‘K-pop Star 5′ runner-up Ahn Ye-eun drops debut album

SEOUL, Nov. 28 (Yonhap) — Ahn Ye-eun, runner-up in the South Korean music competition show “K-pop Star 5,” has dropped her eponymous debut album, the singer’s local distributor said Monday.

The highly anticipated album comes six months after the end of the show, Sony Music Entertainment Korea Inc. said.

“Ahn Ye-eun” is comprised of nine tracks about pure and innocent feelings toward a lover, an everyday love story, and strong romantic feelings.

The singer produced the album and wrote every song.

Ahn said she rejected calls to postpone the release of the album, with the country mired in an influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her confidante, Choi Soon-sil. But the singer said she hoped to “share the pain inside me with others and spend time healing with everyone” through her music.

“K-pop Star” holds preliminary auditions in Asia, North America, South America, Europe and Australia to try to unearth the next big thing in Korean music. The winner gets the opportunity to debut with the label of his or her choice, along with a cash prize and two brand new vehicles. The fifth season of the popular reality show aired on SBS from Nov. 22, 2015 to April 10, 2016.

This image, provided by Sony Music Entertainment Korea Inc., is the cover photo for South Korean singer Ahn Ye-eun’s debut album named after herself released on Nov. 28, 2016.