Kim Feel Drops First New Track in 7 Years Ahead of Album JOURNEY

Seven years is a long time between studio albums, and Kim Feel is easing listeners back in gently. On the 26th, he released a pre-release single from his upcoming second studio album JOURNEY across major streaming platforms at 6 p.m. KST.

The track is titled Jayuropgo Sipeo ("I Want to Be Free"), a folk ballad built around a quiet acoustic guitar line. Where a lot of pre-release singles go big to build anticipation, this one does the opposite: it lets Kim Feel's warm, unhurried baritone do most of the work, leaning into the kind of mood that settles on you after a long week. The song captures the feeling of wanting to set down whatever has been weighing on you and simply rest, with the acoustic instrumentation and vocal restraint working together to make that emotion feel earned rather than stated.

The album behind the single

JOURNEY is due out on October 29 at 6 p.m. KST, roughly seven years after his debut studio album yours, sincerely, which came out in December 2019. The gap makes this one of the more anticipated returns in Korean adult contemporary music.

Kim Feel debuted in 2011 and became widely known after finishing as runner-up on Mnet's Superstar K 6 in 2014. Songs like Cheoeom Mannan Geuttaecheoreom, Geokjeongmalayi Geudae, Geuttae Geu Ain, and Cheongsun built his reputation as a vocalist with real emotional range and a measured sense of phrasing. This year also marks his 15th anniversary as a recording artist.

Concert to follow

Following the album release, Kim Feel will perform at Blue Square's Woori WON Banking Hall in Seoul on November 14 and 15 for the 2026 Kim Feel Concert JOURNEY. The setlist will span his catalogue of well-known tracks alongside new material from the album, giving fans their first proper look at how JOURNEY translates to a live stage.

For now, Jayuropgo Sipeo does exactly what a good pre-release should: it signals the tone of what's coming without giving the whole thing away.