K-pop star Ailee has fulfilled her wish of performing in Malaysia after 11 years. Photo: Handout
In 2013, Korean-American artiste Ailee vowed to stage a solo concert in Malaysia after receiving much support for her performance at the Golden Disc Awards in Kuala Lumpur.
Eleven years later, she has finally checked this off her wish list.
“I knew that I was getting a lot of love and support in Malaysia, so I’ve always wanted to return that love by performing and spending time with my fans.
“I knew that I’ve always wanted to come back, but I didn’t expect it to take that long,” the 35-year-old said at a press conference in KL recently.
The vocal powerhouse was in town last month for her I Am: Here concert, where she serenaded thousands of fans for nearly two hours at the Mega Star Arena.
During her stay in the nation’s capital, Ailee indulged in various delicacies such as nasi goreng, satay, kuih lapis, durian chips and more.
Ailee wants to be remembered as an artiste who brought joy and love to the world. Photo: SHAARI CHEMAT/ THESTARThe singer-songwriter, who’s based in South Korea, had nothing but praise for Malaysia’s hospitality, likening her experience of returning here to the feeling of “coming back home”.
“Malaysia’s hospitality is amazing. It’s just like back in Korea. I feel like I’m at home.
“From when I arrived at the airport till I entered my hotel room, the warmth was evident. The bathroom in my hotel room even had a customised Ailee logo on it!” she exclaimed.
Carving her own path
With 12 years of experience in the music industry, Ailee – whose real name is Amy Lee – has built an impressive portfolio, boasting over 30 music awards, four studio albums, six EPs and a catalogue of hits that resonate globally.
Born in Colorado, United States, she embarked on her musical odyssey in 2006 by uploading videos of herself covering songs by Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Rihanna and more on her YouTube channel.
Growing up as a Korean-American, Ailee confessed, was initially “confusing” as she struggled navigating two cultures.
However, she learned to absorb the best of both cultures as she grew older and eventually moved to South Korea in 2010 to pursue her musical aspirations.
“I wanted to start my music career where my roots were and felt like at the time I could possibly relate to a lot more of the Korean audiences with my music,” she told an online news portal.
That same year, Ailee signed with YMC Entertainment and released her debut single, Heaven, in 2012.
The R&B number swiftly climbed to No.3 on the Billboard K-pop Hot 100 and secured her five Best New Artiste trophies at major Korean music ceremonies such as the Mnet Asian Music Awards, Melon Music Awards and Seoul Music Awards.
A string of hits such as U&I, Singing Got Better and Mind Your Own Business soon followed.
Before Ailee knew it, she was already getting labelled “Korea’s Beyonce”.
While she felt honoured to be compared to someone she deeply admires, she wanted to be recognised on her own.
“I want to walk my own path, but since I hear ‘Korea’s Beyonce’ wherever I go, I feel as if I’m living in someone’s shadows,” she said on a radio programme.
She added during the press conference in KL: “I think it’s really important to maintain who I am.
“I’ve been in this industry for 12 years, and I’m still trying hard not to lose my identity.”
Rocky romantic history
With that in mind, Ailee launched her I Am: concert series, aiming to highlight various facets of herself and make a statement about her identity at a specific juncture in her life.
“I feel like I have so many different sides of me, and I want the audience to see what I’ve been doing lately and how I’m growing.
“Last year, I did I Am: Colourful to showcase all the different colours within my artistry.
“I also had a tour called I Am: Reborn to show that I’m born again as a person trying new things,” she said.
Speaking of trying something new, Ailee is set to open a new chapter as she prepares to marry Choi Si-hun, a former contestant on the popular Netflix dating reality show Single’s Inferno.
The couple’s romance came to light in March when Korean media broke the news that Ailee was in a romantic relationship and had plans to get hitched next year.
Ailee’s agency A2Z Entertainment comfirmed the report, adding that the singer and her future husband got acquainted through a mutual friend.
Her love story is long overdue given her tumultuous past relationships.
In fact, she once caught her ex-boyfriend cheating on her when she surprised him at his birthday party.
“I told him I couldn’t go because of school work, but I secretly went.
“I saw my boyfriend being physically affectionate with another woman and was so shocked that I couldn’t say anything. I went home crying,” she recounted on a Korean variety show in 2019.
This incident took a toll on Ailee, leaving her unable to fully invest emotionally in her subsequent relationship, which eventually faltered as well.
“I didn’t treat him well. I found that I couldn’t give all my heart to him because my ex-boyfriend cheated on me. I drew a line between us,” she shared.
Leaving an impactful legacy
Already healed from past wounds, Ailee is now focused on her upcoming endeavours.
Sharing her plans, the talented artiste hopes to write more songs and record more original soundtracks for K-dramas this year.
She has over 25 original soundtracks under her belt and is best known for I Will Go To You Like The First Snow from the popular series, Guardian: The Lonely And Great God.
The track was the most digitally successful song of 2016.
Ailee at her I Am: Here concert in KL on June 22, 2024. Photo: Handout
“I like singing original soundtracks because I love being able to tell a story through my music.
“While I’ve been doing that in my own songs, singing for a K-drama is exciting because I have a script and I’m watching the scene as I’m recording the track,” she said at the press conference.
Ailee continued: “If I could have a superpower, I’d want to live with no sleep.
“As someone who sleeps a lot, I find it to be a waste of time as I have so many things I want to do. I’m still ambitious and passionate about my career.”
But Ailee is not all work and no play.
Rather, she sees herself as a “normal girl” once the spotlights go off.
After a hectic schedule, Ailee enjoys returning home to the company of her dogs and watching her favourite Netflix shows.
She occasionally chats with her closest pals in the industry too, which include singers Lim Na-young, Amber Liu and Eric Nam.
Ailee and Eric Nam are very close friends. Photo: Ailee/Instagram
“Amber always makes me laugh. She’s a great friend to talk to. Eric too. He’s a very good ‘Big Sister’,” she said.
As of now, Ailee has a bunch of self-written tracks in the shelves and is still in the midst of deciding which to release next.
While she didn’t reveal much about her upcoming songs, Ailee did say the world was “missing a lot of love”, and she intends to change this by continuing to tell empowering stories through her music.
“I want to touch the hearts of the people with my music, relate with them and add more happiness to their lives.
“I just want to be remembered as a singer who brought joy and love to the world... to be known as an advocate for mental health and happiness,” she said.
