Jung Jae-il, 41, one of South Korea's best-regarded composers and music directors, released "Listen," his first album under Decca Records, on Friday.
Jung earned his international reputation with his musical work for the critically acclaimed film “Parasite” as well as Netflix series “Squid Game.” He was recognized by the Hollywood Music In Media Awards for his work on “Squid Game.”
The seven-track record conveys his message to pay attention to the act of listening. “I realized that we were experiencing the pandemic and wars because we don't listen,” Jung told reporters at a press conference on Friday.
Jung, a multi-instrumentalist, focused on the piano for "Listen."
“I’m more comfortable when I speak through performing rather than through speaking in a language. With the piano which resembles my voice, I hope you can discover not only my voice but also yours and your surroundings,” he said.
Jung has been in the music industry for 25 years. He began learning the piano at the tender age of 4, but his musical passion shifted to the guitar and bass during his teenage years as he immersed himself in band activities.
As he delved into the art of composing, he eventually returned to the piano. Since then, his musical repertoire has expanded to encompass a wide variety of genres, including classical music, traditional Korean music, pop music and beyond.
