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Inside Me (EP)

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Inside Me
EP by
Kim Sung-kyu
ReleasedDecember 14, 2020 (2020-12-14)
Recorded2020
Genre
Length21:32
LanguageKorean
LabelWoollim
Kim Sung-kyu chronology
Shine
(2018) 		Inside Me
(2020) 		Won't Forget You
(2021)
Singles from Inside Me
  1. "I'm Cold"
    Released: December 14, 2020

Inside Me is the third mini-album by South Korean singer Kim Sung-kyu. It was released on December 14, 2020, by Woollim Entertainment and distributed by Kakao M. Upon completing his compulsory military service in January 2020, Kim sought to release new music. Facing delays amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he recorded music which deviated from his previous work, resulting in an electropop and R&B record.

Following a series of photo and video teasers, Inside Me and the lead single "I'm Cold" were simultaneously released, nearly three years after his first studio album 10 Stories. Kim promoted the song by performing it on music chart programs across various television networks. The mini-album peaked at number seven on South Korea's national Circle Album Chart and has sold 44,000 copies since its release.

Background

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Following the completion of his mandatory military service in January 2020, Kim began actively appearing as a guest on entertainment television programs and taking part in musicals.[1] On November 15, he held an online concert entitled the Kim Sung-kyu Ontact Concert – The Day.[2] He performed the album track "Room" for the first time during the performance.[3]

For his previous albums, Kim had worked with Nell's Jong-wan. While developing Inside Me, he sought a sonic shift and wanted to create music which differed from the recordings of his previous albums.[4] He expressed his desire to fill the album with various genres.[5] Conceptually, Kim wanted to display a "mature and restrained sexiness". He initially planned to release an album immediately after being discharged from the military, but the project was delayed due to various circumstances, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea.[4]

Music

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Tamar Herman of South China Morning Post described Inside Me as a "moody" electropop and R&B record "that verges on contemporary jazz and neo soul but never quite goes where one expects". She noted that Kim "[plays] around with pitch shifts and tonal vacillation" throughout the album tracks.[6] The album tone articulates "tangled, unrestricted, and lonely" feelings.[7] "I'm Cold" is an R&B and hip hop coupled with an electric piano and guitar riff.[8] "Fade" is an alternative R&B track which incorporates a dreamlike sound and groovy melody. Thematically, the song deals with wanting to slowly detach oneself from happy memories after a breakup.[9] "Room" demonstrates Kim's wide vocal range.[10] The lyrics describe being unable to accept a breakup and being stuck in regret, comparing it to confinement in a room.[11] "Divin'" expresses a "cute" and "nerdy" love confession with an R&B feel.[10][12] It opens with the sound of a cassette tape to instill a retro feel.[13] "Climax" conveys Kim's worries pledges to the second turning point of his life.[10] The track's foundation lies in its "warm and rhythmical" synthesizer.[14]

Release and promotion

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Kim on Choi Hwa-jung's Powertime

On December 1, 2020, Woollim Entertainment published a "comeback" video trailer announcing the forthcoming release of Inside Me.[15] Two concept photos were posted four days later: Kim wore horn-rimmed glasses and a striped suit with pomade-styled hair in the first, while the second was a "mysterious" black-and-white photo.[16] A 30-second "A version" album trailer was uploaded on December 6; the video displayed scenes of Kim at a bar wearing a see-through shirt.[17] A second pair of concept photos were posted on the subsequent day; one showed Kim with tattoos on various parts of his body, and he donned a wet white shirt with disheveled hair in the other.[18] The "B version" concept trailer was unveiled on December 8 showcasing Kim's tattoos and scenes of him wearing a robe.[19] A live clip preview was shared on December 10.[10] It was followed by a pair of music video teasers for "I'm Cold" in two successive days.[20][21]

Inside Me and the music video for "I'm Cold" were simultaneously issued on December 14. It marked two years and ten months since the release of Kim's previous studio album 10 Stories in February 2018.[1] Kim hosted an online showcase in commemoration of the album's release on the same day.[4] He appeared as a guest on the radio programs SBS Power FM's Choi Hwa-jung's Powertime, Lee Joon's Young Street, and Cultwo Show, Naver Now's Before 6:05, MBC FM4U's Hope Song at Noon, and KBS Cool FM's Kiss the Radio.[22] In addition to the lead single "I'm Cold", Kim began promoting on weekly music chart shows three days later by performing "Room" on Mnet's M Countdown[23] and Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation's (MBC) Show! Music Core,[24] "Fade" on KBS2's Music Bank,[25] and "Climax" and "Fade" on Seoul Broadcasting System's (SBS) Inkigayo.[26]

Critical reception and commercial performance

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Inside Me received favorable reviews from all four critics from TV Daily. Kim Han-kil called the album a "masterpiece", while Kim Ji-ha was impressed by Kim's "cool and skilled" vocal performance. Oh Ji-won noted that, despite not working with Nell's Jong-wan on the record, his influence over Kim's music was evident.[27]

On the chart dated December 13–19, 2020, Inside Me debuted at number seven on South Korea's national Circle Album Chart.[28] By the end of the month, the mini-album shifted 40,456 units domestically.[29] It moved an additional 3,465 copies in January 2021, bringing its total to 43,921 albums sold.[30]

Track listing

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Inside Me[31]
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Inside Me" BLSSDBLSSD1:48
2."I'm Cold"BLSSDBLSSDBLSSD3:49
3."Fade" (안녕; Annyeong)BLSSDBLSSDBLSSD3:57
4."Room"Sunwoo Jung-a, Kim Sung-kyuSunwoo Jung-a, Baek Gyeong-jinSunwoo Jung-a, Baek Gyeong-jin4:22
5."Divin'"BXN, YoonseokBXN, YoonseokBXN3:30
6."Climax"BLSSD, Kim Sung-kyuBLSSDBLSSD4:06
Total length:21:32

Chart

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Chart (2020) Peak
position
South Korean Albums (Circle)[28] 7

References

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  1. ^ a b Ha, Na-yeong (December 14, 2020). [오늘노래] 길었던 공백기…김성규만의 고민·색깔 담은 'INSIDE ME'. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). ChosunMedia. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  2. ^ Lee, Min-ji (October 23, 2020). 인피니트 김성규, 11월 15일 온라인 단독 콘서트 개최(공식). Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  3. ^ Lee, Mi-ji (November 16, 2020). 인피니트 김성규, 첫 온라인 콘서트 성료…장동우·이성열 깜짝 게스트. Herald Pop (in Korean). Herald Corporation. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Baek, Ji-eun (December 14, 2020). [SC현장] "첫눈같은 선물"…김성규, 2년 10개월 군백기 깬 '명불허전' 솔로컴백(종합). Sports Chosun (in Korean). ChosunMedia. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  5. ^ Lee, Mi-ji (December 18, 2020). 김성규 "2년10개월만 솔로, 새로운 모습 보여주고파"[일문일답]. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  6. ^ Herman, Tamar (December 17, 2020). "The best K-pop solo albums of 2020: BoA, Kai, Hwa Sa, Baekhyun and Taeyeon leave fans begging for more". South China Morning Post. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  7. ^ Go, Na-ri (December 14, 2020). '명품 보컬리스트' 김성규, 미니 3집 'INSIDE ME' 14일 발매. Munhwa News (in Korean). Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  8. ^ Hwang, Mi-hyeon (December 10, 2020). 김성규, 새 앨범 타이틀 공개 "알앤비 힙합 장르 곡". News1 Korea (in Korean). Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  9. ^ Kim, Hye-jeong (December 23, 2020). ‘고막 킬러’ 김성규, ‘안녕(Fade)’ 라이브 클립 공개. Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Kyunghyang Company. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c d Choi, Ji-eun (December 11, 2020). 김성규, 새 앨범 전곡 담긴 라이브 클립 프리뷰 공개… '독보적 감성'. Top Daily (in Korean). Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  11. ^ Son, Jin-a (December 25, 2020). 김성규, 'Room' 라이브 클립 공개…'목소리로 전한 울림' -. MK Sports (in Korean). Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  12. ^ Park, Seo-yeon (December 20, 2020). '컬투쇼' 김성규 "신곡 콘셉트, 성숙한 절제 섹시..실제 타투? 고통 싫어 안해"[종합]. Herald Pop (in Korean). Herald Corporation. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  13. ^ Jang, Jin-ri (December 30, 2020). 김성규, '다이빙' 라이브 클립 공개…바닷속 유영하는 감성 보컬. SpoTV News (in Korean). Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  14. ^ Lee, Seung-hun (January 1, 2021). 김성규, 'Climax' 라이브 클립 공개..독보적 음색→'보컬 맛집' 입증. Osen (in Korean). Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  15. ^ Yoon, Sang-keun (December 1, 2020). 인피니트 김성규, 14일 미니앨범 'INSIDE ME' 컴백[공식]. Starnews (in Korean). Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  16. ^ Shin, Yeong-eun (December 5, 2020). 인피니트 김성규, ‘인사이드 미’ 콘셉트 티저 공개…컴백 초읽기. Star Today (in Korean). Maekyung Media Group. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  17. ^ Lee, Seung-hun (December 7, 2020). '컴백 D-7' 김성규, 'Inside Me' 콘셉트 트레일러 공개..범접불가 섹시美. Osen (in Korean). Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  18. ^ Lee, Jun-hyeon (December 8, 2020). '컴백 D-6' 김성규, 'INSIDE ME' 마지막 콘셉트 포토 공개. Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  19. ^ Kim, Na-yeon (December 9, 2020). 인피니트 김성규, 'INSIDE ME' 마지막 콘셉트 트레일러 공개…치명적 눈빛. Single List (in Korean). Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  20. ^ Hong, Shin-ik (December 12, 2020). '컴백 D-2' 인피니트 김성규, 신곡 'I’m Cold' MV 티저 공 개. Ilgan Sports (in Korean). JTBC Plus. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  21. ^ Kim, Han-na (December 13, 2020). 인피니트 김성규, 고독한 아우라 폭발...'I’m Cold' MV 컷 티저 공개. Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Dongwha Enterprise. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  22. ^ Jeon, A-ram (December 21, 2020). 인피니트 김성규, 'I'm Cold' 컴백 첫 주 신고식…명불허전 '보컬킹' 입증. xportsnews (in Korean). xportsmedia. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  23. ^ Song, Chi-han (December 17, 2020). '엠카운트다운' 김성규, 감성 가득한 'I'm Cold' 컴백 무대. Sports Dong-a (in Korean). Dong-a Ilbo Company. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  24. ^ Ahn, Eun-jae (January 2, 2021). 김성규, 신곡 '아임 콜드(I'm Cold)' 무대 완벽 라이브…빛나는 명품 보컬. Sportsseoul (in Korean). Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  25. ^ Lee, Han-yeong (January 8, 2021). '뮤직뱅크' 라인업... 비X박진영, 스테이씨, 송가인, 김성규, 안예은, 엔하이픈 등. Munhwa News (in Korean). Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  26. ^ Hwang, Su-yeon (January 10, 2021). '인기가요' 경서, 데뷔 첫 1위…비xJYP·김성규·송가인 컴백 [종합]. xportsnews (in Korean). xportsmedia. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  27. ^ Kim, Ji-ha (December 20, 2020). 성리ㆍ심규선ㆍ김성규ㆍ최유리ㆍ태연ㆍ체(CHE) [이번주 뭐 들었니?]. TV Daily (in Korean). Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  28. ^ a b "Album Chart 2020 Weeks 51" (in Korean). Circle Music Chart. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  29. ^ "Album Chart 2020.12 Month" (in Korean). Circle Music Chart. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  30. ^ "Album Chart 2021.01 Month" (in Korean). Circle Music Chart. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  31. ^ Inside Me (liner notes). Kim Sung-kyu. Woollim Entertainment. 2020. 1097871368.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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