Jung Mi Jo - 37 Years

2-panel digipak (CCP 350g / Matte coating / Epoxy lettering)

20-page booklet (Rendezvous 105g)

The Queen of Elegance, Jung Mi Jo's Return   / Kang Heon (Music Critic)    

Songs are products of their time, but sometimes, or very rarely, they transcend their era. 

The poem 'Gaeyeoul' by Sowol Kim Jeong-sik, published in 'Gaebyeok' in 1922 when he was a student at Paichai High School, was reborn as a song in 1965 when Lee Hee-mok, a composer affiliated with KBS, set it to melody. The first owner of this song was Kim Jeong-hee, also an exclusive singer for KBS. Her broadcast recording track garnered considerable attention through radio in 1966 and was included in a compilation album with artists like Song Chun-hee and Han Myeong-suk the following year in 1967. However, it was quickly pushed to the back of memory, overshadowed by the explosively rekindled trot boom led by artists such as Lee Mi-ja, Nam Jin, Na Hoon-a, and Bae Ho. 

Most songs created in the era of popular music cannot escape the fate of being forgotten and disappearing at some point. 'Gaeyeoul' also seemed to follow the typical trajectory of fading into oblivion after a brief popularity. However, five years later, through the debut album of a rookie female singer who had just graduated from Ewha Womans University, this song became immortal in the history of Korean popular music. This lovely, elegant, and sophisticated female vocalist reigned supreme with this one song, and after remaining on the queen's throne for seven years, she voluntarily took off her crown and left to study in France to pursue another dream. 

And 37 years have passed. 

While the name Jung Mi Jo (鄭美朝) has gracefully weathered in memory like the shadow of a faint old love, 'Gaeyeoul' has continuously been remade in the new century, crossing genre boundaries from trot to pop and jazz, by artists such as Shim Soo-bong (2005), Jeokwoo (2006), and Malo (2010). In addition to these, countless musicians since the 1980s have favored adopting this song as a remake number. Among that long list, a surprising scene is likely actress Kim Hye-soo singing this song in the 2008 film 'Modern Boy' directed by Jung Ji-woo. This film is set in Gyeongseong (Seoul) during the colonial era, about thirty years before this song was born. However, even if this song were to have emerged from 1930s Gyeongseong, where modern boys and modern girls thrived, it would seamlessly blend in without any sense of incongruity. Isn't this precisely what it means to transcend eras? 

However, no matter how much time is turned back, and no matter how much time passes in the future, it is clear that Jung Mi Jo is the true owner of 'Gaeyeoul'. This is because she alone perfectly embodied the Korean poetic sensibility this song embraces, the artistic elegance it delivers, and the pure and innocent nuances between notes that it requires. Despite a relatively short active period and a comparatively sparse discography in the lineage of divas gracing Korean popular music history, her being hailed as the diva of 1970s Korean popular music is precisely because such poetic sensibility, elegance, and nuance were finally realized through her. 

The 1970s was a period of immense transition not only in modern Korean history but also in the history of Korean popular music. Amidst the intertwined surge towards becoming a developing nation and the darkness of dictatorial rule, a breeze of liberalism began to stir, centered around university campuses, and Western culture rapidly arrived and became localized. 

Yang Hee-eun, who emerged with 'Morning Dew' a year before Jung Mi Jo's debut, represents the voice symbolizing the energy of youth culture of that era. Her firm and clear vocalization instantly swept away the tragic shadows of earlier female vocalists, stained with sorrow and lament. Collaborating with young campus composers like Kim Min-ki or Lee Joo-won, she broke away from the culture of the established generation, donning short hair, jeans, and sneakers instead of hanbok skirts and glittery dresses. In contrast, Jung Mi Jo, who appeared a step later, as evidenced by 'Gaeyeoul', inherited the legacy of the preceding generation while elegantly shaping an artistic sophistication in her music that had never been captured before. 

Even before Jung Mi Jo in the 60s, there were so-called 'graduate singers' from prestigious universities. Especially in the harsh jungle of show business for female entertainers, Jung Mi Jo maintained her dignity, never misusing or squandering her image. From 'Longing Thoughts,' arguably her de facto debut song, to 'Ah, My Love' (coincidentally, both composed by Kim Gi-woong), her submission to the Tokyo International Song Festival in the fall of 1978, which marked the end of her era, she demonstrated the qualitative growth of Korean popular music from another angle. She possessed the grand persona of a 'major singer' created by Patti Kim, yet simultaneously displayed a perfect vocal ability that painted subtle Eastern nuances. 

However, it would be a great disservice to describe Jung Mi Jo solely by her elegance. Her greatness as a vocalist stems from her exceptional ability to interpret songs, her dramatic structuring capabilities, and her talent for creating a diverse palette of vocal colors, like a chameleon. She possessed the classical vocal power, a fundamental quality for a major singer, and also masterfully employed poetic, almost whispering expressions (as in the first half of 'Whistle Please') and sweet, cheerful sugar-pop expressions (as in songs like 'Season of Love'). The fact that her entire spectrum of expressions remains consistent and centered without wavering is precisely the source of Jung Mi Jo's unique charm. 

The moment she created her most brilliant core essence after 'Gaeyeoul' was her musical encounter with the pioneers of 70s youth culture. In 1975 and 1976, when the brilliance of youth culture reached its peak, she met Song Chang-sik with 'Flame,' Lee Jang-hee with 'Whistle Please,' and Yoon Hyung-joo with 'Longing Image.' Jung Mi Jo perfectly transformed their texts into captivating masterpieces, unparalleled in the acoustic guitar scene, and critically stamped them as immortal tracks, as if they had been long-term partners.   

Returning after completing her doctorate at Paris Diderot University (Paris 7), Jung Mi Jo lived her second life intensely as a painter and university professor, eventually reaching retirement. Well past her mid-sixties, the bell for her third round of life rang, and she suddenly returned as a musician after 37 years. 

The companions for this historic comeback album are Son Sung-je and Lee Ju-yeop. Producer Son Sung-je, who composed and arranged most of the album's tracks, started as a composer and is also a jazz saxophonist, currently one of the leaders driving the Korean jazz scene. Lee Ju-yeop is a producer and lyricist for jazz diva Malo, jazz guitarist Park Ju-won, and harmonica player Jeon Je-deok. 

This comeback album is not merely a twilight album reminiscing old hits. Besides 'Gaeyeoul' and 'Whistle Please,' the 11 other tracks are all new songs for Jung Mi Jo, embarking on her third round of life. Considering the intense musicianship of these two companions, it is certainly not a product awkwardly compromising with past fame. 

The album opens by newly revisiting the historic 'Gaeyeoul,' first released in 1972. This 2016 version, consisting solely of Kim Eun-young's piano and producer Son Sung-je's bass clarinet, is a masterpiece remake track by the artist herself, profound enough to make one contemplate 44 years of human time. A true scent of maturation fills the spaces. The saying that old wine is good is a lie; only a very select few wines from renowned houses endure long aging and are reborn with untouchable elegance.

Jung Mi Jo's voice, softly appearing over the quiet contemplation of classical guitar and strings that form the subsequent track 'On the Way Home,' possesses a freshness as if she had just returned from retirement yesterday. We are easily disarmed by the final phrase, 'Turning a long way back to the beginning,' which vanishes with the silence. 

From the third track, 'Life is Beautiful,' where the fervor truly comes alive with Go Sang-ji's bandoneon performing throughout the album, a new and exciting musical landscape of Jung Mi Jo unfolds, reborn with mature Latin sounds such as tango and bossa nova. The awkward unfamiliarity of 37 years has long since vanished. 

Track 7, 'Camel,' penned by Lee Ju-yeop and composed by Son Sung-je, is a highlight adorning the latter half of this album, featuring Jung Mi Jo's fully unleashed voice forming a dynamic trio. The harmony of the jazz quartet, centered around the bandoneon and piano, is also as natural as if they were long-standing partners. It truly is a beautiful night.  

Jung Mi Jo has returned to this wasteland amidst plenty, where Korean popular music has long been defined by the one-way street of idol groups. Her songs may hold no meaning for the youth of this land. However, for the desolate generation born somewhere between liberation, war, 4.19, and 5.16, who have already passed life's turning point, this album might cultivate a fantasy of reversal for a new life, allowing them to savor their era once again. The dream of elegance that this generation somehow lost.