Park celebrates the 25th anniversary of her debut

“The bridge serves as a link. Besides releasing albums and concerts, I had many opportunities to engage in special music-related activities such as audition judging and busking. Those activities led to a connection with a wider audience. I prepared this concert for those who became my fans after hearing my covers and for my long-time fans.”

This is what singer Lena Park said to her fans at her first concert in four years. Park’s solo concert, “The Bridge,” held on Sunday at Olympic Hall, Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul, commemorated the 25th anniversary of her debut and the 10th studio album.

“A lot of time has already passed,” Park said on that day. “It is a year with so much meaning just by looking at the numbers.” The first song she sang at her concert was "You are the Sea," the title track of her 10th album, released on May 1. The atmosphere of the concert was taken to the next level by adding the scenery of the sea where the sun rises to the LED display board erected at the height of the third floor behind the stage.

One of the charms her concerts offer is the arranged songs. She even emphasized, “In my concerts, there is fun in discovering new aspects of each of my songs.” On this day, too, she sang arranged versions of several of her songs, including “I wish it could be that way now” and “You mean everything to me.” Her most unconventional arrangement was the rock version of the pop ballad song “P.S. I Love You.” In addition, she sang a total of 23 songs, including "I Will Write You a Letter,” “At the Beauty Salon,” and “Will Love Come to Me?” Park’s unique clear tone and rich voice captivated the audience throughout the concert.

After performing for about three hours with the last song, "In Dreams," Lena Park left a message for the fans, “I don’t know right now if today will prove to be a meaningful time. Next year, when you ask yourselves, 'What did I do last May?', I hope that you will recall today’s concert as a happy memory.”

Starting with her concert on the day, Lena Park will continue her nationwide tour through July in Busan, Daegu, Gunsan in North Jeolla Province, and Goyang in Gyeonggi Province.


beborn@donga.com