“I’ll Keep Going, Trusting the Power of Songs”: Ahn Chi-hwan Faces ‘Today’ After Turning 60

Ahn Chi-hwan says he is choosing to live and sing in the present. The 61-year-old singer-songwriter has filled his 15th studio album, “Seize the Day,” with reflections shaped by life after turning 60: enduring love, landscapes found on journeys, saying goodbye to his mother, thoughts of death and the value of a single day.

The album title translates the Latin maxim “carpe diem” into English. At a media showcase in Seoul on the 8th, Ahn said the record urges listeners not to become trapped by the past or an uncertain future, but to live the life in front of them with greater purpose. Released 11 months after his 14th album, “Human World,” it is not a rushed project. Ahn said he had accumulated songs over decades and had usually faced the opposite problem, needing to release new work quickly because he had too much material.

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Rather than being tied to the past that has gone or the future that has not yet come, it means being faithful to the present and living the life given to us a little more meaningfully.

The contrast between the two albums is clear. Ahn described “Human World,” made during a period of insurrection, as a record with a strong message and a distinct sense of its era. The new album gathers more personal songs written while passing through the same period. He stressed that he does not deliberately separate private life from the times. For him, songwriting is about how one person holds on to the many emotions encountered while living in the world.

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Peace is not something grand. I think it is the condition that allows me to live my life diligently.

The 15 tracks include the blues-rock title song “I Live Only for Today,” written by Song Bong-joo of the folk trio Bicycle Riding Scenery with Ahn in mind. Its message favors gratitude for today over regret about the past or anxiety about the future. Other songs portray the lasting affection between two people who have spent decades together, while “Mom’s Farewell,” “One Day We Will All Be Forgotten” and “Memento Mori” confront the feelings that followed his mother’s death.

Ahn said the deaths of fellow singer Kim Kwang-seok and his own battle with cancer changed how he views his life. He now rides a bicycle, studies and plans things he wants to do with the time remaining. After performing “I Live Only for Today” at the showcase, he said, “I will still follow my path, believing only in the power of songs.” He will perform the new and familiar songs at solo concerts at Yeonnam Space on Oct. 18 and 19.

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I will still follow my path, believing only in the power of songs.