Throwback Review:Tonight by Kim Wan Sun

We at KPOPWORLD love to look back into the earlier days of Korean music and the foundations of K-pop as we know it. Who are the artists that helped K-pop reach the heights it has? Who deserves a second listen? Today we look back at Korea’s ‘Dancing Queen’ herself, Kim Wan Sun, and her 1986 debut album, Tonight.

It’s amazing how some albums just feel like raw potential. Like the future has taken notice of the musical offering contained within and has already decided to embrace the later efforts of the artist. Tonight is one of those albums. It’s clearly amateur and lacks the shine of the industry, but there is immense power in these songs, and the talent demonstrated throughout is incredible. On later albums, Kim Wan Sun would find success with such hits as “Piero Laughs at Us” and “The dance in the rhythm.”

She also featured in all manner of Korean media, from sitcoms to film, and was given nicknames like ‘Madonna of Korea’ and ‘Dancing Queen’. Kim was one of the first Korean pop acts to break through into the Japanese market, and on top of those accolades, many attribute the rise of both teen pop idols and dance pop music in Korea to her pioneering the way. In fact, she was so far ahead of the curve, her music was banned from some stations because it was considered too provocative. While these heights were still a ways out on Tonight, the potential is obvious, and the music is quite enjoyable. 

First things first, this is not your standard modern K-pop faire; this is 80s music in all its glory, complete with power ballads and big hair. For example, “Eoddeon Geurim” a fun little ditty reminiscent of groups like Men Without Hats (of “Safety Dance” fame) with this thick layer of synth cheese and an almost absurdly optimistic sound. (I should be clear that I love this kind of music, so this is not a dig. It’s the kind of overly happy, goofy sort of sound that thrived in the 80s and deserves a comeback.)

A key point of Tonight is its intense emotional authenticity. This album absolutely bleeds, with Kim’s powerful vocal style and the over-the-top arrangements of synths on synths on synths absolutely blasting the reader with the feelings of heartbreak, betrayal, and day to day life. It’s not groundbreaking material by any means, but it certainly is effective. Truth be told, my personal favorite track, “No,” is probably a hard sell for most because of this heavy-handed emotionality. Kim’s voice wails and cracks, blasting the poor microphone and warping the recording quality. It’s almost uncomfortable to listen to, but that intensity makes it immensely compelling. While it might not cut you to your heart, there might be something wrong with you if you listen to this woman cry out and you don’t feel at least a twinge of empathy. 

Other highlights are the opener “Last Story” and “Star and I.” Both tracks are far less harsh to listen to than “No” and lean into what we would now consider standard pop music tropes. I would also be remiss if I failed to mention Kim’s breakout single, the title track “Tonight.” These three would be my recommendations for someone just sampling the record as they’re generally accessible and showcase her talents effectively. In the end, Tonight closes with “Mr. Blue Sky”-esque thickly vocoded vocals on “Peaceful World,” and then steps right into the confusingly placed “Song of Unification.” It’s not the cleanest ending to an album I’ve heard, but it’s also far from the worst.

All that said, I’ll be brutally honest: This album is rough sound quality-wise, though there is a certain charm in the imperfections. This is an artist pushing the limits of her recording equipment to express her feelings and just get some fun music out there. The roughness of the recordings here will likely be a turn off to some, and I do not blame anyone who struggles with Tonight because of this. However, it’s this rawness that adds a lot of power to the emotionality of this album, and, if nothing else, it’s an incredible glimpse into the early days of a star who would go on to impact many of the foundational aspects of K-pop.