The songs of Kim Hyuk Gun (김혁건) begin with "Don't Cry" in 2003. Over the next twenty years he released music with THE CROSS (더크로스), with Rockband Cross and under his own name, and for his 20th anniversary in 2023 he released new songs under the name THE CROSS once again.
This guide is for listeners discovering Kim Hyuk Gun's music for the first time. It picks the key songs and official videos from each period, in chronological order.
01.The Starting Point: "Don't Cry," 2003
If you are hearing Kim Hyuk Gun's songs for the first time, the starting point is "Don't Cry," from THE CROSS's 2003 first album, "Melody Quus." The story of the song, its 2003 stages and the 2023 version are gathered in Don't Cry: The 2003 Original and the 2023 Anniversary Recording.
02.A Rock Band and Two Solo Albums, 2005–2011
In 2005 Kim Hyuk Gun formed Rockband Cross (락밴드 크로스). The song that defines this period is the band's main title song, "It's Raining" (비가와). Kim Hyuk Gun wrote the lyrics, music and arrangement and released it as a single on November 1, 2005, and it was also the title track of the 2006 album "Rebirth" and, as "It's Raining (New Ver.)" (비가와 (New Ver.)), of "Legend" later that year.
There are two solo albums. The first, "Warrior" (나만의 그대), came out on November 1, 2007, and the second, "When You Need," on October 21, 2011.
03.One Title, Several Works: "You Can Do It"
The song "You Can Do It" (넌 할수있어) first appeared on the solo album "Warrior" (2007), and a single titled "You Can Do It" (넌 할 수 있어) followed on November 2, 2015. An essay collection with the same title came out in 2016, and the title was also used for his talks. How the song, the book and the talk relate is explained in "You Can Do It": The Song, the Book, and the Talk.
04.Twenty Years Later, THE CROSS Again
For the 20th anniversary project in 2023, Kim Hyuk Gun and Lee Si-ha released songs under the name THE CROSS once more. At its center is "Poem of the Wind" (바람의 시), released on December 20. The two made it together, with Lee Si-ha playing the melody at Kim Hyuk Gun's home, and the singer The One (더원) produced it. The project began on October 29 with "Don't Cry (2023)" and continued on December 26 with "To Reach You" (너에게 닿기를).
The story of the three songs is told in THE CROSS 20th Anniversary Project.
05.The Songs of Now, from 2024
On August 28, 2024, the solo single "Just One Step (Comfort)" (한걸음만 (위로)) was released as a duet with Habi (하비), and in September of the same year THE CROSS released the single "A Little Ball Launched by a Dwarf" (난장이가 쏘아올린 작은공). "Interlude of Farewell" (이별의 간주곡) followed in 2025.
On stage he performs with THE CROSS BAND (더크로스 밴드). Since 2021 Kim Hyuk Gun has covered rock classics such as Black Sabbath's "Heaven and Hell," Deep Purple's "Burn" and Ozzy Osbourne's "Mr. Crowley" with guitarist Han Seung-ju (한승주), and drummer Kang Sun-woo (강선우), who played with them at the 2024 Busan International Rock Festival, later joined the band. He also sang a cover of Blackhole's "Lyric of a Deep Night" (깊은 밤의 서정곡) with THE CROSS BAND.
06.Listening in Order
| Year | Song | Release | Official video |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Don't Cry | THE CROSS 1st album "Melody Quus" | Music video |
| 2005 | It's Raining (비가와) | Rockband Cross main title song | Music video |
| 2007 | Warrior (나만의 그대) | 1st solo album "Warrior" | Music video |
| 2011 | When You Need | 2nd solo album "When You Need" | — |
| 2015 | You Can Do It (넌 할 수 있어) | Solo single | Music video |
| 2023 | Poem of the Wind (바람의 시) | 20th anniversary project | Music video |
| 2023 | Don't Cry (2023) | 20th anniversary project | — |
| 2023 | To Reach You (너에게 닿기를) | 20th anniversary project | Music video |
| 2024 | Just One Step (Comfort) (한걸음만 (위로)) | Solo single · with Habi | — |
| 2024 | A Little Ball Launched by a Dwarf (난장이가 쏘아올린 작은공) | THE CROSS single | — |
| 2025 | Interlude of Farewell (이별의 간주곡) | THE CROSS single | — |
The recordings are on music streaming services, and the videos are on THE CROSS's official YouTube channel, THE CROSS OFFICIAL. Subscribing to the official channel is the quickest way to hear about new music. The full discography is on the Music page, and the band's story is on the THE CROSS BAND page.
Listen from the first song of 2003 onward, and you can hear the path one voice has taken across twenty years.