K-pop idol Chanyeol’s relationship with Japan goes back more than a decade, to when he performed before tens of thousands of fans in Tokyo as part of the South Korean-Chinese boy band Exo. His new solo EP, “Hibi,” brings that bond full circle — a Japanese-language collection of six tracks influenced by everyday life and shared emotion.
The 32-year-old musician says “Hibi,” released Wednesday, was inspired by his love of Japanese music and a desire to put his own spin on J-pop.
“Since I’m still studying Japanese, it naturally made me wonder what it would feel like to create my own version of J-pop — how my sound and emotions would come through in that style,” says Chanyeol, whose full name is Park Chan-yeol. “That thought inspired me to start working on this album, and the entire process was truly enjoyable from beginning to end.”
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.