Jay Park returns with quintessential R&B album after 8 yrs

K-pop singer-rapper Jay Park returned Tuesday with a studio album his fans will want to own.

Park’s sixth full-length album, “The One You Wanted,” features 20 tracks, including nine new songs alongside 11 previously released singles. It marks his first R&B album in eight years.

The number of tracks is unusually large, given that most K-pop studio albums feature no more than 10 songs.

“Since ‘Everything You Wanted,’ I had planned to release more R&B albums. But the plan kept getting delayed due to various circumstances,” he said during a music listening session held at a movie theater in southern Seoul to promote the new album. “I finally managed to put together an album by collecting R&B tracks I’ve worked on for the past seven years.”

Park was referring to his fourth studio album, released in 2016, which earned him the grand prize, Musician of the Year, and Best R&B and Soul Music at the Korean Music Awards the following year.

“The One You Wanted” is also his first full-length album in five years since “The Road Less Traveled” (2019).

When asked why he released an album packed with as many as 20 tracks, Park explained that the songs were intended for a studio album from the beginning.

“But if too many songs are released at once, the public won’t listen to them properly. So I pre-released the album tracks as singles and promoted each one,” he said.

He continued: “In fact, releasing an album with more than 20 songs isn’t financially advantageous. However, as an artist, I have a desire to constantly develop, and I wanted to maintain artistic aspects even though I’m also the CEO of my label.”

He added releasing an album is a natural thing for an artist. “I’m proud in many ways that this album has been created, which More Vision employees can also take pride in.”

Of the album’s three lead tracks — “Mayday (feat. Ty Dolla $ign),” “Gimme A Minute (feat. Chungha)” and “Peace of Heaven (feat. Isol of More Vision)” — Park introduced “Mayday” as the song that people would feel is the most representative of his signature R&B style.

“It might be perceived as a song without much impact, but I hope it becomes a classic track of mine that will endure over time,” he said.

“Many singers become sensitive about trends or becoming old-fashioned as time goes on. However, I have that much pride and confidence in my music, which is why I’m releasing a song I worked on seven years ago now.”

The 37-year-old singer also shared his concerns about the public’s expectations of him showcasing his famous six-pack during performances as he gets older.

“I know a lot of people expect me to show off during performances,” he said. “While sexy performances can be one way to entertain, I don’t want to rely on that. I hope it serves as a gateway for people to discover my music.”