Seori expresses feelings of inferiority through music

▲This photo provided by LABEL SAYU show photo of Seori. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

SEOUL March 22 (Yonhap) -- "In the Interview held recently at the Yonhap News headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Singer-Songwriter Seori (Baek So-hyun, 27) introduced her new album 'Fake Happy' in this manner: 'I hope it feels like walking into my inner world from the outside.'

The tracks "Kill the Day," "Fake Happy," "Broken," and "and Me" lead listeners to Seori's deepest emotions.

"'I thought vaguely at some point I should bring out the honest wounds from within,' Seori said, 'Now, I feel ready to have that conversation. I decided to bring out something from my heart, and I did, one by one.'

Seori poured her genuine emotions, including feelings of skepticism, loneliness, and disappointment, into the album. The four tracks depict realities everyone encounters but with Seori's unique metaphors, creating a hazy atmosphere.

Among them, Seori recalled the process of working on "Broken," which deals with feelings of inferiority. She said, "It took the longest to write the lyrics, and I even cried. Since childhood, I've had low self-esteem, and since I started making music, I've constantly compared myself to others. Writing the song made me feel similar emotions." 

 

▲This photo provided by LABEL SAYU show photo various scenes from Seori's 'Fake Happy.' (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

 

Additionally, the title track "Fake Happy" portrays a sense of emptiness despite reaching the summit, while "And Me" depicts loneliness felt by not fitting in with others.

To ensure the emotions in the songs didn't become too heavy, Seori made efforts to find the right balance of emotions. She adhered to two principles: 'Let's not act like there's one correct answer to problems,' and 'Let's not just list negative words.'

Seori, who actively participated in arranging music for each song, also focused on using ambient sources throughout the album to subtly infuse emotions.

"Siren sounds are scattered throughout the songs. For example, in 'Kill the Day,' which means to waste a day, I wanted to convey a sense of urgency by personifying a day as if it were in danger. In 'And Me,' I tried to express distant urban noise with siren sounds."

Seori expressed confidence that her album successfully blended her traditional synth and electronic sounds with elements of alternative rock like Avril Lavigne and Coldplay.

Seori first gained attention in 2019 with her cover video of Abir's "Tango" on YouTube. After releasing her debut album 'Escaped Who' in 2020, she gained recognition by featuring in songs of various K-pop artists and expanded her influence overseas by participating in the OST of the 2021 Marvel movie "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings."

 

▲This photo provided by LABEL SAYU show photo of Seori. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

Despite appearing to have risen to fame quickly as an unassuming singer-songwriter, Seori still feels regretful about starting her music career late due to her introverted personality.

She said, "I belittled myself because I was an inconspicuous child, and during the height of popularity of competition programs like 'Superstar K,' I felt a sense of deprivation from the overflowing talent of ordinary people." adding, "I harbored an unspoken dream until I became a high school student and finally confessed my dream."

Despite being a shy and low self-esteem child, Seori has now gained recognition as a 'musician's musician', with her songs being included in playlists of artists like BTS' Jungkook. However, she confessed in an interview last year that her concerns about music have deepened over time, saying she felt 'lost.'

"I like music that's distinct, but that music isn't necessarily popular. Initially, I wanted to show that I could make music like this, but now I can't help but consider the listeners."

Through this album, Seori hopes to 'find music that can satisfy both goals' and wishes for a year of narrowing the gap between her musical ambitions and communication with the public."

 

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