The front cover of singer Kim Gun-mo's new album "Soul Groove.'' Instead of his trademark loose shorts, the singer transformed into a clean cut gentleman, dressed in a classy suit and shoes. "Kim (Chang-hwan) told me to stop wearing baggy pants. I didn't know these kind of clothes would suit me, but they did!'' Kim said laughing. / Courtesy of Media Line



By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

In the 1990s, selling more than a million albums was common among popular singers. Today, as Internet users manage to download a song even before its release, sales seem relatively meaningless. For those who remember the domestic pop music scene of the 1990s, singer Kim Gun-mo's comeback is drawing attention.

With his distinctive voice and songs, Kim topped album sales with a whopping 2.8 million copies in 1995. His ``Wrong Encounter'' became the biggest selling album in South Korea.
The 40-year-old singer may have made headlines with his albums, but he is also known for his down-to-earth and sometimes blatantly honest personality.

The Korea Times met the singer before a show, humming and warming up in front of a piano.

``It's been a while but I've been taking good care of myself. I quickly regained my musical touch in about two days,'' he said.

His 12th album,``Soul Groove,'' is his first one since teaming up with producer and composer Kim Chang-hwan for the first time in 13 years. The inseparable duo shot to stardom with songs like ``Excuse,'' ``Wrong Encounter'' and ``Speed'' in the mid-90s, starting the Korean pop empire with fellow musicians like Seo Tai-ji and Shin Seung-hun. The two Kims split in 1995 at the peak of the singer's career and neither has relived the heyday ever since. Kim said he is glad to have joined hands again with his old friend.

``I tried hard to find my old style. I debuted when I was in my mid-20s and my fans were mostly high school students. Now they're in their mid 30s and I wanted them to feel a bit of nostalgia. It actually felt like I was starting all over again as a singer,'' said Kim.

Kim was the first singer to bring reggae to the domestic pop scene and his loose shorts and sunglasses became his trademark. This time, however, he will be singing with a more sophisticated look of classy suits and shiny shoes.

Having such an open and humorous personality, he has also been appearing on talk shows.

``It's my new strategy. Be funny and silly in talk shows, but serious when singing. Having fun is good, but singing is the number one priority. And besides, it's cool to be prepared. Everybody thinks you're just fooling around, but actually you're practicing overnight. It's sneaky but cool,'' he said.

When it came to the domestic album market, the singer became serious for a moment, for fans helped him stay popular but they also led the pop industry to its fall through illegal downloading.

``All I can say now is that it's going to get better. But if we push harsh regulations all of a sudden, other problems may surface, so we need to be patient and work for the best,'' he said calmly.

The singer's favorite time of the day is when he has drinks with his fellow musicians at the end of the day.

``It's great to sing, but it's even better when you have a great performance, gather your band, relax and talk about the day's show. When you have a bad performance, it's painful to look at one another when it's done,'' he said.

When asked what kind of singer he would like to be remembered as, he laughed.

``I want to be a singer whose fellow musicians fought one another to make my biopic after I die, similar to `Ray,''' he said.

``It's also important to have protection when working in this business, and I learned that the hard way. Not your manager, money or your agency can protect you. My protection strategy was being a bit snobby and straightforward. I wanted to be myself and this was what made me who I am now,'' he added.

Kim is planning to hold a concert tour of the nation, another gift for his fans.

``(The concerts) will be fun. I have already thought about special events, like standing on the stage even before all the guests are seated. A concert that starts right as you walk into the theater. It's not about me standing tall on stage and the fans sitting below me and looking up, but having fun and enjoying the show.''

``I'm going to be singing for a long time, just like I do now. For a long, long time,'' he said as his eyes sparkled.

sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr