Cho Yong-pil 'Last four years felt like 40 years... lucky to be able to release new songs'

▲This photo provided by Yonhap News Agency, shows Cho Yong-pil. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲This photo, provided by Yonhap News Agency, shows Cho Yong-pil's concert.(PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, November 27 (Yonhap) -- "I am lucky to be able to release new songs."

Korea's one of the best singer Cho Yong-pil held a solo concert after four years on November 26, at KSPO Dome, Olympic Park, in Songpa-gu, Seoul.

This concert is his first solo concert after four years since the concert he held in 2018 to mark his 50th debut anniversary. The concert gained a lot of attention as it was not a tour around Korea but instead it was held for four days only in KSPO Dome, which is called the dream stage of K-pop.

Cho Yong-pil said, "The last four years felt like 40 years (because I couldn't hold concerts)," he looked back to his time and said, "This felt like the longest rest time I had ever since I became a singer."

With his hit song titles hse said, "It feels like I am meeting you guys in our memories, " and that "I hope you all enjoy as this is my concert after a long time."

The surroundings of the concert hall was crowded by male and female fans to see Cho Yong-pil.

Fans waited for Cho Yong-pil in their padded jackets and coars. Everyone were holding their placard with notes such as "Thankyou Cho Yong-pil, " "Oppa," and more, and could not hide their excited face.

On one side of the concert hall there was a huge banner written "The time with you is one of the most important moment in my life."

As the stage goes becomes dark, the audience shouted "Oppa," or "Cho Yong-pil."

The audience streamed with all their passion as Cho Yong-pil apperared on stage wearing a zebra patterned shirt with his white suit, and his "trade mark" sunglasses.

Cho Yong-pil sang his opening song, "Dream" holding the standing mic on one hand. He met his fans with his special vocal.

Fans cheered with the star shaped glow sticks and the single lined billboard in the audience drew out a mystique aura.

Cho Yong-pil sand his hit songs such as "Short Hair," "Reunion in Memory," "Dear," and more. Fans continuously shouted "Oppa" becoming the "That girl" in the lyrics of "Short Hair," and Cho Yong-pil enjoyed the atmosphere saying "I like it!"

Cho Yong-pil made his fans interested as he was telling episodes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

He joked, "I never got COVID-19," but I gained a lot of weight. I gained 3 kgs, and I feel like my wrinkles are gone as I gained weight."

Cho Yong-pil performed a perfect life with his band "The Great Birth." He put full effort to follow every notes, and he shrugged his shoulders while singing high notes. He presented a performance by playing his guitar for his "Dear" stage.

Cho Yong-pil sang his newly released song "Like Serengeti," a new song after nine years on November 18, as his seventh song. The stage electronic display was filled with stars as if the Milky Way had been scattered, and soon a vast plain spread out, drawing attention.

Fans responded with applause as Cho Yong-pil stretched out his high notes, saying, "I throw my dream in a wide world like Serengeti here."

After singing the song, Cho Yong-pil looked at the fans' reactions, saying, "Do you like it?" and added, "I work hard when recording the song, but I wonder if my fans would like it. At the end after the release the of song he said that he usually thinks, "I don't know.

Fans responded with one voice, saying, "(The new song) is so good.

Cho Yong-pil calmly evoked the atmosphere with songs such as "Teahouse In The Winter," "Q," and "Where You Stay on Your Feet," followed by hit songs such as "Woman and Man," "Red Dragonfly" and "Self-Respect."

The concert hall heated up to the highest point as a series of timeless masterpieces such as "I Can't Find the Oriole," "The Leopard of Kilmanjaro," "Unknown World" and "Mona Lisa" continued.

About 10,000 fans who filled the hall all stood up and waved their light sticks from side to side, while male fans also lifted pickets that read "Brother!" above their heads. People of all ages and genders enjoyed the atmosphere by jumping until the vibration could be felt.

Cho Yong-pil sand 23 songs including "Moment," and "Let's go on a trip," without even having time to change his outfit. His songs "Hello" and "Bounce" from his 19th album which was sensational all around Korea nine years ago was excluded from the set list.

Cho Yong-pil's fan service was also very impressive in line with his reputation as the "original oppa unit." After the last song, "Let's Go on a Trip," he looked at the left, right, and center of the audience and shouted "Thank you!" five times. He told his fans who traveled from all over Korea, "I'm sorry and grateful."

Kim Young-mi (56), who visited the concert hall with her two sisters from Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, said, "The power of Cho Yong-pil's songs comes from constant love and passion for music." "There is sincerity in music," she praised.

Nam Sang-ok (55), chairman of Cho Yong-pil's fan club "Eternally," said, "I'm touched that the music of "Oppa" always contains sincerity," adding, "I could relate very much with the lyrics saying to not give up and challenge even if I'm old." His songs are not similar to any other music, but they are distinctive," he said.


(This article is translated from Korean to English by Dowon Kim.)

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