The “City Pop Fairy” Kim Ah Reum has unveiled the first song dedicated to her fans since her solo debut.
Released on the 15th, Kim Ah Reum’s new track “Memories” is a love song recalling an old flame, used as a medium to tell the stories she wants to share with her fans.
Starting with the sound of a clock ticking backward, the track uses lo-fi synthesizers to capture the emotional essence of memories. This song marks Kim Ah Reum’s final single with Space Sound, the agency she has been with for the past 16 years.
“Memories” stays true to the signature City Pop genre her fans love, focusing more on melody and vocals rather than flashiness. Unlike her usual style, Kim Ah Reum focused on a more relaxed delivery, calmly conveying her emotions. With vintage textures and carefully placed reverb, the song emphasizes space and breath rather than a dense sound.
In the lyrics she wrote herself, phrases like “believing even a simple coincidence is fate” and “I’ll sing for you so it never ends” double as universal feelings for a lover and special emotions for her fans.
The new song was composed and produced by her musical partner, producer Space Cowboy, with arrangement by Space Cowboy and Kim Jang Won of Daybreak. Kim Jang Won also personally participated in the piano session and the synthesizer performance, which serves as the song’s signature sound. The track’s quality was further elevated by top musicians, including guitarist Lee Tae Wook, bassist Baek Kyung Jin, and drummer Kim Bum Chul.
Alongside the single, vinyl copies of Kim Ah Reum’s full-length album “SEOUL WAVE” are now on sale. This limited edition vinyl features numbering for only 100 copies and includes her autograph. They are available for purchase starting May 15 at noon via the Space Sound Naver Smart Store.
Since her debut in 2013, Kim Ah Reum has been beloved for popularizing the City Pop genre in Korea.
