'Biggest turning point in my life': After 22 years, ex-2NE1 member Sandara Park is finally making her own music

It took Sandara Park 22 years to finally use her voice to sing a song of her own.

Those years saw her debut and build a career in the Philippines, move to Korea, perform as a member of a K-pop group and eventually go solo.

Now, the seasoned veteran is ready to let go of the industry’s established formulas for success, which she knows all too well, and embark on a new journey as an artist making music of her own.

“This is the biggest turning point in my life,” Park said in an interview with the Hankook Ilbo.

“Over the past 22 years, I’ve worn many hats, from singer and television host to variety-show personality and musical actor.

But the one thing I never got to do was create my own music and sing my own songs.” Park had accumulated plenty of stories over the years, many of which she had kept to herself.

There was no shortage of material.

Whenever something came to mind, she made sure to write it down in her smartphone notes or diaries.

The problem was that she did not quite know how to convey those thoughts to her listeners.

That uncertainty was what had held her back from ...