Gaho Opens Up About His Music and His Latest Release, “Diamond”

Like a perfectly cut diamond, everything in Gaho’s career is well-proportioned, and his multiple facets are positioned to create a brilliant sparkle. If you are new to Gaho’s music universe, just know that before embarking on his solo career, this 25-year-old musician and songwriter penned some of the most famous K-Drama OSTs.

To understand the extent of his artistry, the first song he produced was “Come To Me,” which became the soundtrack of the world-famous drama, “While You Were Sleeping”. In 2018, he debuted with his first mini-album, “Preparation for a Journey”. Since then, his name has appeared in multiple K-dramas, most notably “Itaewon Class”. Indeed, the show’s OST, “Start Over”, reached unexpected popularity and opened new paths for Gaho’s career.

In 2021, he released his first full-length album, “Fireworks,” and is now back with his second mini-album, “Diamond”. Like the all-round musician that he is, Gaho himself composed, wrote, arranged, and produced all the songs on the album. The album tells the story of a man who, despite having a lot of things in his life, lost his love. It’s a story that delves into past relationships, expressing sentimentality and grief over lost love.

Recently, we had the privilege of sitting down with this incredibly talented artist to discuss his latest musical endeavour and his recent mini-album, “Diamond”.

Nice to meet you, Gaho. Can you please introduce yourself to our readers?

Hello, I’m Gaho. I’m a singer-songwriter who writes lyrics and produces music in various genres, such as Pop, R&B, and Jazz

Congratulations on your new release. Can you tell us more about your new album, “Diamond”?

I named this album “Diamond” because I wanted it to be a shining “gift” that expresses my gratitude to all of my listeners. Through the various themes and emotions that appear in this one album, I wanted the listening experience to be both pleasant and touching. I hope that my listeners can appreciate all of the emotions I tried to convey.

The album is comprised of six songs. Where did you get your inspiration from?

I was thinking of ways that I could show my gratitude to my supporters, and I came up with “Diamond”. A diamond is a beautiful object by itself, and it is also recognised as the most precious gift someone can receive. So, overall, I came up with songs that are elegant and create a great atmosphere.

I want to analyse each song with you, starting with the title track: “Love Me”. It has an old-fashioned sound to it; how was this song born?

The title song, “Love Me,” contains the lonely feelings of a person full of glamour on the outside but not on the inside. I tried to express a sense of emptiness – everything seems perfect on the surface, even though “my person” is leaving in the end. This song came to mind while I was thinking about the various things that I could use to bring out the elegance of this album.

Then we have “Beautiful Night”. You chose to pre-release it as a single. Why did you choose it?

I wanted to start with an elegant yet exciting atmosphere. When you watch a musical or a movie, the beginning is always very flashy, and I wanted to convey that feeling.

“Intro” is a very particular track. It helps set the mood. What feelings would you like to share with your listeners through your music?

For “Intro”, I took the main melody of the title song, “Love Me”, and made an opening song with it. It contains elegant yet sad emotions to hint at the content of the title song. This album properly mixes an elegant and colourful atmosphere with Pop melodies. From the first track to the last track, I focused on the natural connection between emotion and atmosphere.

The song “Diamond” shares its name with the album. What’s the meaning of this song for you?

“Diamond” is a song that portrays the feelings of excitement and love towards someone you really care about. I made it into a fan song because I wanted my fans to feel excited and loved.

“Only You”, if you could describe this song in one word, which word would you choose and why?

I want to compare it to a “rose”. I think it goes well with the noble aura of roses. And, last but not least, we have “loneliness”. It’s a song that expresses feelings of loneliness in a straightforward and calm manner. In the lyrics, the expressions “I’m doing well” and “I’m lonely” contradict each other. It’s a good song for those who want to enjoy the calm ambiance of my vocals and the gentle acoustics of my guitar.

Can you share with us a little bit of the behind-the-scenes process of creating “Diamond”?

It was a delightful experience because it was the first album to be completed with a set theme in mind. I will try to work more on projects like this in the future.

What is your goal with this comeback?

There was no specific goal. I wanted to make a unique album that fully presented my identity before showing off the producing band KAVE, which I am preparing. In the future, I think my music will feature a lot of R&B, Pop, and Ballads. KAVE is going to showcase a hip, intense band-sound based on Pop.

Do you have any particular lyrics that you love from this album?

In the lyrics for the second verse of the title song “Love Me”, there is one particular line: “My heart is like a maze, I don’t know what I know”. People always seem to have a lot of thoughts in their minds, which is why I think everyone has situations where they don’t understand themselves, and that’s what I’m trying to portray through my lyrics.

You are famous for being the mastermind behind some of the greatest OSTs in the K-drama industry. What is the main difference between recording an OST and your songs?

There are cases in which the OSTs I sing are actually composed by other producers, so it allows me to show a new side of myself.

Last question: who is Gaho now?

I’m like whiskey. Just as whiskey becomes more delicious as it ages, I think the music that I’m making is getting better as time goes by.

Written and interviewed by Marianna Baroli

_{View of the Arts is a British online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and art, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop / K-music, and Asian music in general, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts, worldwide.}