A song that holds back until 1:44 — KIM FEEL's 'To Be Free'

'To Be Free' sings about freedom, yet its opening is held tightly in place. For the first 1 minute 27 seconds there's almost no low end — just the voice and acoustic instruments up front — and the drums don't touch the floor until 1:44. That wait is why it's today's NONOL Pick: the longer something is held, the wider it sounds when it finally lets go.

Released on September 26 at 6 p.m. KST, the song is the pre-release single from 'JOURNEY', KIM FEEL's second full-length album, due October 29. It opens the first full-length record in about seven years, since the first album 'Yours, Sincerely' in December 2019. KIM FEEL wrote the lyrics and co-composed the song with Yoo Eun Jae, who also arranged it.

Crouching down, then 1:44

From 1:28 a little low end starts to settle in, yet the overall sound actually gets quieter — like bending your knees before a jump. At 1:44 the song steps up a level, and from then on a low drum beat knocks on the floor every two seconds.

At 2:39 that floor drops away for about a second. After that short breath, the loudest moment of the song arrives at 3:13. Then it goes quiet again: the last seven-odd seconds close almost in silence, so you only notice the track has ended a little while later.

On release day KIM FEEL posted on Instagram about sharing "a new story, after a long time." On November 14–15 the singer plays the solo concert '2026 KIM FEEL CONCERT JOURNEY' at BLUESQUARE Woori WON Banking Hall in Seoul.

Try it on a small speaker with the window slightly open. You'll hear more clearly how small those first 87 seconds stay in the room.