(Featuring Sulli, Hyoyeon, Lisa, Jeon Somi, and Huh Yunjin)
This time, I thought I would try something different on the blog. Instead of doing a deep dive into one group, I’m doing shallow dives into a bunch of soloists and their first mini albums, then comparing and contrasting. This time is female soloists, from TWICE to Mamamoo. So, let’s get into it!
Artist #1: Sulli of F(x)
(CW for this part: death, mention of suicide)
By the time I was a k-pop fan, F(x) hadn’t had a release in a couple years, and so I never really got into them. But from the first time I came across her, I was a fan of Sulli, though unfortunately I never got to experience that while she was still with us. As a supplement to my special post about her, I wanted to cover the small amount of solo music she did make, so here we are.
Goblin has been one of my favorite k-pop tracks for a very long time. Conceived of by Sulli as a song about a woman with dissociative identity disorder, the main character’s three personalities all get a moment to speak. And all are representative of a different view of Sulli: an overly-made-up, childish one being dragged in a kid’s wagon, a sexualized one all in black who’s burning down a building, and lastly, a “normally” dressed one who’s attempting to hide away from the people constantly searching for her. It’s easy to see it as a representation of life as an idol. Incorporating several unusual elements—background whispering, chimes, xylophone, etc, it’s at once soothing and incredibly unsettling, and the lyrics too, with their somewhat childish metaphors and odd phrasing, lean into that. It’s a piece that really paints a portrait of Sulli that’s unlike anything I’ve seen in k-pop, and also extends sympathy to the people suffering from a very real disorder. In short (as if), it’s, in my humble opinion, a masterpiece.
Though this release only has three songs, including Goblin, both On The Moon and Dorothy are great, and could’ve been singles if they didn’t have such stiff competition. Dorothy especially is unlike any other k-pop song I’ve heard, mysterious and dreamy as Sulli contemplates all of the different personalities that can exist in one person. It’s so sad that she never got to make more solo music, because she had such a distinctive voice, and more than that, always something important to say. I’ll give Sulli a 9.5 out of 10.
Artist #2: Hyoyeon of Girls Generation / SNSD
Though I would call myself at least a fan of Girls Generation, I don’t know much about Hyoyeon (or Hyo, as she sometimes calls herself), and I’m excited to learn more! Watching her performances here had me very impressed with her dancing skills.
When I was trying to decide which album to go with, I decided on Deep because I’d never heard it before and I wanted to go in with as few preconceptions as possible. Right from the start, it’s as different as it’s possible to get from SNSD’s work: a dark color palette, a much more mature dance style, even a different delivery. As is usual for me, I’m not a fan of the anti-drop chorus, far preferring the second half and the bridge’s more melodic sound, even though I understand that that’s not what the song is going for. I’d say that while I appreciate it, it’s very much not for me.
From the EP, Deep, I enjoyed the catchy hook of Stupid, the chatty full chorus in Second (though I didn’t like the instrumental as much), and the confident, off-the-cuff delivery of Punk Right Now. I’ll give Hyoyeon an 8 out of 10.
Artist #3: Lisa of BLACKPINK
So, full disclosure, I used to be a Blink. BLACKPINK were one of the first groups I got into when I became a k-pop fan, and though their music has somewhat lost me over the years, the members themselves hold a special place in my heart. It was a nice walk down memory lane to watch her interviews for this!
Rockstar, is at time of writing, Lisa’s most recent single, and I hadn’t had a chance to . While I could appreciate Hyo’s Deep despite it not being for me, I barely made it halfway through this song without turning it off. It’s just hell on the ears, with practically no melodic moments whatsoever. We know Lisa’s a rapper (and a good one at that) but that doesn’t mean she has to just talk at the camera for three minutes. And what on earth was the line “Lisa can you teach me Japanese? I said ‘Hei, Hei’?” Who approved that? It would be one thing if Lisa herself was Japanese, but she isn’t, and so it’s there for absolutely no reason but to get people annoyed. And apparently it worked, if I’m any indication. Does this song deserve anywhere near this much brain power? No. Has it wormed its way in anyway? Oh, you bet.
I listened to Lisa’s other singles as well, though I went with Rockstar as the spotlighted one, and I’m sorry to say that I didn’t like any of them. New Woman (with Rosalia), was probably my favorite, but even then it’s not something I’d want to return to. I’ll give Lisa a 6.5 out of 10. Sorry.
Artist #4: Jeon Somi of I.O.I.
Jeon Somi is probably the person I know the least about on this list. I’ve seen her around, in dance challenges, in variety content, etc, but haven’t had the chance to find out much about her besides a couple hits.
XOXO comes out swinging with its chorus. It’s a good old-fashioned breakup anthem, which, in my opinion, is a genre that never gets old. It has a fantastic build-up and is the rare Black Label song whose chorus actually delivers on the promise. It feels like a successor to Blackpink’s Lovesick Girls, especially in its most anthemic moments, and hey, I’m a sucker for a girl gang taking revenge with a car chase. The MV, too, has just enough humor to carry off the plot without feeling over-the-top. I also appreciated the special appearance by the dog, because she’s really the star here, right?
The EP, XOXO, is a bit spotty, to be honest. Half of the songs—like Dumb Dumb or Birthday—aren’t really for me and fall into anti-drop territory, one of my greatest song pet peeves. The other half is pretty good, with songs like the dance-floor ready What You Waiting For or the acoustic, vulnerable Anymore (my hidden gem). So, I’ll give this album an 8.25.
Artist #5: Huh Yunjin of Le Sserafim
I just did a review of Le Sserafim, and in getting to know them more, I discovered that Yunjin has a whole host of solo songs that I hadn’t heard. So, this may be kind of cheating, but I’m choosing to review all her tracks thus far like an album.
I = Doll is unique in the world of solos, not only because it’s self-written and self-produced, but for the incredibly refreshing critiques of the k-pop industry within. In just under three minutes, Yunjin manages to talk about online harassment, body shaming, and the industry’s tendency to put women in boxes, tying it all together with the incredible line “Idol doesn’t mean your doll to fuck with.” Yunjin also drew the music video herself, and her simple yet effective style goes perfectly with the song. Overall, it’s a moving, brutally honest piece that I’m happy I got to cover and I hope will start a new wave of idols like her feeling empowered to speak out too.
In terms of Yunjin’s other singles, none of them bowled me over as much as I = Doll, but I did still like the vulnerable tone of Love You Twice, and the synthy, hopeful sound of Blessing In Disguise. My hidden gem was Raise Your Glass, whose sweet, exhausted lyrics are dedicated to her bandmates. I’ll give Yunjin a 9 out of 10.
Verdict: TL;DR
My Top EP, Sulli’s Goblin, and my runner-up, Huh Yunjin’s assorted solos, were actually both a collection of singles, but both really establish them as great artists with unique visions. I’m only sad that Sulli couldn’t fully realize hers.
Next time, we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming. Tschüss!
Let me know your thoughts!