Six songs Roy Kim sang anew: a complete guide to Bloom Again

The first track of ‘Bloom Again’, a new take on a song by Broccoli, You Too. It makes you think about what the familiar words asking for an encore mean at the end of a relationship. In a note attached to the album, Roy Kim talks about not forcing your way against things that don’t go as you wish. The title may feel close when you’re caught between wanting to hold on and a reality you have to accept. If you remember the original, compare the lingering feeling the same song leaves in a different voice. This 4 min 5 sec opener calmly starts an album that revisits songs from many eras.

The album’s second track, Roy Kim’s new take on Jaurim’s ‘Twenty-Five, Twenty-One’. It brings to mind a time that stays all the more beautiful because you can’t go back, along with the intensity of living through it. Even if the ages in the title don’t match yours, you can overlay memories of a period you’ve lived through. If you’ve loved the original for a long time, listen to the different tone laid over the familiar melody; if it’s new to you, focus on the feeling that lingers after the song. It’s a remake of the Jaurim song, not a new OST for the drama of the same name. For 3 min 27 sec, it’s worth turning your gaze for a moment to who you were long ago.

The third track of ‘Bloom Again’, a fresh interpretation of a song sung by Lee Seung-gi. In the album introduction, Roy Kim talks about hearts that need praise and a few words of comfort more than stern advice. Pick it on days when you want a little encouragement rather than trying to explain or fix every situation. At 3 min 5 sec, it’s the shortest of the album’s six songs, so it’s easy to hear in full while getting ready in the morning or taking a short break. Following the previous song, which looks back on a missed time, it also turns your attention to today’s mood. Watching the behind-the-scenes of this song’s video lets you expand your interest to how music and visuals come together.

The fourth track, a new take on a Kim Hyun-chul song. Unlike the title, which sounds like a short question, the note Roy Kim attached to the album leads into thoughts about a world that’s hard to understand. If you knew the original, you can go back and forth between the song in your memory and the present interpretation. When you want a song with a different texture instead of staying in quiet reminiscence, change your pace once with this track. It’s a 4 min 4 sec song passing through the middle of the six. If the preceding ‘Smile Boy’ felt like direct encouragement, this one is worth hearing for the tone of the question and the impression the voice leaves.

The fifth track, a remake of Iogonggam’s ‘Han Sarameul Wihan Maeum’. In the album introduction, Roy Kim reflects on realizing how precious something was only after time has passed. You can listen while thinking not only of relationships that have already ended but also of people you never fully showed your feelings to while they were by your side. It’s also nice not to decide who the “one person” in the title is and to fit in your own memories instead. If a face comes to mind while you listen, take it as a reason to send the message you’ve been putting off. When the 3 min 32 sec song ends, it flows into the final track, ‘Baramui Norae’, moving from regret over a relationship to a broader emotion.

The album’s final track, a Cho Yong-pil song heard in Roy Kim’s voice. It makes you reflect on what feelings will remain after joy and sorrow, gratitude and longing have passed. Roy Kim’s note in the album also leans toward hoping that what he leaves behind is love. Listen while briefly sorting through the relationships and times the previous five songs brought to mind. At 4 min 31 sec, it’s the longest on the album, well suited to staying with the afterglow instead of rushing on to the next song. On days when you look back on the year’s memories or old relationships, it’s good to hear this song on its own too. It’s the closing farewell of a remake album that has crossed songs from many generations.