Recently, Kim Heung-guk, who had declared a 'political breakup,' returns to his original role as a singer with a new life song.
Kim Heung-guk will release the new song "Life keeps going even if you turn away" at noon on Jan. 26.
"Life keeps going even if you turn away" starts with the lyrics "There was a time when I was on top too / I didn't know how scary the world was," and continues as an honest confession calmly looking back on the time that has passed. The narrative, which plainly unfolds success, confidence and the belated realizations that followed, is set to a comfortable and sophisticated bossa nova melody.
The chorus repeats the lyrics "Life keeps going even if you turn away / You laugh and another day goes by," showing the mindset that Kim Heung-guk has come to accept all the regrets, lingering attachments, love and wounds he has repeatedly experienced, and calmly face life and live day by day.
On Dec. 31, the last day of 2025, Kim Heung-guk finished recording at a studio in Hongdae and told recording staff, "Life does not always go straight. Even if you turn or stop, it eventually goes. Now I want to quietly sing about that fact. For this song, it is important to subtract rather than to sing well by putting excessive emotion into it."
Kim Heung-guk also participated in writing the lyrics for this song, pouring sincere feeling into the emotional investment. Composer and music producer Shin Min-gyu said, "This project is not an image-change-first project, but a result of focusing on music itself. He put down the particularly lively image of 'Horangnabi' and matched the composer and the song's texture with a serious attitude."
He said, "Rather than the fun and humor shown on various entertainment programs, I wanted to return as 'Kim Heung-guk the singer.' The recording session proceeded in a quiet atmosphere with low lighting and calm air without flashy or noisy production. Throughout the session, he revisited each line of the lyrics, restrained his emotions and showed concentration. Especially for the part 'Put tears and sighs into a glass / Everyone cries at least once,' he stopped recording several times and even showed moments of composing himself again," he said.
The digital single "Life keeps going even if you turn away" will be released on all music platforms on the 26th.
[Photo] singer Kim Heung-guk
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