From Seori to BIBI, more Korean singer-songwriters steal global attention

By Dong Sun-hwa

Singer-songwriter Seori / Courtesy of ATISPAUS

As K-pop continues to hit high notes across the globe, Korean singer-songwriters are also stepping into the spotlight, making international headlines for their talents and achievements.

At the forefront of this trend is Seori, who collaborated with K-pop boy band Tomorrow X Together (TXT) for their 2021 single, “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You).” She performed for the Grammys Global Spin series ― which spotlights diverse artists from around the world and their home countries ― on Feb. 1 (U.S. time) in celebration of the Lunar New Year. Seori is the first Korean female artist and the second Korean act to take the stage for “Global Spin,” following rapper B.I., a former member of K-pop boy band iKON, who made his appearance on the show in January.

Donning a red hanbok, Seori, whose real name is Baek So-hyun, performed her song, “Lovers in the Night” (2021) at the historic Deoksu Palace in Seoul. The dreamy song centers on the different feelings people have when they are in love.

“It is my great honor to join the Global Spin,” she said. “We are living with the pandemic right now, but I hope everyone can start 2022 with hope and energy by listening to my songs.”

Seori, best known for her genre-defying sound and enigmatic fusion of soft R&B and alternative pop, made her name known to the public in 2019 through her cover videos on YouTube. In 2021, the 25-year-old dropped her debut EP, “?depacse ohw” and featured on “Warriors,” one of the main tracks for “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” which is the first Asian-led film by Marvel Studios.

British music magazine NME included her name on its list of Emerging Artists of 2022 and Norwegian music streaming service Tidal picked her as one of the artists to watch in 2022.

Singer-songwriter BIBI / Courtesy of Most Contents

Seori is not the only Korean singer-songwriter gaining global attention. Another rising star is BIBI, whose latest release, “The Weekend,” debuted at No. 38 on Billboard's Pop Airplay Chart on Dec. 25 (U.S. time.) The chart ranks tunes based on the number of plays they received on radio stations in the U.S.

“The Weekend” also ranked 29th between Jan. 17 and 23 on the Top 40 chart on MediaBase ― which monitors radio station airplay in the U.S. and Canadian markets. With this feat, BIBI outperformed Lisa of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, becoming the Korean female soloist with the highest record on the chart.

Written by U.S. songwriter Dava, “The Weekend” is a retro-tinged track about a breakup, for which BIBI teamed up with American record label 88rising.

BIBI, who debuted with the 2019 single “Binu,” has dropped a series of other tunes like “Pado” (2021).

On top of that, singer-songwriters like Gaho, Sam Kim and msftz are also gaining global traction, with numerous media outlets paying close attention to their next steps.