Plum, who began to be noticed again last year after appearing on the music audition program “SingerGain,” has expanded her horizons. In addition to making legendary appearances on music programs such as “Immortal Songs,” she became an ambassador for Gimcheon through her hit song “Kimbap” and appeared on stage at a local festival that attracted 150,000 people.
On April 27, he announced the release of his new mini-album, “Malmalmal,” his first in 11 years, signaling his full-fledged career as an artist.
Returning to the unique genre of ‘plums’
Plum is finally ready to share with her fans. He originally planned to release a single in March, but the creative juices flowed and he wrote more than 10 songs in two to three months. As the number of songs increased, so did the depth of thought. Focusing on the details to make sure it sounds good has pushed the schedule back a bit, but they’re taking it as a welcome respite.
“I wrote all the songs, and it’s based on Modern Urban Pop Rock, and it’s five songs in total. They’re all different songs, but you’ll get a sense of a narrative, and if I had to define the genre, it’s the same as it was 25 years ago, ‘genre is plum’.”
While fans have been hailing his “comeback” in anticipation of seeing him back in his own clothes after a long absence, the word is foreign to him. That’s because even when he wasn’t on the air, he was active in various ways.
“For three years, I met local elderly people at ‘6 o’clock in the morning’ and got certified in heavy machinery like forklifts and excavators. From appearing on ‘Ask Me Anything’ to teaming up with a jazz pianist, I’ve been playing music and doing CCM, it’s just that there have been times when I’ve not been able to say yes to the plum invitations.”
My life-changing husband
The gap between the planned Jadoo and the music she wanted to do grew larger and larger, and she turned her back on herself by not being able to see the performances that made her known as a “crazy singer” and by losing people close to her.
“It’s an arrogant thing to say now, but at the time, I had a huge deficit of ‘not being who I wanted to be,’ and I was ashamed of my stage because I tasted success with music I didn’t want, and that, coupled with breaking up with my family and friends, I went through a period where I didn’t look in the mirror and went to the bottom of the barrel.”
It was her husband who showed up at that bottom moment. As a pastor, he was a warm tipping point that forced her to face the truth she had been avoiding.
“When I was at my worst, he treated me like I was at my best. He loved me for who I was at my lowest. He objectified the emotions I was going through, like, ‘Share if it’s anger, shame, or fear,’ so that I could really see what was going on inside of me. I got to know myself better, and it changed the way I saw the world a little bit.”
Her inner recovery naturally led to outer care. Shocked to find her face hardened into “muscles of despair” from crying so much, she started over with small habits like washing her face and applying sunscreen.
“I had a photo shoot that I said yes to because I was like, ‘I’m going to live,’ and it was a poster shoot where I was smiling with a message, and when I saw the results, it was like, “Why am I smiling so wide and I don’t look happy?” I wasn’t using my smiling muscles.”
Her longing to sing more brightly on stage led her to seek treatment for her longtime complex, Minish.
“I used to cover my mouth when I smiled, but after the treatment, I have more confidence in my facial expressions. I can sing on stage with my mouth wide open, not just for cosmetic purposes, and my quality of life and confidence has improved.”
The glory days are over… “See you on the festival stage”
Many remember her past as her heyday, but she shakes her head resolutely and cheerfully.
“I hope it’s not here yet, because I think my prime is when I’m most motivated and excited about life.”
Plum now embraces all of her past. While she once hated the “piecemeal image” of filling in the blanks here and there, she says she now loves the identity of being accepted as “Plum being Plum” on any stage.
This album is special because it’s the first one she made without fighting against herself.
“Working on this album was a process of reflecting on who I am as a person and what I live by, and I think you’ll find a different ‘flavor of plum’ on the record than you’ve ever heard before, with honesty about even the moments when I’ve faltered and lost my way.”
Her eyes are now set on the stage again, as she wants to sing for longer than her break. She talked about her desire to return to the stage with her longtime band, “Heartbreaker,” and her dream of singing until she becomes a grandmother.
“I’m so confident on stage, interacting with the audience, and I’ll be happy to go anywhere you call me, so come see me a lot!”
