DJ Youna hopes to make her mark at Coachella
DJ Youna / Courtesy of solaii.official
Artist aims to give audience unique audiovisual experience
With the global success of Peggy Gou, memorable headline shows from DJ Soda and Girls’ Generation member Hyoyeon transitioning into DJing, the electronic and techno scene in Korea has become one of the fastest-growing genres in the country, with female artists leading the way.
Another talented DJ emerging in the space is Korean-born Youna, who found a sense of belonging with house and techno music.
Despite its ever-growing presence in clubs and bars across Seoul, techno is still considered a niche genre in Korea. When Youna moved to Dubai, she was immersed in a new musical landscape that was unlike anything she had experienced before in her home country.
“The sound and atmosphere felt completely different from what I had experienced in Korea, and it fascinated me. One day, I was in a low mood and went to a local lounge, and while listening to a DJ’s set, I suddenly found myself drawn in, almost without realizing it, I was dancing, and it completely lifted my mood,” said Youna. “That moment made me realize music can shift emotions and deliver energy, and I decided I wanted to learn DJing.”
Diving headfirst into this newfound passion, Youna started building her DJ career as she experimented with new sounds and collaborated with artists around the world.
The Korean rose to fame with the floor-filling "Serotonin" and "Dark Side" — her collaboration with Roelbeat, which exemplifies her dark, melodic techno sound.
Having captured the imagination of a global audience, Youna has been featured on the lineup of the upcoming Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in California on April 10 and April 17.
Youna sat down with The Korea Times to discuss her upcoming debut Coachella performance, conveying emotions through music and the emerging techno scene across Seoul.
She joins the likes of Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter and Karol G, as well as Korean artists BIGBANG and Taemin, at the world-famous festival.
“When I first received the call about Coachella, I honestly didn’t believe it right away. It was such an unexpected offer that instead of feeling excited, I just paused for a moment,” Youna said. “Even now, it doesn’t fully feel real and more than excitement, I feel responsibility. Considering the global significance of the festival, I see it as a moment where my identity as an artist becomes clearly defined.”
The artist said Coachella will be an important milestone in her career as she performs on a global stage. However, she insisted that “every show and every moment of connection with the audience carries equal meaning.”
As seen by live sets at festivals and clubs around the world, as well as DJ Mixes posted on YouTube, including performances at Red Sand Desert and Badaya Camp in Dubai, Youna creates a distinctively unique visual landscape to evoke deeper feelings from the audience.
DJ Youna during a concert in this undated photo / Courtesy of solaii.official
“I want audiences to feel the emotion and intention behind the music as deeply as possible, so visuals are not just decoration but an extension of the experience. They play a big role in stimulating the senses together with the sound,” Youna said.
She aims to give the Coachella audience a unique audiovisual experience where they immediately feel, “this is YOUNA.” She is working on every element, from producing new tracks for her performance at the festival to incorporating a fresh and innovative visual design to elevate the show.
“I’m creating unique visuals that carry my own sensibility and ideas. My goal is for sound and visuals to feel like a single experience, said Youna. “I want my set to feel immersive and impactful like a film, while still giving the audience the energy to dance naturally.”
Although Coachella will be a milestone performance for the Korean-born DJ, Youna is no stranger to performing on big stages, as she has supported some of the top DJs in the world.
This experience supporting the likes of Charlotte de Witte and Amelie Lens was a valuable learning curve for Youna as she was able to develop as a performer and adapt to bigger stages.
“The biggest lesson I learned from doing warm-up sets was restraint. The role of a warm-up DJ is not to stand out but to prepare the audience’s state, and through that, I developed a strong sense of energy balance. By going through many trials and adjustments, I learned how to read the flow of a room and respond to unexpected situations,” Youna said.
She added: “Watching top artists perform up close and observing how they communicate with promoters and other DJs also taught me a lot. It was one of the most meaningful learning experiences in my career.”
Although Youna started her career in Dubai, she has noticed, from a distance, the rise of techno music and events across Korea as it continues to grow from a niche subgenre to something larger.
"I’ve definitely seen a real shift. When I first moved to Dubai, techno and house weren’t that common in Korea, but now they’re becoming a big part of many events. I can also feel the growing interest and a deeper understanding of these genres from the crowd,” she said. “There’s also a noticeable rise in related content on social media, which is exciting to see. More international artists are coming through for shows, and a lot of artists around me want to tour Korea. I'm excited to see how much further the scene will grow.”
Adam Davidson is a London-based arts journalist who specializes in music and movies and has contributed to publications such as LA Times, Radio Times and The Boston Globe.