Lee Jin-ah Taps a 10-Year-Old Artist for Her First Single in a Year

Singer-songwriter Lee Jin-ah is stepping back into the light on the 23rd with Journey of Dreaming, her first digital single in a year. The release marks a return to the intimate, piano-centered songwriting she built her reputation on, this time channeling the dreams and quiet hopes that busy daily life tends to crowd out.

The last time Lee Jin-ah released new music was September last year, when she contributed 시편 17편 나를 눈동자같이 to the 시편 150 프로젝트. That gap makes Journey of Dreaming her first original single in roughly twelve months, and fans of her particular corner of Korean indie pop have been paying attention.

A storybook sound with a collaborative visual heart

Thematically, the track leans into a sense of childlike wonder and pure passion, the kind of emotional register Lee Jin-ah has always handled well. Her piano work is characteristically her own: distinctive chord choices and a harmonic sensibility that sits somewhere between pop and jazz without fully committing to either. The arrangement wraps those textures in a warm, dreamlike atmosphere.

What makes this release stand out beyond the music is the visual team assembled around it. Photographer Rie handled the concept and profile photography, shooting Lee Jin-ah against a forest backdrop where the natural surroundings reinforce the song's unhurried, slightly otherworldly mood. For the album artwork, Rie was joined by Ryo, a 10-year-old artist whose contributions, including hand-drawn flower sketches, wobbly handwritten lettering, and a white rabbit cutout held in Lee Jin-ah's hands, give the jacket the kind of guileless charm that no adult could quite manufacture on purpose. It's a smart creative decision: the visual language matches the emotional territory the music is exploring.

The music video, directed by Lee Sang-deok, is being described as cinematic in scope, with the expectation that it translates the song's message into imagery with the weight of a short film.

Twelve years of writing everything herself

Lee Jin-ah first caught public attention in 2014 on SBS's K-pop Star Season 4, and she has been writing, composing, arranging, and producing her own music ever since. Her catalog includes the single Appetizer, the EP RANDOM, and the full-length albums 진아식당 Full Course and 도시의 속마음. The latter won Best Pop Album at the 21st Korean Music Awards, a recognition that cemented her standing as one of the more distinctive voices in Korean singer-songwriter territory.

The through-line across all of it is creative control: she has never handed off the core of what makes her music hers. Journey of Dreaming keeps that intact, and the addition of a 10-year-old collaborator on the artwork suggests she knows exactly when an outside perspective sharpens rather than dilutes her vision.

Journey of Dreaming drops on the 23rd at 6 p.m. KST across major streaming platforms.