[Herald Interview] Cheeze shifts from lovable to chilling for summer song

Cheeze, a one-person band known for vocalist Dalchong's lovely and clear voice, has returned with a hair-raising summer song.

"Many people know me for my bright and lovely image, but I have various sides, including ballads and melancholy songs. I wanted to show that this image is also part of Cheeze," said Dalchong, the vocalist and producer of Cheeze during a group interview on Aug. 5.

The band Cheeze, which debuted in 2011, started out as a quartet but has been a one-person band led by singer-songwriter Dalchong since 2017. While past hits like "Madeleine Love" and "Mood Indigo" were romantic, the new bossa nova-inspired song "Flames to Dust" is a chilling track that captures the suppressed anger of a betrayed lover.

"Love is often compared to summer. It burns hot and then disappears like a dream. The music video has a scary, creepy vibe, so I think it will be great to watch in the summer, just like a horror video," said the 34-year-old singer.

The music video features Ji Ye-eun, an actress who rocketed to fame after appearing on SNL Korea. The intense anger over the betrayal in the song is expressed through visual metaphors like blood and lighting.

Dalchong noted that she didn't compromise when writing the lyrics for this song. "I have always desired to write lyrics that are beautiful when seen, spoken, and sung. My lyrics may not be easy to understand, but I try to evoke certain images in the listener's mind" she said.

The singer, now in the 13th year of he career, laughed as she mentioned that her songwriting pace isn't what it used to be.

"It feels like I've written everything I could. I don't feel as emotionally abundant as I did in my 20s. Once I start, I actually work very quickly but I need more time now to capture inspiration before I start working," she said.

Dalchong noted that she would love to be remembered as an artist who produces her own music.

"Although people tend to focus more on my voice, I write melodies, lyrics and contribute significantly to the arrangement. Of course, I'm happy when people compliment my voice, but I would also like to hear more about my production work," she said.