[MyDaily = Reporter Kim Ha-young] Singer Lee So-ra opened up about the depression and health problems she experienced during her extended hiatus.
On the 15th, the YouTube channel 'Jung Jae-hyung' released a video titled "It Had Built Up — Stop."
In the video, Jung Jae-hyung invited Lee So-ra to his home, treated her to a meal and recounted how they reconnected. Lee had contributed lyrics and vocals to the OST of the drama "Not a Hero, But," on which Jung served as music director.
Jung recalled hearing people around him say, "Sora won't make it. She doesn't leave the house." Lee admitted she nearly turned the offer down. She said she didn't listen to the song right away and only heard it much later—at a time when she was doing nothing and lying at home.
When Jung asked if she’d been playing games to pass the time, Lee answered no—she was that depressed. Hearing Jung's music felt like light breaking through, she said, and she decided, "I'll write the lyrics and sing this." Her younger sibling was surprised; although she had rejected many songs before, this one resonated with her.
Jung also recalled the moment: "You reached out at our final deadline for the song," he said. "I asked, 'If not you, then who?' and you still said no." Back then she barely left the house—people said she might as well not exist—so he needed to hear Lee's voice to believe she would participate.
Lee recalled that severe depression kept her at home; she said she might ride the elevator once a year and only left to perform. During that period she injured her throat and feared she might not be able to sing. Still, she wanted that song badly enough to take part.
The recording process was difficult. Jung said she sang for about an hour and he kept telling her to stop. The track existed already, and although she felt motivated after not singing for so long, her throat wasn't in good shape and he didn't want her to push it. He added that the record was effectively captured in a single take.
Lee said Jung's gentle direction helped her feel comfortable in the studio. She also confessed that when she first went out after a long time, she weighed around 100 kg (about 220 lb).
She added that she lost a lot of weight over the course of a year but, when she went to the hospital for high blood pressure, her reading exceeded 190. She said she was short of breath and even walking was difficult. Under those conditions she doubted she could sing, but Jung guided her through the session and she was able to finish the recording comfortably. She expressed her gratitude to him.
