Click here to purchase Huh Yunjin’s “I ≠ DOLL” on Amazon Music
Click here to purchase Huh Yunjin’s “Raise y_our glass” on Amazon Music
Click here to purchase Huh Yunjin’s “Last Christmas” on Amazon Music
“I want to change the idol industry”.
These were the words from LE SSERAFIM vocalist Huh Yunjin.
The New Yorker who was one of the “Produce48” contestants from Pledis Entertainment with an amazing voice, but unfortunately did not make it to the final round to become one of the members of IZ*ONE.
Interesting enough, that when IZ*ONE, a limited pop group disbanded, two of the group’s members, Kim Chaewon and Miyawaki Sakura would become part of Source Music’s (a sub-label of HYBE, aka the company that BTS is from) new girl group and Huh Yunjin received a call back to join the group.
LE SSERAFIM has no doubt had a phenomenal seven months (it hasn’t been a full year yet) and they have won “Rookie of the Year” awards and “Performer of the Year” awards.
But what makes them special is that they are a group that doesn’t follow the traditional route of K-POP girl groups.
Their debut song “FEARLESS” didn’t feature a dance break or major chorus and their second song “ANTIFRAGILE” featured a reggaeton sound that is not something you hear in K-POP, while their second album featured songs of various musical styles. And a girl group that is not afraid throw down the F-word in their lyrics (explicit and non-explicit versions of the songs have been released).
The group is doing things that you never see other K-POP groups doing and for one of the vocalists, Huh Yunjin is doing something by addressing the group’s haters in her first solo track “Raise y_our glass” and in the second solo song titled, “I ≠ DOLL”, singing about the experiences of a female idol in the K-Pop industry.
For those nitpicking on their clothes, their body and you name it. The K-POP industry especially with toxic fans is something well-known and for a rookie group, you just don’t see people coming out swinging.
And perhaps it’s that part of New York swagger that Yunjin has grown up with, makes her not scared enough to take on the controversial subject.
While I am not sure how Korean netizens would view it, you can see YouTube reactions for people who loved what Yunjin is doing.
In a Source Music press release, Yunjin said of the song, “Sometimes appearance becomes the main criteria by which one judges another. “‘I ≠ DOLL’ expresses these moments that I have experienced myself and is also told from the third-person perspective of someone who could have experienced them. I hope the song’s message will resonate with many people”.
When I listened to the song (and also watching her artwork which she designed for the music video), I have to admit, my eyes started to feel teary, because in East Asia, a lot of the songs are driven by a male dominated industry.
Yes, there are a lot of women working in the music industry but rarely are women allowed to have a word. Huh Yunjin has been giving the opportunity to release her songs and say how she feels and Source Music is supporting it and for me, that’s a major “win”.
Because you can search on YouTube news and the news is dominated by hating fans who pick apart a female and male member to the point that it’s bullying/harassment. And we have seen in South Korea, Japan and other countries of celebrities who have committed suicide due to these terrible haters.
So, when I listen to this song, I had nothing but love and respect for Huh Yunjin. I hope many other female artists not just in South Korea but all over, listen to this song and be inspired by it.
This song is a major step to see a member of a very popular group confronting these toxic fans and also toxic media and I am so proud of her for that and her growing number of accomplishments.
Click here to purchase Huh Yunjin’s “I ≠ DOLL” on Amazon Music
Click here to purchase Huh Yunjin’s “Raise y_our glass” on Amazon Music
Click here to purchase Huh Yunjin’s “Last Christmas” on Amazon Music
