Becoming a respected solo artist takes time, effort, and talent in order to discover your audience – and the relatively new, yet experienced artist Seori is more than prepared to impress.
Hailing from South Korea, the natural singer/songwriter has expressed her pure, unchangeable love for music for a few years independently. Starting out on YouTube, Seori forged her own path by covering music including Abir’s “Tango” and “Best part” by H.E.R., effectively putting herself on the map for her hauntingly beautiful voice. With that undeniable connection to R&B and Soul, Seori then began to build her own following, as people began to pick up on her unique vocal range and overall presence that built a reputation on raw talent.
As Seori’s confidence and platform began to show growth, a shift soon followed, with the artist gaining the attention of her label ATIPAUS a fairly new company with a lot of belief behind the soloist. Since signing, she’s found her own voice through her debut EP ?depacse ohw that introduced her incomparable soothing style to the world.
On the EP, the rising star’s voice mesmerizes on her inspiring lead single “Running through the night”, then brings a nostalgic whistle backing to a electro-pop-esque tune with “Really high”. The EP’s closing track “I wanna cry” feels like it’s yet another standalone track that establishes her dominance at emotional storytelling – completing a triad of résumé worthy hits.
Seori only continued to find the next best steps for her career, with the singer getting to work alongside some of the biggest names in K-Pop – but also some massive projects that any artist would be thrilled to take on. In early 2021, the HYBE group Tomorrow X Together (TXT) dropped their brilliant return single “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)” with the singer delivering a strong, whimsical chorus, charting at number 37 on the Billboard K-pop 100 and giving the singer affirmation from her powerhouse peers that she’s a must-have artist for your playlist.
Seori also managed to dive into other solo projects, OSTs, and even a soundtrack for the major Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – but most recently, a track “Dive with you” feature eaJ. This song particularly expands her comfort zone with ballad-level arrangements and offers a universal perspective that relishes in love and the indescribable feeling of hope that comes with forging something stable. The video itself is used as yet another space for her significant messages, depicting a positive representation of LGBTQIA+ relationships and the importance of inclusivity (a message that feels encouragingly brave considering the current landscape of the genre).
For being so new to the industry, Seori has already stepped up as an artist with originality, humble beginnings, sincerity, and utter strength that we’re just fortunate enough to experience. With the new music video for “Dive with you” out now, we spoke to the up-and-coming star about her incredibly busy year and what’s to come.
Firstly, congratulations on a major year for you! When you think back to some of your incredible cover songs, what has that transition been like to become a full-fledged singer/songwriter?
Seori: Since I was 18, I had a dream of becoming a singer-songwriter. I always love singing but someday I started to wonder what people who don’t know me would think about my song and how to start as a singer-songwriter. So, I started uploading several song videos on YouTube, and luckily, I was able to meet ATISPAUS to prepare for the album. Making the album was so exciting, but it didn’t feel real that I was becoming a singer at the same time. And I was worried about how people would listen to my first album because people liked my cover video of Abir’s “Tango”. But fortunately, I’m glad that many people like my music.
You’re quickly becoming one of the most sought-after artists in South Korea because people are starting to discover your vocal brilliance! Has there been a moment so far that has felt almost too good to be true?
Seori: I still have a long way to go to become a popular singer, but I’m glad to hear that! There are so many moments that I couldn’t believe it’s real. I was really happy when huge artists told me that they knew my song, and when I collaborated with a great artist or did a Marvel OST, and when I received support from many comments, I was really happy. But if I have to pick one that I can’t forget, it was my first fan signing event. I was really happy to see and talk to the fans who came from afar and waited for a long time, that lingering happy feeling lasted for a long time. Thanks to that, I was able to realize that my fans were next to me, and that memory gives me the driving force.
You were featured on the massive hit song “I Know I Love You” with TXT earlier this year, and your chorus is impeccable! What was probably the best part of that collaborative process for that song in particular?
Seori: Thank you! To tell the story, I was able to hear the demo right away. The collaboration with TXT was unbelievable, and also the song was amazing. The song’s atmosphere was amazing, just like my favorite songs, so I wondered how they knew my taste. I was able to work more happily for TXT greeted me comfortably and gave me good feedback while recording.
Your newest single “Dive with you” includes eaJ and you also just dropped the music video for the song too! When you first tackled the song, did you already have an idea about how you wanted the music video to play out – or was it a concept that slowly came together later on?
Seori: The keywords and scenes I wanted to show in the video were the ocean and innocence. I wanted this song to be the purest and most passionate. Because many people must have experienced such pure and passionate hearts, are experiencing them and maybe will experience. Regardless of age, those memories are precious youth in us. I hope that this song will be filled with it and that the listeners can recall their shining page of life.
The song itself is such a sweet, almost power-ballad-like track and your sounds compliment each other extremely well! What were your initial hopes or pre-requisites to finding the right voice for this song?
Seori: I wrote “Dive with you,” with a beautiful male voice in my mind, not a song I would sing. Because I was listening to “Watermelon Sugar” when I was writing this song. But my producer and team members told me that it would suit me well, so I made it for myself. And as soon as I thought of featuring, I thought of eaJ. I compliment myself at that moment. I think it was a decision that can’t be better. eaJ’s verse is so cool and beautiful, right?
We also were fortunate enough to see you on the Shang-Chi soundtrack for the aforementioned epic Marvel film, so congratulations on that one-of-a-kind achievement! Did working on music for this massive film bring any unique challenges or lessons?
Seori: Thank you for the congratulations! And thanks to the Warriors, I challenged and learned. Just like the title, I needed to express the courage of the warrior and tried to deviate from my usual vocal style. At first, I hesitated, but the director led me well, so I was able to make a new type of attempt. And it was my first time singing with such a huge orchestration, so I thought a lot about dynamics and how to create a magnificent feeling like a movie on my part. It really influenced me a lot in many ways!
Because of your growing platform and a long list of collaborators, I have to ask, are there any artists that you’d consider to be dream features?
Seori: I have to say, Avril Lavigne. She’s the one who made me sing and write songs. I’ve been a fan for a long time since I was young, and my favorite song changes every day because I like them all. Will she know me? I could faint if she knows me.
Features aside, you’ve also shown that you can really hold your own – and it has people so excited to see what you do next! Can you drop any hints about what type of content we can expect from you in the coming months?
Seori: I’m preparing hard for the HITC 2021 Festival! I’m super excited to be on such a big stage. It’s my first festival in front of audiences. I hope that everyone at the festival can enjoy it.
You’ve dropped some incredible music like the music we discussed, and other standouts like “Lovers In The Night”! Is there one song you’ve worked on that you’d say you have a special attachment to?
Seori: It’s hard to say just one thing for sure because my favorites change every day, but today I want to pick a cd only track called “If”. I really love the lyrics of the song. If I have a chance, I’d like to sing it live.
Finally, if you were going to return to your roots with a cover of a current song you’re addicted to – what would be your go-to cover song?
Seori: “Stay” by The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber! I can’t stop listening to it and singing along these days. I’m sure everyone feels the same [laughs]. So, I guess I might upload the cover video of” Stay”.
