[Herald Interview] For singer-songwriter Kassy, music is means of expressing true feelings

Singer-songwriter Kassy is an introvert who has difficulty expressing her feelings and emotions, but she has music to lean on as her medium to share such things.

“Just like me, I think there are a lot of people who are not used to talking about themselves and instead rely on music to relieve their stress and express their feelings. I share my experiences and feelings through music hoping that it could help such people relate to and be comforted,” she said in an interview with The Korea Herald.

Kassy dropped the single “Crush on you” on Sunday, in which she sings of how it takes a lot of time and effort for her to profess her feelings to someone she likes.

The song, whose bright and light melody reminds listeners of a summer night, is about a girl professing her love to her crush under the influence of alcohol.

“I think this is my way of professing love. I never get the courage to say it straightforwardly. I bet a lot of girls agree with this. I want them to be encouraged by listening to this song and profess their love,” the singer-songwriter said.

“I like to write songs with honest lyrics, without thinking about how to make it into a fancy song. I could fill up a song with pretty lyrics, but they are not something I would say when I’m in front of someone. So I try to be sincere with my music, which is what my fans love the most about it.”

The single presents a new side of the singer-songwriter, as she usually evokes the autumn season with many ballads about breakups and farewells.

But even in this lighter song, Kassy’s signature powerful and effortless high-pitched vocals stood out.

“When I began singing, I had a low-key vocal, so I put in a lot of work to change that. I wanted to be able to digest diverse genres with a limitless vocal spectrum. I also do a bit of acting when I sing, which makes me capable of doing bright music as well,” explained Kassy.

Because acting is part of singing for the singer-songwriter, she also dreams of taking part in a musical to sing, dance and act in front of an audience.

“I love watching musicals, and I imagine myself doing it. Watching musicals motivates me to learn acting, as it is another way of expressing my feelings and allows me to indirectly experience things that I can’t in real life. I used to take acting lessons nine years ago when I was a K-pop idol trainee,” she said.

Kassy, who debuted in 2015, was initially preparing to become a K-pop idol. At the time, she was gearing up for a girl group debut with her agency.

But Kassy had always found her heart in singing instead of dancing.

“I am not good at dancing. I only dance when I really have to, like at concerts when my fans want to see such a performance,” she said.

Kassy will hold a concert on June 16-18 at Mary Hall at Sogang University in Seoul, during which she will be performing her new single for the first time on stage.

“The concept of this concert is a mystic and breezy summer night that makes you happy. If my past concerts used to be focused on sentimental and melancholic concepts, in this concert, you can jump around and have fun. I can even dance and rap onstage for this concert. If you’re curious, come find out for yourself. You won’t regret it.”