Choi Baek-ho Celebrates 50 Years of Romantic Song—Still Hungry to Change and Create
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Veteran singer Choi Baek-ho, who debuted in 1976, is preparing a nationwide 50th-anniversary tour titled “50 Years of Romance, Singing the Traces of Time,” beginning January 24 at Seoul’s Sejong Center. At 75, Choi says he refuses to grow cynical and wants to keep the childlike purity that fuels his music. He plans to perform his early hits like “My Heart Has Lost Its Way” and the comeback song “On Romance” (낭만에 대하여), and will cover songs by peers such as Song Chang-sik and Cho Yong-pil. Choi reflected on difficult early years—moving from his hometown Busan to Seoul, poverty, and a stint in the U.S.—and credits setbacks for shaping his gratitude and creative drive. He embraces collaboration with younger artists (he worked with ZICO and Jung Seung-hwan in 2022) and is open to experimenting with genres including hip-hop on his anniversary album. Looking ahead, Choi hopes to keep performing into his 80s and 90s and even pursue painting and filmmaking, insisting he’ll make music “as long as he can make a sound.”
