Ahn Shin-ae: "Remake Album Proposed by Psy... It Saved Me" [Q&A]

*This content was translated by AI.

Singer-songwriter Ahn Shin-ae released a Q&A session to commemorate the launch of her new album.

Ahn Shin-ae will release her new album 'Best Before' at 6 p.m. on the 21st.

This marks her comeback approximately one year and three months after releasing her first EP 'Dear LIFE' in January last year. The new album is a remake collection featuring four tracks: Kim Geon-mo's 'Love Alone' as the title track, Bora Yeoreum Gaeul Gyeoul's 'People Must Be Changing', Kim Hyun-cheol's 'Why Are You Like This', and Won Mi-yeon's 'Journey of Parting'.

Timeless classics that have continued to receive steady love from music fans over the years are reinterpreted through Ahn Shin-ae's premium vocals. With this album, produced in collaboration with producer Yoo Geun-hyeong, she evokes nostalgia for that era and delivers a unique emotional experience through diverse genres distinct from the original versions.

Alongside the album release, Ahn Shin-ae will hold a small-venue concert titled 'SCENE A' for four weeks from the 25th of this month until May 17, with a total of eight performances held every Saturday and Sunday at Seoul Mapo-gu Yeonnam Space.

Ahead of her meeting with fans through the new album release and concert, Ahn Shin-ae directly shared with fans the reasons for releasing a remake album as her comeback work, the process of selecting the title track, and the motivation behind planning the small-venue concert.

◆ The following is a Q&A with Ahn Shin-ae.

Q. You are releasing a new album after your January 2025 EP 'Dear LIFE'. What are your thoughts on making a comeback after about a year and three months?

▷ It fills my heart with emotion to think that I will be sharing the results of my work over the past year and three months with my fans. There were many concerns and processes involved, including creating and discarding the album three times before its release, and I feel that all of that story has ultimately been woven into the album.

Q. What was the reason for choosing a remake album as your comeback work?

▷ Recently, my series 'Dear City' and 'Dear Life', which reflect my perspective on the world, have continued, and I had planned to complete the next album as the final 'Dear Series'. During the album production, the inner turmoil was so great that I repeatedly created and discarded the work. During this process, Psy CEO first proposed, "It would be good to try making a remake album. I hope you also experience the happiness I felt while making a remake album."

I also needed a breakthrough in my work and thought it would be fun to add my own touch to songs loved by many people. As a result, this album seems to have played a role in saving me from over-immersion in myself. It also seems to have become a better opportunity to share my unique colors with the public.

Q. The album includes four tracks: Kim Geon-mo's 'Love Alone' as the title track, Bora Yeoreum Gaeul Gyeoul's 'People Must Be Changing', Kim Hyun-cheol's 'Why Are You Like This', and Won Mi-yeon's 'Journey of Parting'. I am curious about the reason for selecting these songs among numerous music classics.

▷ More than 100 songs were considered as candidates. Among them, I focused on selecting messages or images that had similar musical roots when I reinterpreted them and conveyed stories that remain valid even though they were released long ago.

Q. It must have been difficult to decide on the title track. What is the background behind Kim Geon-mo's 'Love Alone' becoming the title track?

▷ While I was deeply contemplating the title track selection, my producer, senior Yoo Geun-hyeong, suggested that I try arranging 'Love Alone', which was being worked on as a track, into an a cappella version. I immediately began working on it, stayed up all night to complete the first verse, and presented it to the CEO. I never imagined it would become the title track.

This album was produced with a focus more on my vocal abilities than my songwriting skills, yet this song that became the title track at the last minute turned out to be the case where my creativity was most fully expressed among my works so far. There were concerns about an a cappella track consisting of only 73 voices becoming the title track, but the perspective that it was even more original actually strengthened the decision for the title selection.

Q. The original songs are by highly respected senior singers with outstanding individuality and strengths. What is the unique charm of these songs compared to the originals?

▷ The distinct genre colors that serve as devices for reinterpreting the songs are the key point. 'Love Alone', which was ingrained as a 1990s R&B song, has been transformed into an a cappella track. 'People Must Be Changing', a slow-tempo blues song, has been reimagined in the authentic hip-hop boom bap genre. 'Why Are You Like This' has been revitalized as synth-punk pop, raising the tempo to enhance the excitement while preserving the charm of the original. And 'Journey of Parting' by senior Won Mi-yeon, one of the representative female ballad songs of the 1990s and considered the most dramatic remake, has been reborn as pop-punk rock. All tracks have clear genre directions. With a solid genre foundation, I confidently explored the charm of my voice and recorded with enjoyment.

Q. You collaborated with producer Yoo Geun-hyeong on the new album. What was the main topic you discussed the most?

▷ It was about maximizing synergy by combining the potential of the original melodies with the charm of my vocals. We discussed everything, such as how to sing each note, what tone to use, and how to arrange each part so that old songs would resonate better with today's audience.

Q. You are holding a small-venue concert for a total of four weeks, with eight performances every Saturday and Sunday starting from the 25th of this month. What is the intention behind planning such a concert?

▷ 'SCENE A', the first concert under my own name, was a concept I had envisioned, and CEO Psy also proposed it. Initially, he suggested performing 200 times, but since this is the first performance, we will start lightly with four weeks and eight shows. With just one guitar and one piano, we will perform almost all songs, and it will be a performance that captures everything raw and true to myself.

Q. What aspects would you like fans to focus on when watching the performance?

▷ Thanks to the consideration of Yeonnam Space, all rehearsals were conducted at the venue. I was concerned about how to best convey the raw music to the audience. Since everything is prepared, I hope the audience who come to the concert can feel relieved while being with me. Please put aside all worries and stresses from your daily lives.

Q. If you could give a slight hint about the repertoire to be presented at the performance?

▷ The setlist changes every day during the eight performances. I will present Je (CEO) songs in acoustic versions, and there will also be a segment where I perform songs I composed and request songs from the live audience. Additionally, different guests will visit each day, so please look forward to the collaborative tracks with them.

Q. You have participated as a lyricist and composer in the album production of many singers, from Lee Hi to Sung Si-kyung and Hwa Sa. Among the songs you have created, which one do you have the most attachment to and why?

▷ All songs hold great meaning for me, making it difficult to choose, but 'Alone' is a song that I am grateful for because it is the first time I have shared my deep story and received love from many people. Also, senior Sung Si-kyung's 'Mom and Dad' is one of my life songs. When I gave this song to the senior, it was with the feeling of entrusting a large part of my heart to be heard by the world.

Q. Besides the album release and concert, what are your future activity plans?

▷ I would like to present the albums I have envisioned, such as the concluding part of the 'Dear Series' and 'I'll Make a Song for You', where I created songs on the spot by receiving stories from fans, if the opportunity arises. I also want to interact with many people through various stages and multiple online and offline content.

Q. A message to 'Sundubu' (fan club name), who have been supporting you for a long time.

▷ 'Sundubu' is a fan club name given to people who, like me, live bravely in a harsh world with a tofu-like mentality. I am truly grateful that you have kindly looked upon me, who has been maturing in obscurity for a long time and is now just beginning to confidently make music for the world, and have supported me. I will become 'Queen Tofu', who grinds the courage and love you have given me beautifully to make better tofu, and will continue to create good music.

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*This content was translated by AI.