Here are my credentials (again): I would consider Sunmi my favorite kpop soloist, which is tough competition in a landscape that also includes Taeyeon, IU, and Wendy, all of whom I love. I first did this review in 2023, when I’d just started the blog, and now that Sunmi’s back, I thought this would be a good time to dive back into her discography. So let’s get into it!

(Part One)

EP #3: 1/6

You Can’t Sit With Us was actually the first song I’d heard of Sunmi’s, and needless to say, the teen movie references, impeccable styling, synthy beat, and of course, the entire insane zombie hunting / romcom plotline won me over. The big trip-up I (like many people) have is probably the rap verse, which didn’t need to be there and definitely didn’t need to be in some of the most convoluted English I’ve ever heard. But, the whole song is just super fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously, so I’m willing to look past whatever minor hang-ups I have. I laugh everytime I hear or see it, and it’s just so unabashedly weird that I can’t help but love it. I would pay to watch an entire show of Sunmi fighting zombies.

Borderline occupies a strange space in between b-side and title track, having a special music video and being written all in English, a choice that I usually would criticize the choice for its sanitized approach. But Sunmi actually goes the complete opposite direction, using the different language to open up honestly about her Borderline Personality Disorder diagnosis in a raw, emotional appeal (“why do people keep saying, ‘what’s wrong with her?’”) only backed up by a guitar and quiet drums, so different from the majority of her synth works. This is one of the songs where her vocals truly have time to shine, and it’s all the better for it.

From the EP, like with Warning, I enjoyed every track, from the tongue-in-cheek Sunny to the delightfully synthy Narcissism. My hidden gem is 1/6, which, despite its bright, synthy production, is actually another song about her mental health, and wonders if, if Sunmi could go to the moon, where gravity is ⅙ that of Earth, if her worries would be ⅙ that of what they are now.

Single #8: Go Or Stop

Go Or Stop is a special single made for League Of Legends, so did I have to cover it? No. Did I forget about its existence and think I should probably remind myself? Yes. While it’s not a career highlight, its trippy electro beat and consistent energy still make it hold its own. Like with LALALAY and TAIL, it just needs something more, but this time I can’t quite figure out where that “more” needs to be. (Also, unrelated, but with the benefit of hindsight, Sunmi’s long pink hair and buns reminded me a lot of Mira from Kpop Demon Hunters.)

Single #9: Oh Sorry Ya

Oh Sorry Ya is a return to Sunmi’s love of strange song structure and raised eyebrow heavy choreography, which, naturally, I’m here for. Once again named for a pun (“Heosoli” which means “to be silly”), it’s another track all in English, and while I think its lyricism suffers a bit as a result, it’s still got a good beat for dancing, mixing an odd bass guitar and whistling hook with Sunmi’s trademark synths to great effect. I’d say it’s not a favorite of mine, but maybe it too will grow on me with time.

Single #10: Heart Burn

When first starting Heart Burn (열이올라요), I thought, “Well…this feels too normal.” And then, of course, Sunmi’s character begins calmly jump roping with her signature deadpan while the ghosts of the men she’s killed hold the handles, and I went, “Ah, there it is.” Another departure from her usual synth, it’s based on a trippy guitar and a summery sound that melds the strange, the dreamy, and the moody at the same time. Like Siren and TAIL, Heart Burn follows the narrative of a character that could so easily be seen as just your classic femme fatale if it weren’t for the added empathy that Sunmi imbues throughout.

Though the fledgling fashion historian in me wants to complain that her clothing choices make absolutely no sense for the time periods she’s supposed to be in (why is she dressed like a 50s housewife in 1928? What is happening?), I respect that she took pains to include love interests played by a large range of men in a large range of places, and that she managed to tell a complete, affecting story in just three minutes. This remains one of my favorites of hers, even a few years on, and I’d suggest you check out the video for yourself.

Childhood, the b-side from the single, is also very dreamy; the gentle bass and even gentler drums mixed with Sunmi’s voice (which is much lighter than usual) is a winning combo for me.

Single #11: Stranger

Stranger doesn’t start too differently from other Sunmi songs: its verses are solidly synthy with an off-kilter beat during the pre-choruses…and then it throws that all away for a sing-talk heavy hook that adds nothing. It annoys me because I really, really want to like this song, and I like everything else about it. The music video’s storyline is among my favorites of hers, the Frankenstein meets Wednesday aesthetics are so interesting and Sunmi’s delightfully odd humor is back in full swing. But I’ve never been a fan of sing-talk and I think that it’s safe to say that this song isn’t going to change my mind on that. I hope she does something with this sound again.

As for the two b-sides, I enjoyed both the incredible build of Calm Myself and the gentler sound of Call My Name.

Single #12: Balloon In Love

Balloon in Love feels like a spiritual successor to Pporappippam, a gentle, no-strings-attached love song that pairs her trademark synths with a driving, rocky guitar and some of her best vocals to create a gentle, warm song that’s tailor-made for the end of spring and beginning of summer. And when that bridge comes in, connecting to the final chorus, I was completely sold. This song made me feel so relaxed and light. Though she normally focuses on darker lyrics, it’s nice to see a change up, and it’s so nice to see her happy. Whether the song is inspired by real life or not, I hope she’s happy here too.

Single #13: Blue

Only Sunmi could make a song that opens with “What would you do if your boyfriend became a cockroach” and proceed to take that question with the abject seriousness it deserves. Sunmi’s in love with a cockroach, because of course she is. Her boyfriend is wearing an objectively terrible Party City costume and crawling on the ceiling, because of course he is. Somehow, the music video manages to be both funny in her typical deadpan way and undeniably heartwarming. The song itself toes the line between upbeat and a bit bitter with longing, sweepingly nostalgic in a way that’s hard to pinpoint.

Also, I loved the return of Sunmi playing her bass! With how popular her synthy, vocal-led tracks are, her talent doesn’t quite get the props it deserves, but she’s very good. I even texted my brother, who plays, for his expert opinon—who knows, maybe I’ll elbow him into writing a review with me some day.

Album #1: Heart Maid

From the second in the music video when Sunmi walked out of a bathroom stall in four inch heels, a fur coat, and giant sunglasses, I knew that this was going to be a Halloween track worth its salt. With a synthy beat for days, an effectively eerie use of distortion and horror movie references that would make Red Velvet proud, Cynical revels in its strangeness in the best way. I can tell that Sunmi had fun making it. I think that where the song falls down is, unfortunately, its main hook, which comes a bit too close to an anti-drop for my comfort when it could have gone for a more expansive, sprawling sound. Overall, it’s more of a performance piece than a song, but I can’t deny that it’s a damn good performance.

As mentioned, Heart Maid is Sunmi’s first full album, one of my favorite things to see in any artist, and there was a lot in it that I really enjoyed, from the orchestral, beautifully menacing Tuberose to the classic Sunmi cynicism (please laugh) in Happy AF to the synthy Sweet Nightmare (my hidden gem), which deserves its place among Sunmi’s singles.

Personally, I think this album would have been better off as another 6-track EP, combining some of the songs into fully fledged concepts like in Warning or 1/6, which would likely make her strongest outing yet. All in all, the album is pretty good but not as great as Sunmi’s capable of.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this! This may be the second time I’ve done this review, but I think it’s safe to say I had even more fun this time around. I’ve loved Sunmi for a while, as I’m sure you could tell from reading this, but I gained a whole new appreciation for her bass playing, her tongue-in-cheek humor, her lyric writing skills, and of course, her bravery in consistently using her platform to discuss her mental health diagnoses. For this review, I rewatched some clips from her appearance on Running Girls, her short Borderline interview, and an episode of her time hosting Showterview. I’m proud to call myself a Miya-ne.

It’s so hard to pick a top 5 from Sunmi’s discography, but gun to my head, I’ll choose Heroine, Siren, Heart Burn, 1/6, and Balloon In Love, with Black Pearl, Blue, and Sweet Nightmare as honorable mentions. Sunmi gets a 9.5 out of 10 from me. Not only am I a huge fan of hers, but I love the genres that her discography is based on—synth, rock, psychedelica, etc—and the way she marries brutal honesty and genuinely entertaining humor to address serious topics. It’s been such a joy watching her progression from just one singer in Wonder Girls to a fully-fledged solo artist involved in every step of the creative process, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next. It’s my hope that she’ll be back on tour soon, and I’ll finally get to see her live.

Next time, we’re back to the Girls’ Day deep dive (finally!). Tschüss!