I have decided to pick up my pen and write to you because I have some very exciting news to share with you. I would like to thank all the people who have cheered me on throughout my entire career. Even the good and the ugly moments. Before debut, to my solo debut, and every moment after. Every person I’ve come in contact with throughout the years has had an impact on me, no matter how big or small, and has shaped me into the person I am today.
There is someone very special that I met along the way who I cherish very much. We met personally just after I had entered my 20s and we became close friends. Our friendship soon developed into something deeper and more precious than anything I’ve ever had. 21 year old Eden would have never imagined she would be writing this letter 7 years later.
Not many people can say that they’ve met their soulmate in their lifetime, but I am endlessly grateful to say that I have found mine. He loves me and embraces every form of myself. And I love him to itty bitty pieces. He is the love of my life, my best friend, and the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. After many years of shared trust and affection, we have proposed to each other and are getting married!
I was very anxious and worried a lot about how we should deliver this news. But the love we have previously received has assured me that everything will be alright. We are looking forward to spending the next chapter of our lives together and hope you cheer for us in the future.
BLINKS, I am so grateful for all the love you have given me over the years. I hope your worries can be eased a little knowing that I will be taken care of. Please open your arms to him and treat him with care. He makes me the happiest girl in the world.
CARATS, thank you for welcoming me into your family. You’ve shown me lots of love that I will always hold dear to my heart. I promise to love and cherish Dokyeom for the rest of my life. I know he is a very precious person to you and I, so I will protect and take care of him as much as he has of me. He will be loved, I promise.
Even after marriage, I will continue to be an idol you can be proud of. I will continue to showcase my passion for music and repay all the love you have shown me.
OA ENTERTAINMENT uploaded: EDEN - The Making of 'WHO AM I' Documentary
Eden rubs her eyes with her fingers, checking out her puffy face in the mirror. “Good morning,” She whispers to the camera before pointing her phone screen towards it. “It’s currently four a.m. It is going to be our very first day in the studio recording for my first mini album.”
She quickly brushes her teeth and washes her face. She applies toner pads before whispering again. “I am very excited, but also anxious. It’s gonna be my first release working with an entirely new team, but I’m confident the results are going to be great. I managed to get about three hours of sleep, but we shouldn’t be recording too many vocals on the first day. I’m hoping it’ll be pretty chill as we create a roadmap for what we’re going to accomplish.”
She slouches over the kitchen counter, waiting for her coffee to brew. “I’d usually head around the corner to the cafe near our apartment, but it is four a.m. So I’m just gonna make a quick coffee and order breakfast when everything starts opening up.”
The video cuts to Eden kissing her fingertips, proceeding to press it against the top of a teddy bear. “Gotta give Younghui a goodbye kiss before I leave.”
She fastens her seatbelt before taking a sip of her coffee. “It’s kinda weird seeing me drive, right?”
“We’ve made it to the studio. I’ll see you inside!”
[WORKAHOLIC]
“I look back on my career and decisions I’ve made and always ask myself, “Is this really what I want? Is it worth it?” I may be a bit greedy, but is it so wrong to want more for myself?
“I just really wanted to interpret how young workers are faced with the dilemma of either working hard or enjoying life. So if you’re struggling, just know that I acknowledge you and all your hard work. If you’re not where you wanna be in life right now, that’s okay! Take it one day at a time, and make some changes! Lay out a roadmap in where you want to see yourself in a year and stick to it. Don’t be discouraged from reality and live in the moment. One day, I wanna hear all about it.”
[HAIR DOWN]
“I think this song is, in a way, a continuation of Workaholic. It’s more fun! Sometimes I just need to forget about my deadlines, let loose and live my life. Life is too short so you have to make the most of it.”
Eden has her hands on her hips, putting all her weight on one leg as the producer messes around with the mixing. She notices the studio door open behind him with her peripheral vision. She realizes it’s Jennie with takeout bags. Both of their faces light up when their eyes meet. Eden has to put her headphones on the stand before she can exit the recording room.
“Hey!” Eden hugs her member once she sets the food down. It had been a couple weeks since they last saw each other.
“How are you doing? Is everything comfortable for you here?”
“Oh, I love it. We’re getting a lot of work done.” She extends her hand, patting the back of his chair.
“I’ll let you two chit chat. I need to make a few calls.” He makes a few clicks with the mouse and then gets up to exit the room.
Jennie smiles towards her, opening the takeout bags and reaching in. “I know you’re working extra hard so I got us some good food.”
She hands Eden her favorite cold noodles, while also taking out her own order. They get themselves situated before sitting down and taking their first bite. The girls talk about how good the food is, while making small talk of what the day has offered to them so far.
“So what are you working on now?” Jennie wipes her mouth with a napkin.
“Well, let me show you.” Eden puts her chopsticks down, pushing herself towards the computer and finding a part in the song to showcase to her.
Jennie listens attentively, swaying her head back and forth. The instrumental and voice guide are the only things done but it still sounds very nice.
“And then I have two options for the second verse, one in English and the other Korean.” She clicks away and plays each version of the verse, watching Jennie’s reactions.
“I like it! They’re both very nice.”
“We haven’t decided which one to go for. Which do you like more?” Eden stops the playback, turning in her swivel chair to face the woman.
Jennie purses her lips for a second, pondering. “Well, they’re both very pretty, and I don’t know who’s all working on this one but I think the Korean verse would make it more ‘you’. Do you get what I’m saying?”
“I do.” Eden sighs and clicks her tongue, tilting her head before making more adjustments. “That settles it then.”
“You’re using the Korean verse?”
“Yep.”
“Don’t you have to discuss it with your team?”
Eden slides back over to her, smiling at Jennie. “You are my team. And I trust your judgment.”
They both smile at each other lovingly.
“I’m so proud of how far you’ve come,” Jennie squeezes her knee. “I’m so glad you have your freedom now. I’m just happy you’re doing what YOU want to do and it’s not being altered. I haven’t seen you this carefree in a while.”
“Jennie… Don’t make me cry.”
[CAFFEINE]
“The melody was the first thing to come from this song. I made it up in the passenger seat on the way home from a drive-in movie, actually. Do you ever just listen to music and think ‘this would be such a good song to play in the car, windows rolled down and feeling cool air through your hair’. That was my goal with this song. It feels very retro and nostalgic. I’m very happy with the end result.”
[SUNFLOWER GIRL]
Eden smiles, pulling her legs up on the chair to her chest and resting her chin on her knee. “I don’t really need to explain this one. It’s simple and genuine and full of love. And I’m happy. I’m really happy with how it came out.”
[HATE TO BE LAME]
“This song is about wanting to tell someone that you love them but are scared to. For me, a lot of it stems from my past relationships. You give a lot of yourself up when you say I love you for the first time. And the first time for me, it was very real. I thought it was very real for the longest time.
“The ideal way to feel when saying I love you is to be happy. But for me, I was filled with more fear and anxiety. It took a very long time to allow myself to love again. But even longer for me to express my love. I was extremely cautious about the next time I would tell someone I loved them.
“I always wonder what I would say to my past self who just finished writing this. She was so paranoid and small. But she was also very worthy of love, no matter how much she thought she was not. She didn't know that when the day finally came, it would be the easiest thing in the world. As simple as breathing.
“I wrote this many years ago so it’s just been sitting in my notes app, collecting dust. It wasn’t until earlier this year that I reached out to Finneas. I’ve always been a very big fan of his works. The first thing he sent me back was amazing and that’s the take that we use in the song. His verse was absolutely perfect and it really solidified the song as a whole.
{First time listening to Finneas’ take.}
Eden sets up the camera on the table, her hands shaking as she presses on the audio file. “I’m so nervous, I don’t know if I can press play.”
She takes a few deep breaths. “Okay.” She clicks on the play button, staring at her lap as his voice plays through the speakers. Her eyes widen as soon as it sets in that he’s singing along to the melody of her song with his own lyrics. She covers her mouth with her hands, squealing as the clip ends.
“Oh my god.” She replays it. “Oh my god.
“I gotta chill out, I can’t focus on his lyrics.” She stands to her feet, pressing her palms to her cheeks as she plays it once again. She has to replay it six times before it’s engraved in her brain. She looks at her producer friend, giving him a definitive look. “That’s it. Like it’s literally perfect. We just have to record our parts together and it’s done.”
[FIRST TIME]
Eden set up her camera at the kitchen table, soon rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands. She let out a sigh and sniffled. “This song is from twenty eighteen or so, the darkest time in my life. I keep on forgetting it exists for obvious reasons. And I know I shouldn’t keep revisiting it if it keeps resurfacing past trauma, but I think in order to heal, I need to tackle it and make something of it. The whole concept of this album is to humanize myself and it would be wrong of me to just lock this song away. There could be someone out there that resonates with it as much as I do.”
She wipes her eyes with her fingers, nodding towards someone offscreen. A tiny smile appears on her face. “It was bothering me all day while recording and arranging, ‘Should this make the cut or not?’ but I think I just needed to catch my breath and think it over, get some reassurance. I feel much better now.
“Well, time to sleep so we can record this track tomorrow.”
BLACKPINK’s Eden Officially Parts Ways with YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment has announced that BLACKPINK’s Eden will be leaving the agency.
BLACKPINK’s contracts ended in August and the members’ contract renewals have been in discussion for months.
On November 10, YG Entertainment released the following statement announcing Eden’s departure from the company.
“Hello, this is YG Entertainment.
We are informing you that after a long discussion with our artist Eden about her future activities, both parties have agreed to end our exclusive contract following the expiration of her contract period.
Although we are still in the midst of negotiating contract renewals with the other members, the fact that Eden is a BLACKPINK member has not changed. We support Eden’s choice and new start, and we are always open to cooperating with her.
We sincerely thank the BLINKs who were together with us for Eden’s journey. We ask that you continue to give her your unchanging interest and encouragement as she prepares for the next chapter of her life.”
BLACKPINK first debuted as a five-member group under YG Entertainment in 2016.
