An Interview with Baek Yerin We met Baek Yerin who has debuted for 3 years and has released her album. She started writing as a hobby, and we asked her what she has been writing lately. She showed us her writings without hesitation. "I just wrote what I think about. We are always pushing our happiness away and are waiting for a bigger happiness to come. But it's a bit stupid isn't it?" This twenty year old girl may not have an outgoing image, but Baek Yerin knows herself well, and is a frank person. The story about her first solo album, FRANK, is also like that. With the melody and lyrics, she whispered her heart with her voice to us. How was the shooting? You seem so shy in front of the camera. Yerin: It is not easy for me to shoot. I was shy because many staff members were looking at me. Although it was embarrassing, it was also interesting as well. It's shocking that you have many tattoos. Yerin: It's not many. I have more that I want to do. (laugh) I'm thinking of having one on my feet. Which tattoo do you like the most? Yerin: The one I showed with a heart. I had it recently. Maybe you already saw it in my album's photo. How have you been lately? After releasing an album in 15&, you didn't have any activities at all.
Yerin: I just work and rest. I wrote some songs for TWICE and Bernard Park from the same company. I also worked hard for my solo album. As it's the first one, I was really ambitious about it. That's why I didn't have any activities. You released FRANK which is really different from the atmosphere of 15&. It makes people lonely. Yerin: As it's a solo album, I think that showing my realest side to the others is the most important thing. I don't think that you can see 15&'s adorable and lovable image in someone called Baek Yerin. When I'm promoting in 15&, it's harder than now. As I'm a rookie, I need to care about my team's image more than my own image. Besides that, I can't write any songs for it. So you named your album as FRANK? To show your realest side? Yerin: I did much research on how to name my first solo album. I was hoping to have names with meaning of 'Blooming' and 'New Start'. Although I debuted already, I still want to use those words to show my realest side apart from 15& frankly. So FRANK popped up in my mind. I'm a big fan of Amy Winehouse and I even have a tattoo of her on my arm. Her first album is also called FRANK. It's really a word that has the most connection with me. When did you start writing your songs? Yerin: Since I was 18. I listened to the singer, Jooyoung's own written song and it inspired me to write my own songs. I produced all the songs in my album eventually. When I listen to his songs, it gives me a lot of inspiration. Composing is really a cool thing. I understand that the most important thing is to express yourself through your music. Did you learn composing yourself? Yerin: I started composing naturally. I learnt piano before so I just used some simple chords to finish the melody that popped up in my mind and recorded it with voice memo. What is your first ever self-composed song in your life? Yerin: "Don't leave me alone" from my album. It's the first song that I wrote and it's the saddest Baek Yerin that you can see. It's a song that describes what kind of woman I am when I fall in love. It's a song where I confessed that I hate to be alone and grumble about it. If you look at my other songs lyrics, you will find out that only this song directly said don't leave me alone in the lyrics while the others are metaphors. You are waiting for someone in your title song "Across the Universe". Yerin: After I released the album, many people asked me about it. I didn't think of a specific person when I wrote it. It's like I am in a different universe from others and I'm thinking would there be others in a planet that I don't know about out there. Rather than I'm waiting for someone, it's more like I'm imagining if there are anyone out there. Other than the one that you released, I heard there is another version of it. Yerin: At the hook, there is a part that wrote "I'm waiting for you now". Actually it was "I need a satellite" before. I wanted to have a word like planet. But after JYP PD-nim listened to it, he gave a suggestion that I should change the word to something that others can understand easily. That's why I changed it to this version. Although it's a pity that I cannot use the word 'satellite', I don't regret it. PD-nim's opinion made it better. I think it's better that people can understand my song easier after changing it. Not long ago in an audition program, a participant used satellite in his song. I think I have to give away my infatuation now. (laugh) Besides the title song, "As I am" and "That's Why" received much love. Along with the title song, these two had a really high rank on charts. Yerin: It's rare to have Korean singers release songs in English. Actually my company has objected to the English lyrics before. I tried to write in Korean and received different opinions. I trusted that this song will only be good in English. After they got released, I'm so glad that the listeners understood the lyrics. If I were to say more about the lyrics, "As I am" is an adolescent delusion song about me. While I wrote this song, it was a period that I felt so depressed about the world. If you read the lyrics carefully, I don't know if you can feel the feelings. (laugh) It's the most sorrowful song that I had wrote. Specially, I thought that "Blue" is not a song about singer Baek Yerin, but a girl called Baek Yerin. Yerin: I showed my utmost minor things through the song. Apart from singing and working, I'm not a person with high self-esteem. You may say that I'm always self-abased. As I always feel this way, it's a song that expressed this side of me. One day I finished my work very late and while taking a bus home, I looked at my reflection on my window and I felt so small. It's a song that is suitable for you to listen to when you are going home late and taking a bus. That's what I wanted to do. You are that kind of person with the ability to know what yourself is thinking about easily. Although it's 6 different songs, it has the same loneliness flowing around the album. Yerin: When I was preparing the album, JYP PD-nim said something to me. "Paying attention to some minor things and writing your feelings into your songs is important." It's right. No matter what, it's hard to react to the composer's feelings naturally. It's glad that I can know how I feel easily so I can express my feelings easily. From another point of view, won't you be disturbed or afraid? I'm showing all of myself through my music. Even for a little bit, I still want to hide some part of myself from others. Yerin: Of course it would be like that. As there's someone who can feel the same as me and understands my lyrics, I don't have these concerns. In this world, there are many people with different personalities and occupations. I'm just one of them, this small feeling can not be noticed by anyone. It's lucky that many people listen to my songs, it makes me lift my shoulders. That's why I'm happy to sing my songs. There are also people who can't understand my songs. Like "As I Am", although many people commented about it, there still isn't anyone who knows my feelings correctly. I'm waiting for it to happen. When you were in 15&, people think of you as an idol. But now, it's slowly changing to musician and artist. Did you notice it? Yerin: As I'm promoting, times are passing and my mind changes cause I'm becoming more mature. But I didn't change my heart towards music. Even if I didn't practice for a day or work for a day, it feels like my strength will be decreased. It's the same thought no matter pre-debut or now. I wanted to feel relaxed but it's hard. There's nothing different as I think of music everyday. Being in 15& or as a solo doesn't change me any bit in singing. I'm just being who I am. I think that you are the type that can rise above loneliness. No matter how time changes, the loneliness won't disappear. I can't think of any way to solve it. Yerin: I wrote many lyrics. Beside lyrics, I also write some short paragraphs. Compared to writing lyrics, it's more interesting to write an article. I have thoughts of writing a prose collection or sketches. I am curious about what you are writing these days. Yerin: When I have something to record, or after I read a book or watch a movie, I will think able what I will do if I'm the main character and write it down in mind maps. Nothing special about what I record. Just like what I showed you. Lucky that I have the habit of writing memos, it really helps me a lot in composing. You wrote these one by one and some of it will be used in your second album right? What kind of stories do you want to share? Yerin: Aside from the loneliness or sadness that I have shown in this album, I wanted to have something bright. Maybe stories about a woman falling in love. What kind of emotions are occupying Baek Yerin? Is it still loneliness? Yerin: I can feel how precious my family is recently. Since I was in elementary school, I started my trainee days and studied abroad in the US. I met my family last year. The love towards my family is deeper. I want to receive love from my family. One day I will write a song about my family. It's really a different new year for you. You met your family, became an adult, released your solo album. It's a good start. Yerin: Although I'm happy, its strange. I didn't feel excited. 19 years old and 20 years old only have 12 months in between but I feel that my responsibility became larger. If there's something I want, I hope to keep working like this and release my second solo album this year. I will also be composing for other musicians. I hope to promote with the name composer Baek Yerin. I want to be free and travel. I want to travel to London although I don't know if I can do it or not. (laugh) As 20 years old should be an age to enjoy. I want to dream about it. Source and magazine scans: drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B9fXh8ZBTAgdMFlwZWRNSlByYVU Translation by yerinBsupport
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |