the freelancer, never feeligng free

Although I decided to study music at 15 and majored in Popular Music from the age of 18, when I returned to South Korea after graduation, I chose to work with children, teaching English. This was largely due not only to the importance of language expansion but also to my insecurity—I wanted music to remain a source of joy, not a means of making a living, especially considering Korea's demanding work culture and low wages, often associated with the music industry. As a result, I kept my music as a personal outlet for creativity; however, I found myself increasingly lacking the time to pursue it.

After three years, and through the COVID outbreak, I started working for a company specialising in AI voices. This transition was driven by my desire to engage my creativity. Compared to working as a full-time academy teacher, the company offered more flexibility, including remote working options and flexible hours, allowing me more time for creative pursuits. Two years later, last April, I eventually left the workplace because I realised my creativity needed more space in my life—more room for study, exploration, and growth. In this fast-paced world, spending five years mostly away from the music industry left me feeling somewhat out of touch, particularly after releasing a single last year while employed.

Recently, with no job and no daily obligations imposed by external factors, I began to reflect: What would I actually feel? The process of understanding freedom—and truly feeling free—took me a long time. From this chaotic process and emotional challenge, I determined to write an original piece of music that embodies my feelings—turning ideation into creation. It is deeply personal, yet universally resonant. For the intro, I intended to create the sounds that evoke yearning and longing, like the image of gazing outside from within a cage, with the later part of the song becoming dreamy and sweeping, while maintaining an ambiguous vibe to some extent. This video of my live performance has not been edited for pitch or rhythm, but only mixed afterward.