K-pop diva Sunmi dominates music charts with 'Lalalay'

Sunmi poses for her new single, “Lalalay,” which was released Tuesday. Courtesy of MAKEUS Entertainment

By Jung Hae-myoung

K-pop diva Sunmi swept eight local music charts on Wedesday, a day after she dropped her new single “Lalalay.” She made her comeback after five months, following her first World Tour “WARNING.”

During the showcase held at Yes24 Hall in Seoul, Tuesday, Sunmi proved herself as a talented solo singer, showing the progress she has made since her time in K-pop girl band WonderGirls.

She is the first female Korean artist to have successfully completed a tour of 18 countries across Asia, Europe and the United States.

“Lalalay” is an old Korean homonym used when referring to a “rebellious, playful punk.” It is also an old name for a traditional Korean wind instrument also known as taepyeongso.

Sunmi said she got the inspiration for her new single from her concert in Mexico during her world tour.

“Before arriving in Mexico for my concert, I was really excited about the country and the people there because we know Mexicans are fun-loving people. They were. Fans at my concert didn't care much about other people's reactions and really enjoyed the show. All of them soon became part of my concert. It was a really fun and new experience to me,” she said during the showcase.

“I came back to my hotel after the concert and thought about the exciting performance. I found a similarity between Koreans and Mexicans. We Koreans are fun-loving people, aren't we? As we are both fun-loving people, I thought there should be a word or phrase that could connect us. I came across the word Lalalay and looked it up and found it was a traditional musical instrument.”

She said it was the source of her musical inspiration.

She decided to use a taepyeongso for the intro of her song with the help of Lee Il-woo, a member of Jambinai, a band that plays rock music with traditional Korean instruments.

With her glittery chiffon dress and colorful makeup at the showcase, Sunmi looked like a butterfly, an image she said she had intended to use as a metaphor.

“I used butterfly as a metaphor for my future musical career,” she said. “I found out butterflies fly alone, which is different from bees that fly in groups. I want to shed my past and fly free like a butterfly.”

The metaphor was also expressed through her choreography that incorporates “pungmulnori,” a traditional Korean performance that requires a lot of movement.

To the question why she writes about herself rather than love in her songs, she said: “I think all people are wounded one way or another. I realized that not only from people around me but people in general. I myself am wounded, too. I thought these wounds came from anxiety. I wanted to console those wounded people, and produce music that can make people concentrate on themselves rather than others. This is another form of love.”

The song was composed by Sunmi in collaboration with DJ Frantz who she worked with for her past album, “WARNING.”

Some claimed she didn't actually take part in the production, an allegation she denied.

“The music market is changing quickly, and I think only professional and well-made music can survive,” Sunmi said. “I write and then remove certain lyrics and repeat this many times until I get the song that I like. I am in charge of lyrics as a top liner,” she added. A top liner is a K-pop phrase for the person who creates the melody and writes the lyrics of a song.

Her fans call her music “Sunmi-pop,” as the music shows her unique personality. “I think people like when I present myself as what I am. I don't hide my emotions. I express anger and sadness as well as the bright and pretty side of myself. I think people find that fresh,” she said.

Sunmi said she would release another single very soon.