope my fans like it."

The 21-year-old musician mentioned that since 2012, she has gone through puberty and had surgery to fix her vocal cords. These experiences have made her voice deeper and throatier.

"This time I focused on showcasing a wide spectrum of my low-key vocals instead of hitting high notes as I normally did," she said. "With this one, it was really important for me to step away and define who I was as an artist, as a songwriter, as a musician because I don't feel like I've had a chance to do that yet. I really wanted to make this about me, make this something that defines me, and take enough time to do that."

Park co-wrote three of five songs on the album and said it was rewarding to work with seasoned songwriters. Of them, she said she had so much fun while working with M.O.L.A. crew members ― Pentagon's KINO, Seventeen's Vernon, Woodz and Nathan. "They're really good friends and I can tell everything to them ― even things that I don't share with my parents," she said.

Despite her growth as an artist, Park admits she still has things to learn. "I, at times, was disappointed when my songs were neglected by executive producer Park Jin-young, but learned a lot in the journey finding out what would appeal to a wider audience," she said.

Park's new album "JiminxJamie" was out on Sept. 4.



source: The Korea Times

Comments

[daynr.livejournal.com]

Interesting interview. It doesn't sound like it'll be successful korean idol music, but I don't have the impression that Jimin really wants to be a typical idol.

And interesting phrasing JYP as neglecting her. The Got7 boys always makes it sound like he makes snap judgments, often 'no', which is quite different than neglect. I wonder where the truth lies.