In a recent interview with local news outlet My Daily, Lee Hi discusses her thoughts and feelings on working — albeit indirectly — with SHINee‘sJonghyun on her new solo album.
Even before her comeback, Lee Hi’s title track “Breathe” received wide attention for being written and composed by SHINee’s Jonghyun. Regarding this, Lee Hi reveals that she had no idea who had created the track when she first heard it.
“At first, I didn’t know it was Jonghyun’s track, and only found out about this while working with Tablo. After telling Tablo that I wanted to have a comforting song [on my album], he said he has the perfect track for me. Immediately after listening to it, I told him I wanted to have it. I didn’t know it was made by Jonghyun until we started recording.”
“Later on, Tablo asked me, ‘Do you know made this song? It’s by Jonghyun.’ I was incredibly surprised. First, I’m grateful to him for making such a good song for me,” she reveals her reaction when finding out who created her latest chart-topper.
“Everyone seems to think that we’re an unusual pairing. But Jonghyun knows how to write lyrics and melodies that reflect our feelings. Next time, it would be nice to work with him on an upbeat song, rather than another sad one.”
Lee Hi reveals that she didn’t get the chance to meet Jonghyun in person while recording her album. “He didn’t meet with me to direct the recording. Instead, he gave me comments, suggesting what kind of feeling would go with each part, when I sent him the song.”