Here are my credentials (again): I don’t know much about Hyori, to be honest. I actually decided to do this review when I saw Hyori’s Hoodie E Banbaji music video (which came out last year) on the giant screens at a Korean restaurant, and then her collab with Jennie. I looked her up and found her interesting, and so here we are!

(Part One)

Album #4: H-Logic

We left off just before the release of Swing, which, for some reason, features a very sad clown walking on a beach with a suitcase?? I have so many questions. Was he fired from his…clown job? Did his partner leave him? But this is not the time. As for the song itself, it didn’t leave that much of an impression on me besides its bizarre video, though I can acknowledge that Hyori sounds lovely here. I again wasn’t a fan of the rapping element in this song, for the same reason that I dislike it in so much of BTS’ early work. Not only does it feel like it interrupts the flow, but it ruins the emotional payoff of what’s essentially a ballad. Justice for Swing. It deserved better.

Though it’s been years since I’ve seen the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, I honestly think Dick Van Dyke would think that this is hilarious. Not only does Hyori descend to Earth in a UFO and face off against the cops in pajamas and a faux fur coat while hard-hitting electronica plays, but the song itself is actually pretty solid, minus a random dance break. Why was it named Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? Who knows, who cares. Quite honestly, the whole thing is so nonsensical that it becomes incredible. I feel the urge to clap.

From the album, H-Logic, I enjoyed the catchy bubblegum chorus of Scandal and the heavy percussion of Want Me Back. My hidden gem was the tense, dramatic album opener Love Sign. For some reason, even though the album has 14 tracks, I can only access 7 of them, and I can’t find the others anywhere. If anyone knows why, please let me know!

Album #5: Monochrome

Though Miss Korea came out over a decade ago,, it rightfully remains a classic. It takes the best of her work so far: the girl power of U Go Girl, the confidence of 10 Minutes, and the sleek sexiness of Hit Ya, and marries them with an unobtrusive vintage rock guitar and a delightfully 60’s sound. It’s a bold statement of love both to herself and to her audience, but more than that, it feels like the first work of Hyori’s where she’s the one completely in control. Not only did she write the lyrics, but the way the music video is shot and the dance is choreographed conveys maturity while not filtering it through a male gaze. It’s the sound of a woman coming into her own, and it’s lovely to see.

Bad Girls too follows what Miss Korea set out, with an utterly hilarious music video following a little girl through a comic like world who “acts out” in her own self defense and rebels against her society. Based on a lighthearted, percussive beat with fantastically catchy rock trills, you’d be hard pressed to find a more openly feminist piece of work from 2013 k-pop. Or one that does it in a more fun way, because what’s more fun than seeing a sexual harasser get punched in the face with cartoon sound effects? Perfection.

From the album, Monochrome, I enjoyed the deeply honest lyrics of I Hate Myself, the soft bossa nova of Bounced Checks Of Love, the lovely harmonizing between Hyori and Jiyoung in Amor Mio, the lovely strings of Somebody, and the powerful choir in Better Together. My hidden gems were the funky 60’s inspired Holly Jolly Bus with its back up harmonica and tambourine and the zingy, upbeat Full Moon with its pitch-perfect guitar hooks. They’re both just so irrepressibly groovy, and I mean that as the highest compliment. This style suits Hyori perfectly, and this entire album is just so cohesive and so strong. It’s definitely her best work yet.

Album #6: Black

While the last few songs were complete pieces of performance art, Seoul is very focused on Hyori’s voice, stripping back the artifice for a mellow, moody rumination on both her hometown and her soul, without an E. Though it does drift into predictable ballad territory at times, Seoul has both Hyori’s charisma and this unique whistling hook going for it. Though it’s not the kind of thing I’d listen to every day, I can’t deny that I enjoyed how much it feels like a passion project for her.

Black journeys into an often unexplored genre in k-pop: country. With a spaghetti western guitar, hoofstep-like percussion, and even a few hints of harmonica, Hyori’s confidence is on full display as she sings about how dyeing her black hair and wearing contacts was like denying a part of herself. It’s both a great song and a powerful statement in an industry that creeps further away from its roots every day. And I’m not usually a fan of an empty chorus but I think that the slight anti-drop works well in this kind of track. Besides that, I genuinely loved seeing her drive through the West, adopt a dog, and live happily on a little farm. I’m glad she achieved something like that in real life too.

From the album, Black, I enjoyed both the laidback catchiness of Love Me and the lovely vocals in Diamond. My hidden gem was Mute, with its dramatic mix of distorted strings and EDM. This album was overall more downtempo than the last one, but I still liked it.

Single #1: Hoodie E Banbaji

Hoodie E Banbaji is what started this whole deep dive when it came out a few months ago, and so it seems appropriate that it’s how we end it too. Operating on a similar smooth R&B sound to her debut, it comes across as much more polished, mature, and confident, but in a way that few k-pop songs really possess. As Hyori sings about how she walks down the street in a hoodie and shorts but still stands tall, it’s hard not to be caught up in the warmth and enthusiasm the track radiates. She has nothing to prove, and doesn’t bother convincing the audience of her talents, just putting everything on display with a shrug.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this! I admit that when I started this deep dive, I expected it to be similar to my thoughts on SHINHWA’s. But I was pleasantly surprised, and I ended up becoming Hyori’s fan. There’s a lot of things I could point to, like her incredible stage presence or her great voice, but I think that the thing that affected me most was how she began her career under the thumb of everyone else and by the end, she’d pulled herself out of poverty, created the life she dreamed of, and used her platform to make the kind of music she’d always wanted to. Damn am I impressed. And a little emotional, if we’re being honest with ourselves here.

My Top 5 songs are Black, Miss Korea, Bad Girls, Barbershop’s Daughter, and U Go Girl, with Holly Jolly Bus as an honorable mention. Lee Hyori gets a 9 out of 10 from me. Normally I don’t comment this much on music videos, but the intense male gaze and sexualization in the beginning genuinely bothered me here, and I think that it impacted my enjoyment of her early music. And in the end, it made the confidence and empowerment in her later work so much more impactful. Her music told a powerful story, and I was honored to be swept along for the ride. Though her earlier work isn’t for me, seeing the growth here was beautifully inspiring, and it’s clear she’s found her sound.

Next time, we’re onto a boy group! Tschüss!