When the leaves fall and the wind cools, the heart begins to ache. The term “가을 타다” (ga-eul ta-da) is the Korean description of autumn’s influence on the soul – that sense of melancholy which seeps into the bones.
It’s fitting, then, that Kyuhyun’s first three mini albums were all released in this season. At Gwanghwamun (2014), Fall, Once again (2015), and Waiting, Still (2017) all possess the quintessential elements of the Korean ballad: a slow tempo, escalating instrumentals, and a voice that shapes sentimental poetry into song.
This is not to say Kyuhyun paints a forlorn picture or has been boxed into promoting for only three months of the year. He’s the lead singer of SUPER JUNIOR, a renowned idol group in its 18th year; a popular TV personality; and an acclaimed musical theatre actor. It’s gotten to the point where at 34, he jokes the only role left unfulfilled is that of a home shopping host.
But the release of his fourth mini album Love Story (4 Season Project 季) on January 25th is a definite turning point in his solo career. The “Autumn Ballad Prince” has expanded his scope to give us songs for each season. In doing so, he has become an artist for our every day.
Kyuhyun launched his “PROJECT : 季” (“Project : Season”) in 2020 with the explanation that there are four distinct seasons in Korea, each with their own weather, mood and situation. He promised to sing for each of them.
Spring signals a heart-fluttering beginning, a hope that a “Coffee” can lead to something more. Summer is rife with possibilities under the blazing sun. It’s a time for “Dreaming” and to be “Together” with the people that help you realise those dreams.
Autumn’s loneliness is like a “Daystar,” a star that exists but cannot be seen. While the metaphor is beautiful in its fragility, the stark reality is expressed in the Korean title, which literally translates to “the work of pushing down my heart.” Winter’s finality is represented by “Moving On.” The music video follows two lovers’ last moments while the song’s lyrics already speak of the aftermath. The dissonance only amplifies the loss.
“Love Story” binds the earlier tracks together: a series of highs and lows spent with a past lover.
The irony is that Kyuhyun’s never actually read a love story. He’s watched a lot of them, but he’s never read one. (In his Comeback Live, he tried to prove all the famous ones have sad endings, but he could only name Titanic. Later, a fan’s comment reminded him of his own musicals. Kyuhyun brightened at that. “I’ve died in all of them recently!”)
Still, when he saw the title “Love Story” – when he listened to the song by the ever-dependable Kenzie – he knew right away this was it. He was sure he wanted to end “PROJECT : 季” with it. This makes sense on two levels. Despite enjoying the brighter pop and rock vibes in this album and knowing fans will be thankful for what he calls “rare items,” he evidently likes autumn-winter ballads the most. Moreover, “Love Story” serves as an explicit definition of the genre.
The concept of storytelling is still strong in ballads. Kyuhyun said in his press conference that he likes the poetic nature of the lyrics, in comparison to the less subtle, more in-your-face lines common to other genres. Yoon Jongshin, the MC and older balladeer, agreed. Yoon believes it’s impossible for contemporary ballads to have stronger melody lines than the Korean classics of the ‘50s and ‘60s, so the differentiator has to be in the language that represents and speaks for the current generation.
Kyuhyun explains further to Teen Vogue via email interview. “I believe Korean ballads have this melody and flow that has a very clear story to it,” he says. “It’s also composed with lyrics that people can relate to as if it’s their own story because it describes experiences anyone could have had. Koreans are generally good at singing, and tend to really fall into the melody and lyrics by empathizing with the story that’s being told. They’ve also been more exposed [to ballads] from a young age, which is why they’re easily moved by such songs.”
He surely counts himself as one of these listeners. In the press conference, he admitted to listening to ballads 364 days of the year. (The only day he doesn’t? Christmas Eve. At that, Yoon retorted, “Carols are ballads too!”)
Kyuhyun’s answer shares two intersecting truths. We relate to ballads because they tell our story, yes, but we also use them to live other people’s stories. As one fan commented during the Comeback Live, they’ve never been in a relationship – but feel like they’ve had the full experience via his music anyway.
Over the past two years, we’ve had to rely more than ever on external media to lend us some sort of feeling. Time has languished even in spring, and our hearts have continued to be cold into the summer. We’re not the only ones feeling out of it either – the weather’s acting up too. In Seoul, the chill came mid-spring and the first snow on November 10, a month earlier than usual.
In the press conference, Kyuhyun chose winter as the season of his heart. After all, the end of “PROJECT : 季” is the end of another chapter. He feels the loss already. At that, Yoon encouraged him to try another seasonal series later in his life. He himself began releasing monthly ballads at 41, so perhaps Kyuhyun could also try again at that age – if he’s able to let go of the final dregs of his desire to do well on the charts.
Kyuhyun candidly admitted he’s getting there, but it isn’t easy. He started singing because he liked to sing, but now he sings to satisfy others. Yoon understood him immediately: “It’s become work.” Kyuhyun wondered if this was the unavoidable nature of becoming more and more of a pro, with growth and loss becoming inextricably linked. It’s a bittersweet feeling.
Letting things go has never been Kyuhyun’s strong suit. He’s a self-professed workaholic. When he returned from mandatory military service in May 2019, he immediately held a fan meeting and followed it up by releasing a series of songs. He then claimed the title of “Mask King” on King of Masked Singer – the first for a male idol – and recorded top-tier variety programs New Journey to the West, Salty Tour and Kang’s Kitchen, while also taking part in SUPER JUNIOR’s ninth studio album Time_Slip and embarking on a world tour to perform it. Even now, in the new constant of COVID-19, he’s juggling the promotions for Love Story with a title role in the musical Frankenstein and preparations for a live concert.
But he seems willing to try. Kyuhyun told Yoon that his 2022 goal is to work less, an echo of what he’d said on KYUTV, his personal livestream, three days prior. He wants to work less – not too little he’ll be forgotten, not in a way he has to sacrifice quality — but still, less. For example, he’s now considering doing three musicals every two years instead of two every year. The reasons for this were given with a trademark wryness. First, his fans are becoming poorer and poorer while trying to keep up with his output. (Musicals cost 150,000W now – about 124 USD – and he’s constantly performing them.) Second, his voice is suffering. (He can sing for hours, no issue, but his musical characters shout a lot too.)
With more time on his hands, Kyuhyun hopes to read up on economics, drink with friends, and game at home, but also to communicate with fans more closely. He wants to approach them as the “human” behind the name. Human Cho Kyuhyun is, he tells Teen Vogue, “more genuine compared to the different characters I’ve portrayed in musicals or the roles I’ve taken on in variety shows.”
Kyuhyun had chosen his heart’s current season as winter. The release of Love Story was a farewell, and in two weeks time, he will have his final curtain call as Victor Frankenstein. But if the album has told us anything, it’s about the cyclical nature of life’s events. At the end of one love comes another, and after a barren chill comes green sprouts.
How fitting, then, that as Korea melts into spring, Kyuhyun will be embarking on new adventures with fresh stories to tell.
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