Kim Jae-joong (iNKODE)
Singer and actor Kim Jae-joong pictures his past 20 years as a field of flowers.
“Back when I was young, these flowers which I refer to as love and support I get from my fans, looked small and precarious. But as they accumulated to form a flower garden, these flowers were what motivated me to continue moving forward, to make more glorious moments in my life,” said Kim Jae-joong in introducing his fourth LP, “Flower Garden,” during an interview with reporters in Seoul on Tuesday.
The LP drops on Wednesday evening.
Kim Jae-joong’s new album comes in time for the 20th anniversary of his debut.
He debuted in 2003 as a member of the legendary K-pop boy group TVXQ.
“I invested a lot in making the physical album of ‘Flower Garden’ because I wanted it to be worth collecting, instead of being bought just as a ticket to get a seat in my fanmeet event,” Kim said. “This album is a summary of my music since I debuted as a solo artist in 2013. It will present the kind of music artist Kim Jae-joong can do and my diverse vocal styles.”
The album carries 14 songs -- Kim took part in writing the lyrics to 10 of them.
The lead track of the album is “Glorious Days.”
“In this song, I sing about how my glorious days are when I am receiving love from my fans and also when I can give them my love in return. My days are glorious thanks to my fans,” said Kim.
Kim established an entertainment agency called iNKODE in April last year, after leaving C-JeS Studios.
“A lot has happened in the past few years but the biggest change is that I established an entertainment agency last year. Now that I operate my own agency, I can actively introduce individual projects and focus more on what I really want to do,” Kim said.
Kim is also producing a K-pop group consisting of members of diverse nationalities.
His goal is to make a new trend in the entertainment industry.
Drawing on his two-decades in the scene, he is able to give K-pop trainees and rookies useful advice, he said.
"I participate in recording sessions of our trainees and some cry when they face certain limits. But I always tell them that overcoming each barrier will help them extend their lifespan as artists,” he said. "My dream is to bring a big wave that can initiate a new trend in the K-pop industry. I want to introduce projects that have never been seen before."
Kim is set to embark on a fan concert tour that kicks off in Seoul on July 20-21 at Jangchung Arena.
Kim is also starring as the main male protagonist in MBN’s romance drama series “Bad Memory Eraser” which airs starting Aug. 2.
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