Welcome back to Fan Chant, a weekly column for K-pop fans, stans, and newbies alike. This week, soloist Colde reflects on his recent EP and previews his upcoming US tour. If you enjoy what you’re reading, feel free to subscribe to my companion newsletter to get Fan Chant delivered right to your inbox each week!
R&B singer-songwriter Colde has always had his eyes on the world stage. “Since I started my music career, I dreamed of being active in the global music market,” he tells Consequence. “But over time, I focused more on activities in Korea, especially after starting my label.”
Now, with the release of his first all-English EP plus a North American tour kicking off this week, he’s a few huge steps closer to that space. The new project, titled Yin, is two-fold; the name is a reference to the concept of yin and yang, while also acting as an acronym for “youth in nostalgia.” “I wanted to capture the feelings and experiences from my youth in my music,” he explains. “Through this process, I was able to reconnect with my roots and where my journey began.”
That journey specifically began for Colde as a member of OFFONOFF, a duo that hit the South Korean music scene in 2016 — and before that, he was involved with South Korean hip-hop crew Club Eskimo. His OFFONOFF days in particular are a chapter he’s happily reappraising these days. “Recently, I’ve been inspired by revisiting my visuals, music videos, and songs from my OFFONOFF days,” he explains. L
Like many other artists who have been working for over a decade, he has faced his own share of artistic challenges in the past, but his roots now feel helpful in such cases.
“I’ve faced creative roadblocks, especially when I worked hard on my music career throughout my 20s,” he recalls. “During those times, I visited places in the UK where I shot my first music video and met with the music producers who were with me at the beginning of my career. These trips helped me rediscover my true self and regain my energy and inspiration.”