Singer Kim Gun-mo has returned after 10 years with his new song, Where Am I Heading. The track is a remake of the song of the same name originally released by Jeon Young in 1977. Instead of the piano, which has long been his signature, he was holding a guitar.
For Kim Gun-mo, who has been a national icon for nearly 30 years and even set world records for album sales, the past six years felt like living in darkness. He admitted that he repeatedly asked himself, Should I just quit music now?
The one thing that stayed by his side the longest was the guitar. He practiced for at least four to five hours every single day without fail. He spent his days cycling 100km to keep himself going, and from evening until dawn, he would pick up his guitar. That time eventually led him back to music.
When SBS Entertainment News met Kim Gun-mo at his studio, he looked much healthier than before. The interview lasted over three hours. Even while talking, he would naturally pick up his guitar. Like someone who finds it easier to sing than to speak, he strummed the guitar and hummed his own story into lyrics. Regarding his new song, Kim emphasized several times, This is not a comeback or a return to the stage; it is the debut of Kim Gun-mo, the guitarist.
Q. What made you return to music after six years?
I lived playing the piano every day for 28 years, but for the past six years, I barely touched it. I only played with the guitar a little bit. Whenever I saw the piano, I would get emotional for no reason. Everything that had happened came rushing back, so I couldn't bring myself to touch it. I didn't perform, and I didn't want to do music. Honestly, I thought about quitting. But one day, I happened to watch the MBN show Oppa Era on TV. I heard Jo Beom-jin singing the song Wings, and the lyrics, Rise up, youth, embrace your dreams and run, hit me right in the heart.
Q. So that music moved your heart again.
It made me think, Oh, God hasn't abandoned me yet. Strangely enough, I went to the studio later and was introduced to Jo Beom-jin, who sang that song. I felt that it wasn't a coincidence, and from that day on, I felt the urge to do music again.
Q. It must not have been easy to start singing again with a guitar.
I just rode my bike every day. That was really all I did. My manager stayed with me almost every day for about three years. Overnight, I became someone with no performances, no schedule, and nowhere to go when I woke up in the morning. But I kept playing the guitar. I think that is what kept me going.
Q. Did you get into music after falling in love with the guitar?
At first, I just thought, Let's try recording something. I wasn't in a happy state like I am now. I would practice the guitar, which I learned on my own, from evening until dawn, and then call Jo Beom-jin, who would wake up around 5 AM, to ask him all sorts of questions. When I asked him, Is it okay to play like this?, he would explain it well. That is how I became deeply immersed in the guitar. That is why I don't consider this song a comeback. To me, it feels like a debut song where the piano-playing Kim Gun-mo has ended, and the guitar-playing Kim Gun-mo is greeting the world for the first time.
Q. Is there anyone you especially want to hear this song?
I hope it reaches those who have lost family members, those who have lost loved ones, and those who are going through difficult times right now. Everyone experiences loss in life. I love the movie Coco, and I believe that as long as people remember someone, they remain alive. I sang with that sentiment in mind.
Q. What emotions do you want listeners to feel?
I hope many people who come to my concerts will listen to it. Whether they are meeting a friend or are alone, I hope it becomes a time for them to look back and ask, Where am I in my life right now? and Have I lived well so far? People who are struggling look for comfort more than those who are happy. I hope my song can be a small comfort to someone.
Q. I heard the recording process for this album was also special.
I didn't record it with the intention of releasing an album from the start. I just thought, Let's just give it a try. That was all. I went into the studio and sang and played the guitar comfortably, and that was captured as it was. I tried singing it again later, but it didn't have the same feeling. When I listened to it later, I found that the natural emotion was better. So, this song was recorded during the most difficult period of my life.
Q. Has your mindset toward music changed as well?
In the past, I had a strong desire to show something off. That is not the case anymore. I don't want to make music in a difficult way, and I won't struggle to pack it with grand meanings. I just want to make music that is fun for me and fun for the listeners. That is who I am now.
Q. You knelt and shed tears at your concert in Busan, your first in six years. Why was that?
I was just grateful. I couldn't believe there were people who had waited for me. The moment I saw the audience at the concert, I just felt, There are still people who waited for me. That was the only feeling I had—gratitude. I heard later that the staff members who had been waiting since my performances stopped in 2019 were all crying. I heard that my dear junior colleague Baekga, who came to Busan to support me, burst into tears, and my manager, who rode bikes with me every day, also cried.
Q. Are you still deeply into the guitar?
I play for four hours every day, no matter what. The piano is an instrument my body already remembers, but I am a complete beginner with the guitar. That is why it is even more fun. There is so much to memorize and so much to practice. It feels like I have returned to the days when I was first learning the piano.
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