gugudan's Kim Sejeong Shares Why She Feels Nervous Releasing Self-Composed Songs, Thoughts On Success, And More

gugudan’s Kim Sejeong recently sat down for an interview with MK’s Star Today to talk about her new solo mini album, “Plant.”

“There are times when a simple word can affect you deeply,” she said. “The album is built around the concept of offering that kind of comfort. It was my first [solo] mini album, so I was both excited and worried. Because this was the first EP, I worked hard to participate in composing and writing lyrics. I was able to take part in composing and writing for all the b-side tracks on the album.”

Kim Sejeong mentioned that she feels a lot of pressure and embarrassment about releasing self-composed songs. “I hoped that some of the songs I wrote would make it on the album, but I didn’t think so many of them would,” she said. “If you think about it, this means that my self-composed songs are being put into the arena for other people to judge. It’s not just my song for my ears only, but a song to which many people will listen together, so I was nervous and worried. I hope that many people will be able to relate to my song.”

She continued, “All the songs I wrote were based on notes that I wrote to myself, promises that I made to myself. When I wrote the lyrics, I didn’t think about giving comfort to other people, but rather giving comfort to myself. This is the album that I wanted myself to hear.”

Kim Sejeong also spoke of the pressure of success. She said, “I’m grateful that my first solo song [‘Flower Road’] had such a great reception, but not all the songs I released afterward did well in terms of results. I had a lot of feelings about that, and I was hurt by it too. I realized I had become conceited. Because I felt disappointed that I couldn’t achieve as much as I’d wanted, I decided to set my sights lower and be happy with what comes.”

When asked about her public image as “bright” and “bubbly,” she said, “When I don’t have any work and I’m home alone, I’m very subdued. I think that that is why I want to keep rolling forward and keep working. I like working, but when I stop progressing, my fears grow. Because I’ve already received more love than ordinary people can receive, I think it’s difficult to live up to that standard.”

She added, “I was originally the type to try and think about everything in a positive light. But a close acquaintance of mine said this to me. ‘Why can’t you just accept yourself as you are? Some things are just really hard and difficult. If you refuse to acknowledge them as such, they’ll leave a mark inside your heart.’ I was really shocked by that. I thought that I had to do things my way in order to endure. I didn’t realize I was repressing myself. I’m still optimistic, but now I try to be realistic as well as optimistic. I think it’s important to acknowledge the situation that you’re in.”

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