Singer Samuel will return to the domestic stage after five years. He announced the full-scale resumption of his activities through his new song "ROCKSTAR" and is expected to prove himself in music once again after enduring difficult times.
Samuel recently conducted an interview to commemorate the release of his new song "ROCKSTAR" at the OSEN headquarters and discussed his new album.
The new single "ROCKSTAR," released by Samuel on the 9th, is a hip-hop genre song he is presenting in Korea for the first time in about a year and announces the full-scale resumption of his domestic activities.
Samuel started a dispute with his previous management company in 2019, and after the news of his father's death broke, he suspended activities for a long period. His father, who was a businessman operating a car dealership and real estate company in the United States, was suddenly murdered, shocking both his local area and Korea.
Having overcome difficult times, Samuel returned to the music industry last year by releasing a new single "NOW" after five years, and has now fully resumed his activities with the single "ROCKSTAR."
He reflected on the five-year hiatus, saying, "A singer needs to be busy and perform continuously; otherwise, the flame goes out. Although my flame did not go out, I felt like I was lacking matches during the long break. I needed to rekindle it, but I could see it dwindling. It was such a time when there were issues with my previous company, my father's situation, and the COVID-19 period, so dealing with all three at once was mentally very tough."
When asked about his feelings at that time, Samuel said, "In fact, I went to the U.S. briefly and spoke with my dad after a long time, then the incident happened a week later. At that time, I think I made things harder for myself due to my health and mental condition. I felt like I had to get up and act quickly, but that wasn't going well. In some ways, I spent a lot of time alone and thought about not wanting to do music. On the other hand, I realized that if I could do what I love, my family and my dad could see me confidently, and my parents could be proud of me. So I reconsidered and asked myself what I love the most. Ultimately, it was music. That's why I started music again. During that hiatus, I spent a lot of time practicing, working on music, and focusing on self-improvement."
The family, fans, and music were what lifted Samuel from his slumber. He said, "The biggest determination came from wondering what my family thought when they looked at me. I felt my mom and dad would not want to see me like this, which partly motivated me to start again. I also thought that although I disappeared suddenly, my fans were likely waiting for me, which wouldn't be polite of me. Additionally, I love music so much. Those three aspects were the biggest reasons. That's why I started again."
He mentioned that he immersed himself in music production during the COVID-19 period: "I couldn't go outside, so I thought about what I could do at home. I bought a computer and decided to make music. I started working out to maintain a healthy body and mind, and to grow myself further, I began working on music. When COVID-19 eased a bit, I was able to use a practice room, and I would go to practice every day, singing and continuing that way."
Regarding the five-year period, he confessed, "I wanted to come back earlier, but I wasn't ready. I wanted to return quickly for my fans, but since the hiatus began, I thought that if I would come back, I wanted to do it properly, no matter how long it took. It took a lot of time."
Samuel, who debuted at the age of 13 as part of the hip-hop duo One Punch in 2015, is already marking his 10th anniversary. When asked about starting his singing career at a young age, he replied, "I started this work because I just loved music. I had no thoughts of business; I was just at the age where I wanted to do anything since I loved music."
He added, "Looking back now, I think it was really pure at that time. If I were to express it, I had nothing in my head, and I was just a kid. I feel that I have matured a lot now. Although I went through various situations early on, I think those processes have contributed to making me who I am today."
How can the artist Samuel be defined? He stated, "I consider myself a strong performer. In the future, I obviously want to do dance music and try band music; I think the genre spectrum is wide. Since I know how to write songs, my singing style has also become diverse. Everyone has the desire to produce new and good music, so I want to create fun music."
Finally, Samuel conveyed to the fans who have waited for him for a long time, "It might feel unfamiliar to see me in front of the camera again after a while, but I hope you warmly welcome me and support me. I hope we can enjoy various aspects and fun times through my activities in the future."
[Photo] SMG
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