K-pop legend Cho Yong-pil to make comeback after 9 years

Cho Yong-pil, a living legend of the Korean pop scene, will return Friday with his first release in nine years, his management agency said.

The 72-year-old singer will drop a new single, titled “Road to 20-Prelude 1,” at 6 p.m.(KST), YPC Company said.

It marks his first release since his 19th full-length album, “Hello,” in 2013 and the first single ever to be released by the K-pop legend in his 54-year career.

“As indicated by its title, ‘Road to 20-Prelude 1’ is sort of the lead single for his 20th studio album, and he is now working with a goal to drop it in late 2023,” the agency said in a press release.

Cho also plans to put out an EP containing part of the songs to be included in the new studio album in the first half of next year, when he marks the 55th anniversary of his debut.

The upcoming single album consists of two tracks, roughly translated as “Moment” and “Like Serengeti,” according to the agency. Both were composed by overseas producers with lyrics co-written by popular Korean lyricist Kim Eana.

“Moment” is a pop-rock song that captures a fateful moment when everything changes.

“It’s because of the ‘moment’ that changes occur to the person who seems the most consistent,” Kim said of the song. “And some moments create a huge universe between people.”

“Like Serengeti” contains a message of cheering for the people that they should widen their narrowed view again like a wide plain and live without hesitation in a world where infinite opportunities are spread out.

Cho said when he first heard the draft version of the song it brought the image of Serengeti’s vast land and sky, which he visited about 20 years ago.

Since he visited the region at the invitation of the Tanzanian government in 1999, the singer has expressed hope to make a song about the vast plains of the Serengeti.

His comeback is drawing wide attention from the music industry, as his last album was quite a sensation.

“Bounce” and “Hello,” track off the 19th studio album, conquered music charts,
pushing aside younger K-pop stars, like Psy of “Gangnam Style,” in 2013.

Cho debuted as a member of the rock band Atkins in 1968. After working for a decade in several bands, including the Kim Trio, he debuted as a solo artist with the hit single “Come Back to Busan Port” in 1976.

He rose to stardom through his first full-length album with hit tracks, such as “A Girl Outside the Window” and “Short Hair Girl,” which sold a million copies for the first time in K-pop history in 1980.

He has maintained his supremacy over his decadeslong career, releasing 19 studio albums with famous tracks, like “Candle Light,” “Dream” and “Leopard of Kilimanjaro,” among many others, while sweeping up awards and setting numerous records in the music scene. He is the country’s first singer with an album that has surpassed 1 million and later 10 million copies in sales.

Cho will hold four concerts in Seoul on Nov. 26 and 27, and Dec. 3 and 4. All 40,000 tickets to the shows sold out 30 minutes after reservations began.

Yonhap