A scene from the music video for sibling duo AKMU’s new song “Joy, Sorrow, A Beautiful Heart.” Captured from AKMU’s YouTube channel
“My daughter passed away in 2022 at the age of 23. I never got to see the cherry blossoms with her. Hearing this song makes me cry because I miss her so much and want to see her again.”
The comment was posted on the music video for sibling duo AKMU’s latest release, “Joy, Sorrow, A Beautiful Heart,” the title track from its fourth album, “Flowering.” It was one of many in which listeners shared their grief while also thanking the song for offering comfort. For many of them, the song has become a source of healing.
AKMU unveiled the music video for “Joy, Sorrow, A Beautiful Heart” on YouTube on Tuesday. More than 5,300 comments have since been posted, many of them from listeners sharing their grief, personal struggles and the comfort the song brought them.
“I’m about to begin treatment, and God knows how painful it will be this time,” one user wrote, identifying himself as a blood cancer patient in his 30s.
“I was browsing YouTube to calm myself down when I accidentally came across this song. As I listen to it, my eyes fill with tears.”
The cover art for AKMU’s fourth full-length album, “Flowering.” Courtesy of Cemter of Inspiration
Some shared the sorrow of losing loved ones. One user who said she had experienced a pregnancy loss wrote that the lyrics brought tears to her eyes, as if the song were consoling both her and the baby.
Another user wrote: “A full year has passed since my parents died. I came back to the place where they used to live for my first birthday without them. Hearing this song feels like receiving a birthday gift.”
Ahead of the album’s release, AKMU shared stories of older brother Lee Chan-hyuk living with his sister and walking the Camino de Santiago to help Lee Soo-hyun out of her slump. Echoes of that journey are also reflected in the album’s song titles and music videos.
The music video for “Joy, Sorrow, A Beautiful Heart” follows Soo-hyun’s path as she gradually overcomes her slump and begins to recover the happiness she had lost. Another track, “Paradise of Rumors,” tells the story of offering comfort to a weary, aging traveler walking alone. Its music video also drew comments from viewers expressing gratitude for the emotional support it provided.
Praise also poured in for Lee Chan-hyuk, who wrote and composed the song. “First he saves his sister, then he saves the rest of us,” one comment read. Another said the comment section beneath a truly great song is always filled with people’s personal stories.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.koreatimes.co.kr ’
