'King of ballad' returns with 16th album

Ballad singer Lee Moon-sae speaks during a press conference for promoting his 16th studio album “Between Us” in Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of KMOONfnd

Lee Moon-sae seeks musical makeover in 16th album

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Ballad singer Lee Moon-sae released his 16th studio album titled “Between Us” on Monday, a package of 10 songs featuring young artists like Heize, Dynamic Duo's Gaeko, Sunwoo Jung-a and Jannabi. His newest album comes three and a half years after the release of “New Direction” in 2015.

The theme running through “Between Us” is a reminder of finding commonalities with others.

“I think music reflects the dynamics of life and the relationships that come in all forms and depths,” Lee said during a press conference in Seoul, Monday. “I recommend you to listen to my songs in an open, empty space alone using earphones. That way, you can feel the intimate relationship between the artist and the listener.”

The veteran singer's “open mind to new experiences” pushed him to try a wide array of genres. With the combination of his classic tastes and young artists' trendy ones, the new album is something “all generations can appreciate.”

“I think an artist should always try to keep up with current trends. If I insist on the same music as I did 30 years ago, no one would listen to it,” Lee said. “Look at BTS. They're so famous for their music and people in their 40s and 50s listen to them.”

The cover of Lee Moon-sae's new album “Between Us” / Courtesy of KMOONfnd

For this album, Lee tried to channel his inner creativity as he produced addictive tracks with catchy beats. His lead single “Blur,” featuring Heize, showcases a lot of smooth, easy-on-the-ears sounds. With the evident piano melody and his jazz vocals, “Blur” tells of a person recounting a past relationship and realizing a lot has faded away.

Another prominent track, “Between Us” featuring Sunwoo Jung-a, has refreshing percussion and hypnotizing synths. The concept of its music video is unique as it draws upon how people fall in love. This song is characterized by a touch of mellow, with its lyrics saying “The whole world is pink. I doubt my eyes. I think you came into my mind.”

“I'm more attuned to emotional, mellow music, but I did my best to challenge myself into making different kinds of music,” Lee said. “To do that, I selected 10 songs anonymously, just by hearing the music.”

The singer said his new album is the result of “blind choice.” He said he shortlisted 20 songs he liked most among 200 songs his agency received from different composers. He said he intentionally didn't look at the names of the composers because he didn't want to be biased, and selected the 20 best songs among them.

This process shows the ballad singer's desire to open up to everyone and every chance that he comes across in life. He said he tried to understand and interpret the younger generation's music without prejudice for the new album.

The other tracks include the hip-hop inspired “Free My Mind,” jazz-sounding “My Day,” classic ballad “Looking Back on My Life,” another familiar Lee ballad “An Old Story,” gently rolling guitar arpeggio “On the Path,” Spanish-flavored classical, jazz and bossa-nova “Andalucia,” “Sounds of Rain” featuring guitarist Lim Hun-il and electro-synth number “Remember Me.”

Lee will be hold three days of concerts under the title “2018 Lee Moon-sae The Best” at Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul from Dec. 29 to 31.