Kim Hee-jae premieres 'I Really Hate Goodbye' live on Cultwo Show, 2.5 years after last album

First live, 2.5 years in the making

Kim Hee-jae released her 3rd regular album REVERB on September 7. It had been roughly two years and six months since her last record. The day after, she was on SBS Power FM's Escape the 2 o'clock Cultwo Show with Jung Dong-ha, performing 안녕은 정말 싫어 (I Really Hate Goodbye) live for the first time.

She told listeners what's behind the comeback: "Many fans say they gain strength to live from my songs. I want to repay their kindness by working harder and singing."

Choreography, a trot first

Kim Hee-jae brought up something unexpected about this era's staging. "I was the first trot singer to do choreography with 1MILLION," she said. The 1MILLION Amazon team created the routine for her. Trot and full-scale dance crew collaborations don't have much of a track record, so this was a rare move.

The show also brought up her breakthrough moment: her performance of Sergio's 돌리도 (Dolly Do) from TV Chosun's Tomorrow is Mr. Trot. Kim Hee-jae called it "the song that brought me out to the world, and a grateful song that made me known to the world."

Musical theater and what's next

Beyond REVERB, Kim Hee-jae has been stretching into new territory. She made her musical theater debut in Mozart! The pressure weighs on her. "Since I haven't learned traditional musical theater, I feel like I'm being judged every time I go on stage." She's open to more, though. If the right role comes along, she wants to keep pushing herself.