Having proven herself to be a capable actor, Kim Se-jeong has donned her singer-songwriter hat for her first full-length album “The Door.”

“The Door,” which released Wednesday, is her first solo release in almost two and a half years since her second EP “I’m” released back in March 2021.

All 11 tracks included in the new album, including its two lead tracks “Voyage” and “Top or Cliff,” were written by Kim, with eight of the tracks also composed by the singer-songwriter herself.

“Lead track ‘Top or Cliff’ is about someone who tried to reach the top, but ended up pushing themselves to the edge of a cliff in the process; it involves a bit of my own story,” Kim said ahead of the album release during a showcase held at the Ilchi Art Hall located in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Monday.

“I’ve sung a lot of bright and sentimental songs as a solo artist, but this is very daring, strong and filled with stories that I wanted to convey myself."

Kim added that while she wanted to continue with what she could do best — bright songs that help comfort people — she realized that as an adventurous person, as someone who wants to explore more, she felt it was right to try changing the genre. “The Door,” however, also includes tracks that are more in line with what people would normally expect of her.

“Instead of having one solid color throughout the entire album, I really wanted to prove to people how colorful I can be,” she explained. “When I’m preparing for my solo tracks, I’ve always tried my best to listen to as many people as possible. But this time, as my first full-length solo album, an album that I’m releasing seven years after my debut, I’ve tried to be more daring, tried to be more confident. I specifically chose which songs to include and where to place them in the album.”

On the other side of “Top or Cliff” is the album’s second lead track, “Voyage.”

“'Voyage’ is the song that I know I could pull off best,” Kim explained. “It’s about entering a mysterious, story-like world. I also made it feel like I’m opening the door back again to my fans who have been waiting for me on the other side of the door.”

One of her favorite tracks on the album is the 11th track, “In The Rain,” written and composed by Kim herself, which is based on her own story of practicing her singing skills in a school sports field.

“I’ve practiced singing in a school’s sports field, but I was always cautious and tried my best not to disturb others,” Kim explained. “Whenever it rained, the first thing I would think of was going out to the field and singing, because the fields would be empty and I could muffle my sound in the rain. […] In the song, I’m telling people that I will smile even in the rain and that I will march on, just like I did when I first started singing.”

The song also features trainees from Jellyfish Entertainment who helped her sing the back vocals.

Following her comeback as a singer-songwriter, Kim will hold her first solo concert tour “The Door,” in 11 different cities around the world, including performances in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and more.

“I’ve missed my fans,” Kim said. “It’s been so long since the last time I met my fans, and I could really feel that they’ve missed me as much as I've missed them. […] I will try my best to fulfill their expectations. I hope we can all enjoy the concert.”

Kim debuted in 2016 as a member of project girl group I.O.I, and became a member of girl group gugudan. While her 2016 solo track “Flower Way,” produced by singer-songwriter and producer Zico, became a nationwide hit, Kim spent the last two years more active as an actor.

To find out more about Kim Se-jeong, visit Celeb Confirmed!

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]