[Edaily Starin, Reporter KIM HYUNSIK ] “K-Pop Hot Talk” is a weekly column that highlights memorable quotes gathered while covering the K-pop scene. <Editor’s Note>

◇“Singers my age have no stage to perform on”
Choi Baek-ho, the “Romantic Singer” who is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his debut this year, made this remark during a recent interview with E-Daily, expressing regret over the lack of broadcast stages where mid-career singers can promote their new songs.
Choi Baek-ho said, “At least there used to be KBS’s ‘Concert 7080,’ but it was canceled,” adding, “We can’t sing new songs on ‘Gayo Stage,’ and opportunities to appear on ‘Open Music Concert’ are limited to two or three times a year at most.” He continued, “It’s unfortunate that singers in their middle age and older have no chance to promote new songs unless their songs are featured in dramas.”
“Concert 7080” was a KBS music program that primarily featured live performances by singers who dominated the 1970s and 1980s. It aired for 14 years, from 2004 to 2018, before being canceled.
Choi Baek-ho expressed his hope that programs like “Concert 7080” would return so that mid-career singers could continue their musical activities actively. “Artists who debuted around the same time as I did aren’t performing much these days,” he said, adding, “I hope there will be more stages where they can actively perform.”
Choi Baek-ho, who debuted in 1976, had hits with songs such as “My Heart Has Lost Its Way,” “The Eve of Enlistment,” “Friend of Yeongil Bay,” and “On Romance,” and has released over 20 albums to date, including singles. Marking the 50th anniversary of his debut this year, he demonstrated his undiminished passion for music by releasing a new album titled “Applause” last July, featuring a total of eight tracks.
Choi Baek-ho is also considering creating a new kind of performance platform himself. His plan is to host a YouTube live-streaming program featuring music similar to that of “Concert 7080.”
“I’m thinking of doing a live YouTube broadcast once a week,” he said. “I’d like to host a program where I invite musicians who played music from that era, accompanied by a small band, to perform songs.” He is also planning to organize small-scale live performances with a live audience.
Choi Baek-ho will continue his 50th-anniversary nationwide tour, “50 Years of Romance: Singing the Traces of Time,” through the end of the year. He expressed his intention to continue releasing new songs while also providing his compositions to younger artists and taking on the challenge of producing albums for new singers.