The eagle is finally soaring. G.Soul, a soulful R&B artist relatively new to the K-pop scene, waited a long time to take flight, honing his skills under the watchful eyes of JYP Entertainment for 17 years before his debut. But it’s at his new label that he’s really been able to spread his wings.

He returned with the self-produced EP “Circles” featuring the lead track “Can’t” on Thursday. But while his voice is warm and sweet as a melting marshmallow, it also carries the flavor of alcohol on his new album. 

“Every song I wrote in this album was created and recorded under the influence of alcohol. The songs give a hint about why I had to drink,” said G.Soul during a media showcase for “Circles” in Seoul on Thursday.

“It’s a very honest and personal album, as each song reflects my deepest thoughts and emotions.”

He wasn’t exaggerating. The pre-released tracks “Tequila” and “Bad Habit” of the six-track EP “Circles” are bound together by the topic of alcohol. “Tequila,” an R&B tinged dancehall number, is based on the time when the artist frequented clubs every week while the dreamy R&B number “Bad Habit” offers listeners a peek at G.Soul’s thoughts about drinking parties. The artist revealed that he becomes talkative when drunk.

G.Soul initially debuted under Studio J, a subsidiary of JYP Entertainment, in January 2015 with his first EP “Coming Home.” Out of all the trainees in the label’s history, G.Soul was trained for the longest period -- 15 years. Under the orchestration of Park Jin-young, the founder of JYP Entertainment, G.Soul dropped several singles including “You,” “Love Me Again” and “Where Do We Go from Here,” before moving to H1GHR Music, a hip-hop label founded by hip-hop artist Jay Park, in June. 

G.Soul said that he feels less burdened at his new agency.

“My new company has a well-organized system and a nice environment where I can work freely. I think that’s how I was able to make a quick comeback,” said G.Soul.

“This is my very first showcase and a solo stage. I still feel awkward with the fact that I have fans. I’m not exaggerating. Thank you so much for coming to my showcase,” he added.

“Circles” includes tracks “One More Interlude,” “Circles” and “Found You.”

By Hong Dam-young (lotus@heraldcorp.com)