VIDEO Psy returns with music at his heart
K-pop star Psy talks during the press conference for his new album "4X2=8" at Conrad Hotel in Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap
By Kim Jae-heun
Global K-pop star Psy returned with his eighth new album, Wednesday – calling it the heartfelt music that it resembles much of the songs from his debut album released in 2001.
After his international breakthrough with megahit “Gangnam Style” released in his sixth album five years ago, many have told him to stay original and don’t change. But he confessed that it was hard for him to forget the burden and not care about people’s reaction outside of the world on his new music.
“I’ve heard million times not to change and I’ve always told myself to keep my originality, but now I don’t know what that originality is,” said Psy during the press conference for his new album “4X2=8” at Conrad Hotel in western Seoul.
“It’s really hard. I am not sure if that originality people are talking about is like the song Bird from my debut album. But I was 24 then and now I am 40. I was single then and now I am married. Things have changed and I can’t make music like I did 16 years ago.”
Instead, Psy focused on writing music from his heart, this time.
His new full-length album contains 10 songs including double title tracks; “I LUV IT” and “New Face.”
Popular rapper Zico, music producer Yoon Gun-hyung and Psy wrote I LUV IT based on the addictive electro house tune. The lyric sings Psy’s thoughts on what he loves.
New Face is a product of Yoon and Psy too, where the singer raps rapidly on beats with kicks in between.
Psy’s favorite song is seventh track “Fact Attack” which rapper G-dragon of BIGBANG participated as featuring artist.
“I take criticism but I don’t buy slander. Often we communicate with people through media and what we say during the interview can be distorted. The song is about my honest feeling on slanders and there are a lot of swearing words. So, perhaps fans of my first album might like this song. You can also listen to G-dragon swear in this song,” said Psy.
Psy also explained about rumors revolving his cancellation of TV shows and his concert postponement last year.
“There was a rumor that somebody helped me to become successful on Billboard and I have connection to Choi Soon-sil, a confidant of former President Park Geun-hye. They are all not true. The only reason why I cancelled TV schedule and delayed my concert is because the country was in a protest. Most of my songs are exciting dance songs, but nobody then, was in a mood to go high and dance including myself,” said Psy.