Exclusive: Park Bom On Her Triumphant Return To K-Pop With "Spring"

“She’s unlike anyone from this generation in her incredible kindness and her passion for music,” say Scotty Kim and Ray Yeom of D-Nation, who teamed up with Park Bom after her departure from YG Entertainment for her triumphant and impactful return to the industry.

Park Bom’s comeback was a long time coming since the disbandment of 2NE1 in 2016 and her last solo release, “Don’t Cry,” which dates even further back to 2011.

In early 2016, Park Bom mentioned that she had let go of singing for years, but made the decision to pick up and keep going: “I can’t give up what I want to do the most and what I am the best at because I am intimidated by misunderstandings.”

Her support system through her journey was D-Nation and her family, says Park Bom in an exclusive interview with Soompi. “They’ve always been with me.”

The singer makes sure to thank her fans and the opportunity that she has, saying to Soompi, “I’m so happy that I am able to communicate through music. I want to say that I’m always thankful to my old fans, as well as everyone who has given a lot of love to my new song.”

Park Bom’s new song, “Spring,” is steeped in soul and deeply rooted in the singer’s personal experiences, which, Park Bom says, are the biggest changes she’s undergone since her debut with 2NE1 ten years ago in 2009. At her core, she’s the same kind-hearted and passionate artist and person she’s always been, just with some life under her belt that lends her music a new depth. Park Bom says, “I’m in the same place, but through different experiences, I think there’s more that I can express through music.”

And “Spring,” a collaboration with Brave Brothers, is indeed the perfect expression of where Park Bom is coming from and where she’s going. Scotty Kim of D-Nation says, “Working on the music with Brave Brothers was such an important moment. It’s incredible when people understand each other. I think we were able to create something great because [Brave Brothers] understood [Park Bom] and [Park Bom] put all of herself into the song.”

Bringing Sandara Park into the song, which Park Bom reveals was her idea, “was a miracle,” says the artist. “It was something I had always dreamed of, and when it became reality, I was overwhelmed with emotion. The first time I heard the rap part in ‘Spring,’ I thought of Dara. I felt that her voice would be the best pair to mine. So I asked her to do the song with me.”

On whether Bom’s got plans for getting together with the other members of 2NE1 for future collaborations, Scotty Kim says, “There are no plans as of right now,” adding that she is working on her next album and that D-Nation has plans for a full promotional schedule for the artist this year.

In short, Bom’s back, and she’s here to stay.