Every Story Begins With a Single Moment.
This is a place not just for fans, but for anyone trying to understand the international phenomenon of Kpop as a positive influence on the smaller, intimate level of the individual.
Firstly, Hi, I'm Pat Troise
I’m a writer, an artist, and a lifelong lover of music. Three years ago, a musical left turn lead me to the world of SHINee and Key, a world that felt both entirely new and strangely familiar once. What began as curiosity soon became something deeply personal, awakening creativity, courage, and a renewed sense of purpose in my life.
Watching Key grow as an artist, unapologetically himself despite the pressures around him, reminded me of parts of myself I had set aside over the years. His journey encouraged me to reclaim my own voice and to honor the dreams I had almost forgotten. This project is my way of expressing gratitude, not only to him, but to the community of fans whose lives have been touched in ways both quiet and profound.
How It All Started
After seeing Key perform in LA this past December, it was obvious this man is the one of the best musical ambassadors for the Hallyu Wave to come from South Korea. It was Key’s first solo concert in America after eighteen years in SHINee. The show had the power of those years of waiting having come to an end. His delight and energy were contagious. The cheers from his loyal fans filled the theatre with a constant, joyful noise.
Key’s English has always been good, and he’s developed an instinctive understanding of American vernacular. His performance included playful, unguarded conversations with the audience of his “Li’l Freaks.” A seasoned member of SHINee, he brought emotional honesty and a grateful love of being there to the audience and for being able to represent his country. As cool and edgy and singular as Key is, as much as his work brings you to another world, what hits you in the heart is his everyman’s, universal humanity. Key’s earned the descriptor legendary, but more importantly, he touches every age, every gender, every dreamer in every country.
Years ago, ten years after his debut with SHINee and around six months after Key’s solo music career began, he came out onto the plaza outside a company office building as it was getting dark. A few hundred fans who had been waiting quietly came forward, and gently settled around him. Looking like some kind of caterpillar on a mushroom surrounded by enchanted children, with notes written on his hands, he told a story.
So this is a place for our responses to his call as an artist. Where Key might, this time, be the one to settle down and listen to those gathered around him while they tell their stories.
Becoming Who You Are
When Key was told he was a beautiful swan, like all the members of SHINee, it didn’t ring entirely true. He was in competition with four of the most handsome, talented young men in the country, and while neither Key nor his fans doubted his value or heart or good looks, to be compared to others — especially your brothers — is to always be uneasy.
Sitting there with his fans, he explained that he finally realized he was a chicken among swans; and if that was the case he wanted to live his life as a chicken, not yearning to be something he was not. So he chose to be himself. Do what he was inspired to do. Look inside, not out into the world, for who he was meant to be. Use what was special and unique about him as his secret weapon. Navigating the difficult standards of his role, he was not pretending to be something he was not.
He was simply Key.
Chicken Key turned out to be a multitalented, adventurous, tender hearted, bold, confident, good humored, generous, funny and exemplary human being. (Link to the speech, it’s worth watching). It was a turning point in his relationship with his fans. His simple honesty was formidable. From then on, he started showing sides of himself that glowed. He became beautiful and sexy and interesting and endearing in his own way. His example earned him admiration everywhere and gave his fans inspiration.
These days, in and out of South Korea, Key is beloved as a singer and dancer, an all around entertainer, a fashion guerrilla and more. He’s a valiant, sensitive, individualist treading the line between community and self expression with grace and humor. His artistry started when he was a kid, literally hiding his scars, all skinny dreams and raw talent. Life, of course, isn’t an easy journey for anyone. If you look deeper into his story, you can see he’s gone through a trial by fire. But, feathers singed, he’s come out of it smoking with authenticity, and that’s worth celebrating.
Some people have met Key. Some people have seen him with SHINee
or seen him on tv shows or media of one sort or another. Or they’ve discovered some of his personal story in articles and blogs.. These are times when fans are changed, in however small a way, by this man. Some are stories from 2008 when he debuted. Some are recent. I hope they paint a picture of what it is to have a positive, inspired relationship with an artist and his work. They paint a picture of Kim Kibum that is genuine and vibrant and full of thanks. If they bring him back sooner, or keep him in mind, so much the better.
Everyone is encouraged to share a true story. There’s a page for guidelines and a place to send them. As they appear and you read them, I hope they’ll inspire all of his fans to come up with a tale about your own experience. Right now, who knows what will come of this project. That’s up to his fans and contributors.
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A space for memories, gratitude, and the quite moments
when kim kibum changed something inside us
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