Lim Hyunjung’s Musical Self-Portrait, Crafted Through Passion and DevotionSinger-songwriter Lim Hyunjung returns with her new work, Extraordinary, breathing new life into herself and her music. This sixth album comes 19 years after her last full-length album, and even when counting singles, it’s been six years. As a comeback effort long in the making, this album is a carefully honed work that embodies density, intensity, temperature, and humidity. It is a definitive piece—and in today’s pop music landscape, a surprising gem of “classical sound,” with no shortcomings.For Lim Hyunjung, remembered for emotionally resonant ballads wrapped in rock tones such as “First Love,” “Love Is Like Spring Rain... Parting Like Winter Rain,” and “The Scent of Love Comes Riding on Joy,” the classical sound of the prestigious London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) was a fateful choice. To capture the countless emotional fragments she went through during her hiatus—joy, elation, excitement, lethargy, disappointment, frustration, resignation—a large sonic canvas, a classical sound, was absolutely necessary.As shown in “Love Is Like Spring Rain... Parting Like Winter Rain”, there has always been a classical dimension present in her previous music. This new album can be seen as a major expansion of that image. Her decision to focus “more fully and seriously” on the big sound—full of sharpness and weight—stems from her belief that this genre is the vessel best suited to convey the multilayered aspects of her life so far. More than anything, however, what Lim Hyunjung first sought was “the realization of a musical identity that is led with my pace and establishes my own territory.” Above all, the music had to bring joy to herself—not to anyone else. What makes Extraordinary stand out is not its sheer scale of the sound, which feels like a heavy fabric fluttering in the wind, but rather the complete self-reflection it contains. Though she has long sung of love—enough to be called a “love messenger”—her focus had always been on the world, society, and her relationships with others. In truth, she had been somewhat sparing in her dialogue with herself. In search of a turning point, she flew to London, UK. Initially swayed by extreme anxiety and the tension of an unfamiliar environment, she eventually found emotional stability. For the first time, she faced herself, stared directly, and began speaking inward.Amid confusion and emotional wounds, she realized the unwavering truths that the self and love remain precious and gained conviction of its meaning. Though she also sang of love in her fourth and fifth albums, the love in this sixth release has evolved into “a love and belief in myself, as I was born,” and “a greater love connected to humanism and art.” It is an expansive rediscovery of Lim Hyunjung herself. The title track, “The Road to Me Is Beautiful,” says it all. She has begun to embrace her ever-learning, ever-challenging self, found joy in making music within a good creative environment, and ultimately succeeded in painting a “musical self-portrait.” Through this acquisition of self-love, she has once again reaffirmed the belief that “without love, there can be nothing true, valuable, or meaningful.”Tracks like “Good Time,” “Butterfly,” and “Talking of Eternity” persuasively deliver the new classical sound she has embraced, and serve as answers to the question that plagued her during the long hiatus: “What truly feels like me, and what music truly personifies me?”“I’ll never go back again / Sad days, farewell for good” (“Good Time”)“I just wanted to be myself / I just wanted to be free” (“Butterfly”)“Only you / I want only your love” (“Talking of Eternity”)These tracks fully reveal her melodic talent, already well proven by the public. “Butterfly,” which holds a significant place in the album with its outstanding melody, is followed by “Talking of Eternity,” which opens with acoustic guitar and a delicate vocal but is later overtaken by a powerful orchestral sound. This track condenses the theme of the album—a genuine reunion with the self. As the opening track “Good Time,” with its dynamic vocals, proclaims, Lim Hyunjung’s voice shines throughout the entire album. Each vocal performance constructs its own narrative, and the flow is natural. This is the resulting aesthetics of continuous cognizance of honest self-feedback on what she has created.The collaboration with the LSO (London Symphony Orchestra), renowned world-class engineer Geoff Foster, and arranger Matt Dunkley was daunting. But instead of keeping a distance from that fear, Lim Hyunjung embraced it—and in doing so, came closer to the sound she desired. The album’s centerpiece is the title track “The Road to Me Is Beautiful ,” a standout work that completes the crossover of rock and classical sound, coexistence of contrasting elements, and the juxtaposition of emotion and will through multilayered vocal expression. Its music video will prove the point. A counterpart and contrast to this song is “The Road to You Is Beautiful,” a track reminiscent of a serene walking trail, which cannot go unmentioned.The musical-show-like “Only Three Days,” the grand instrumental piece “A Love Song” that was essential to the album, and the bold and refreshing closer “Flow” each display their own individuality while aligning with the overall work. The previously released track “Saudade,” reborn through orchestral arrangement, the pop-leaning “Love Comes,” and “God Bless You,” which could be called a nursery rhyme for adults, all shine in their own right. Every single track is a well-crafted gem not to be skipped. To hear music like this at this moment is a joy—and for music lovers, it is nothing short of a miracle.Kicking off her music journey from the mid-to-late 1990s until the release of her fifth album in 2006, singer-songwriter Lim Hyunjung's career blazed forward with intensity. She earned wide public acclaim, with beloved hits still broadcast to this day, but after that, she entered a long period of silence. After a brief comeback in 2018 with a few singles, she disappeared again without the promise of a new album. During this long time, she poured her whole being into a battle with herself. Now, having fully embraced her true self in her mid-career, what she delivers through this new album is a relentless, unwavering declaration of love. With passion, immersion, and devotion, she has at last achieved the result she had long desired. That result is none other than “Lim Hyunjung’s music.”—Lim Jinmo (Music Critic)[Credit]Executive Producer: SUOPProducer: Lim Hyunjung, Geoff FosterDirector: Lim Hyunjung, Geoff FosterA&R: Min JaehyunRecording Engineer: Geoff Foster and 7 othersMixing Engineer: Geoff FosterMastering Engineer: John WebberCoordinator: Gareth GriffithsPhotographer: Charlie CliftRecording Studio: Air Studios and 4 other locationsMixing Studio: Air StudiosMastering Studio: Air StudiosSpecial thanks to:No need for words—my one and only,my husbandI myselfMusic itselfNature itselfMr. Min Jaehyun,who has worked by my side for over 25 years,and whom I have no doubt will continue working with until the endMr. Jung Donghwan,who flew all the way to Londonand poured his passion into the keysMs. Cherry Han and Ms. Hwang Kyunghee,trusted professionals in EnglishMy deeply respected and warm-hearted doctor,Professor Kwon Joonsoo, who holds great meaning for meand to the medical staff and nurses at Seoul National University HospitalMr. Lim Jinmo, a critic more artistic than any musicianChef Han Jihae, who made me the energy to endure the tough recording sessions in cold LondonAll the peoplewho shared every moment and time with meeven those who left behind unpleasant memoriesEveryone who helped me growThe land I loved as a child and in my youth,the place where I grew up—Korea(The skies and winds of Korea, the seas of Korea, the mountains of Korea, and Hangeul)My first and last producer, Geoff FosterMy first British friend, JoMy forever friend, AliMy beloved Air Studios familyMatt, the coolest arranger I’ve ever metRob, the vocal coach who healed my heartPerfect coordinator, GarethA truly kind soul engineer, Jonathan AllenDaniel Hersheson, the truly cool hair designerThe wonderful Dior Haute Coutre TeamSoul-gazing photographer, Charlie CliftUnfailingly dependable, Andrew