“chan rahn” Is Sunwoojunga’s Radiant Comeback
Photo: CAM
Nothing is left to chance in Sunwoojunga’s music and art, and her latest album chan rahn, released on July 14, is no exception. The title itself, the carefully selected tracklist, the imagery of the campaign to launch the album, and the pop-up flower shop in Hongdae, Seoul — they’re all part of a narrative outlining Sunwoojunga’s progression in life.
The album has only five tracks, ranging in genre from jazz, to soul, to R&B, but features the cross-media experimentation that Sunwoojunga’s fans have been used to since her debut.
Last year she shared with The Kraze that she sees herself as a perpetually shifting artist, dabbling in different aspects of music and art. She also explained to us, later in 2024, that the music in her previous release — her concept album Beyond — depicted a moment of transition in her life. At that time, she said: “You can't be free until you face your shadows, your dark and vulnerable parts.”
Now, her latest record proves that she’s taking a bold step further. The Korean word "찬란" (romanized as "chan rahn") translates to "radiant," "brilliant," or "glorious". It describes something that shines brightly, filled with vibrant light, but also something that is perceived as “dazzling” from an emotional perspective.
So what does “radiance” mean for Sunwoojunga? In an Instagram post, she talked about how the music in chan rahn is the outcome of enjoying the things she loves, letting the sun kiss her face and dry the sadness that made her heart dark and damp. She added: “It’s not about erasing or hiding sadness, but simply drying it well. The traces of sadness are quite beautiful just as they are, and if they get wet again, they can be dried once more. I hope the album [찬란 (chan rahn)] reaches you like a ray of sunlight.”
Throughout the promotional period, Sunwoojunga often appeared carrying a huge poppy with vibrant colors (the same colors found in the cover of the album). In Korean culture, somewhat differently from Western cultures, poppy flowers are associated with good fortune, fleeting beauty, grace, resilience, and hope. They carry a positive, uplifting significance, which perfectly matches the core idea of chan rahn.
In the notes explaining the production and meaning behind each of the five tracks of the album, Sunwoojunga also revealed how the songs were something she “spat out” to “restore her life”. It’s music that stemmed from the simple joys found in ordinary days, the ones that always supported her life. She reflects: “Thinking back, it’s not the first time. Realizing this gives me the courage to create the next hope.”
She also used the image of a flower blooming unexpectedly on a barren floor to describe the idea of quiet beauty warming your heart when everything else feels cold and unwelcoming.
On a barren floor, suddenly a single flower bloomed tall. I pick it, soak it in sunlight, and throw it powerfully toward you. The trajectory becomes this album, and this is the sound it makes. The hope shouted out by someone who has cried is strong.
Wearing the armor hope has built, shooting the flower up, I want to keep rushing toward tomorrow, tomorrow… onward!
Flowers as a symbol of simple joys to be found in an ordinary day; that’s the reason behind the main promotional event for the launch of the album, which was a collaboration with a 24-hour unmanned flower shop named tub.
chan rahn is Sunwoojunga’s first release after signing with CAM. It includes the lo-fi jazz ballad "lovemyself”, the title track "WANT IT!" (원해) which boasts Sunwoojunga’s striking and bold vocals, the recitative "Revive” (살리네), the expressive and meditative "Relation ship" (친해지지 말아요), and the unhurried, relaxed swing of "Long Form Life”.
Ready to be captivated by chan rahn’s positivity boost?
Edited by Sandy Ou