Kim Bum Soo - 5th Album

5th Album

Kim's 5th album, 'Remember Kim Bum Soo 5th & So Long...' was so titled as a reference to the fact that he released it right before he was about to start his two-year compulsory military service.

The song 오아시스 (Oasis) was released in this album. The song has a slightly more commercially American R&B feel than the bulk of his music, demonstrating the stylistic growth Kim has experienced over the years.

On Kim's 5th album, he also pays homage to those that have inspired and influenced him on the track 'Like'. Amongst those he names are Stevie Wonder, Eric Benet, Brian McKnight, Babyface, R. Kelly, Mary J. Blige and Lenny Kravitz. He has also incorporated covers of songs by some of these artists in his live concerts, noticeably Stevie Wonder's 'Lately' and R. Kelly 'I Believe I Can Fly.'

The only of his albums to be produced in the US, 'Remember Kim Bum Soo 5th & So Long...' also references Kim's connection to the Christian faith, with the gospel-inspired CCM track, 'The One In My Life'. The song clearly alludes to Kim's childhood church choir days, giving the 'goodbye-and-remember'-themed album a nostalgic sense of 'ending at the beginning.'

Kim continues to do performances in several countries within East Asia, but also in other parts of the world—notably in North America, where Korean pop culture (drama and music) has skyrocketed in popularity within the last decade. Past events have been held in Hawaii, New York, Los Angeles, and Boston, as well as in parts of Canada.