Lee Hyori Couldn’t Avoid Menopause Either… Rejects Husband Lee Sang-soon’s Advice: “I’ll Go My Own Way”
On the April 2nd episode of KBS CoolFM’s “Oh My Girl Hyojung’s Volume Up”, a special 30th-anniversary edition titled “To My Volume” aired. Singer-songwriter Maybee hosted as a special DJ, while her close friend and guest Lee Hyori made an appearance. The reunion led to emotional moments and a candid conversation between the two.
Lee Hyori introduced “Luther,” a collaborative track by Kendrick Lamar and SZA, saying she brought it herself. Maybee commented, “I actually listened to it before the show—it really suits you.” Hyori replied, “Even though it’s a recent song, it doesn’t feel foreign compared to the music of our era. Everything comes full circle.”
Maybee then expressed her hope for Hyori’s return to the music scene, saying, “I feel like songs with strong melodies are coming back. I hope you’re the one to bring that trend back.”
Hyori responded honestly, “It’s not something you can just do because you want to. I’m waiting for the right time.” When Maybee asked if she was currently working on anything, Hyori joked, “No, I’m working on my mental state,” prompting laughter. She added, “I’m waiting for someone like you to inspire me with advice.”
Maybee pointed out that her husband, singer-songwriter Lee Sang-soon, could be that musical advisor. However, Hyori dismissed the idea, saying, “He has his own style. He should go his way, and I’ll go mine.”
Hyori also looked back on her past music, saying, “It’s not like I’ve never done songs like this before. If you listen to my albums, there are softer songs too. But the title tracks were always intense. I couldn’t just walk onto the stage—I had to drop from the ceiling or pop up from below. I don’t know why I made things so hard for myself. It wasn’t easy,” she said with a laugh.
When Maybee, who recently returned to radio after 15 years, became teary while sharing her feelings, Hyori joked, “Why do you keep crying? Are you hitting menopause?”
Lee Hyori then revealed, “I’ve been feeling it too lately. I had a bad cold the other day, and it hit me harder because I was watching a drama.” She continued, “I bawled watching ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’—called everyone, my mom, my dad, everyone. I really thought, ‘Am I going through menopause?’”
Still, she added, “If this is menopause, it’s not so bad. It softens your heart and makes you feel more grateful to those around you.”
Lee Hyori and Lee Sang-soon got married in a small ceremony in Jeju Island in 2013. The couple lived in Jeju for over a decade before relocating to Seoul in September last year. Their move made headlines after reports revealed they purchased a private residence and adjacent land in Pyeongchang-dong, Jongno-gu, for approximately 6.05 billion KRW in cash. Lee Sang-soon is currently hosting “A Perfect Day with Lee Sang-soon” on MBC FM4U.