SEVENTEEN Vocal Coach and Producer, BUMZU Becomes the Biggest Music Royalty Holder of 2023

BUMZU is a solo singer who actively releases music and holds solo concerts. He has expertise in exploring music production and songwriting. In addition, he is also known as the vocal coach for SEVENTEEN, the head producer, and the CEO of PRISMFILTER. Let's get to know more about the vocal teacher of this SEVENTEEN group. (Credit: X account @youngheejihoon)

1. Growing Up With Music

instagram.com/bumzu91

Since childhood, Bumzu (real name: Kye Beom Joo) has shown extraordinary talent as a violinist. At the age of five, his mind was already filled with melodies and lyrics.

BUMZU first gained recognition when he composed a song for Woo Hyuk Jang (H.O.T) at the age of 19-20. In 2012, he became a finalist in the popular singing competition Superstar K. Although he did not make it to the final round, his popularity increased and paved the way for his solo career as well as his partnership with his first record label, PLEDIS Entertainment.

In 2013, BUMZU released his debut mini album titled Something Special in collaboration with Dok2. This album contains 5 songs and 1 instrumental, with the music video for the title track featuring PO (Block B) as well as Yoonjo and Lime (Hello Venus).

Since his debut, BUMZU has continued to actively release music every year in various forms, including singles, mini albums, regular albums, collaboration projects, features, and even OSTs.

2. Loves His Work Very Much

instagram.com/bumzu91

Bumzu is known for his fast working style, in line with the more relaxed and less formal work culture at Pledis among artists, creative workers, and executives. At Pledis, their approach does not strictly focus on the business side. For Bumzu, the artists under his wing are his friends. They can easily reach out to Bumzu and the A&R team at any time, whether through phone, Ktalk messages, or Zoom, to support their creative expressions in various forms.

As a solo artist and a member of Prismfilter, Bumzu loves his work very much. He often feels like he has a lot to accomplish, but with limited time. In fact, he often stays awake for 36-48 hours to complete his work.

Bumzu also has a strong music philosophy, where he believes that by creating songs with deep messages, he can create timeless values that can keep up with the ongoing changes in life.

3. Striving to Have His Own Musical Instruments

instagram.com/bumzu91

In his home, the older brother loves music so much that musical instruments fill every corner of the house. However, little Bumzu feels afraid to touch those instruments, worried that he might break them. Eventually, he chooses to work part-time so he can buy his own musical instruments.

When he was in high school, Bumzu firmly resolved to become a musician. He began to explore various music genres, including joining a rock band. He became interested in Visual Kei, a genre that combines glam rock, metal, and punk, which was popular in Japan in the 80s. Not stopping there, Bumzu also tried creating rap, beats, and singing, becoming active in the underground music scene where K-Hip Hop was developing. Until finally, he discovered his deep love for R&B.

4. Songs That Were Produced

instagram.com/bumzu91

The first song that Bumzu worked on after joining Pledis is 화장을 하다 울었어 (Crying While Putting On Make-Up), which tells a story about heartbreak. To capture a deeper experience of heartbreak, Bumzu interviewed people around him. He asked questions like:
"Do your eyes swell after crying?"
"How do you cover up swollen eyes?"
"Have you ever used a cold spoon to reduce swelling in your eyes?"
Bumzu sought new perspectives even though this song is aimed at a girl group and he himself is a man.

The song Very Nice was completed by Bumzu in just 48 hours. He locked himself in his room, determined not to come out until the song was finished. During those two days, the only person he spoke to was Woozi, even though Woozi had his own busy schedule. Bumzu kept updating him on the progress and the process of making the song.
In writing the lyrics, Woozi, S.Coups, and Bumzu worked together. They discussed how the word "Nice" became a key element. The idea for the phrase "Very Nice" came from S.Coups, which then developed into full lyrics. The concept of "nice" was inspired by terms used in sports like golf, where someone says "Nice shot!" when witnessing a good shot. The word "nice" then evolved into "very nice". During this process, S.Coups provided many brilliant ideas that greatly assisted in the creation of this song. Thank you to S.Coups for his contribution.

NCT 127 – “Back 2 U (AM 01:27)” (2017)
Bumzu, along with The Stereotypes and August Rigo, participated in a songwriting camp with SM Entertainment. The three of them worked on the main melody (topline) and managed to complete it in just three takes. The song was arranged on-site using various different elements until it formed the final result.
That's just a small part of the many great works that Bumzu has produced

(kpl/ara)