Kim Hee-jae presented a stage where he competed with his voice instead of performance.

Kim Hee-jae appeared on KBS 2TV's 'Immortal Songs' episode 776, the 'Composer Park Keun-tae Special,' reinterpreting Park Sang-min's 'Sunflower' and showcasing a new side of himself as an emotional ballad singer.

On this stage, he focused on his voice and emotions without any choreography. Over a sound blending piano, strings, ensemble, and chorus, he displayed his distinctive tone and vocal skill, conveying the longing embedded in the song with restrained emotion and poignant high notes.

Before taking the stage, Kim Hee-jae shared his thoughts, saying, "There are many senior singers I respect here, and since it's been a while since I greeted viewers, I wanted to show a new side of myself, so I was very nervous while preparing." He added, "As a singer who does performances, I never had a chance to present just my voice," and expressed his determination, saying, "I hope you will listen closely to Kim Hee-jae's sensibility."

That day, he also revealed his childhood connection with composer Park Keun-tae. Kim Hee-jae recalled, "When I was in elementary school, I sang composer Park Keun-tae's 'If You Were Going to Do This' and won the top prize at a children's singing contest. I received a prize of 1 million won at the time," and during the broadcast, he also sang 'If You Were Going to Do This' a cappella.

After the stage ended, praise from senior singers followed. Ok Ju-hyun evaluated, "I saw Hee-jae's performance. Word spread quickly that he is really good. I was surprised by how he uses his voice in various ways and how well he acts." She added, "I thought there really isn't a genre this person can't do." Heo Gak also praised him, saying, "I recently remade 'Sunflower' myself, but this song now feels like it belongs to Kim Hee-jae."

Park Keun-tae, the composer of the original song, could not hide his admiration either. Park Keun-tae expressed his satisfaction, saying, "I didn't know the interpretation of 'Sunflower' I had in mind could be done this well. I got goosebumps," adding, "If anyone wants to remake it, I would approve."

Meanwhile, Kim Hee-jae recently released his third full-length album 'REVERB' and continues his active music career.