Strutting onto the Korean soul scene is Soullette (소울렛) whose songs ooze self-love and confidence, traversing the themes of reflection and growth.
Her soundscape of nu-jazz, neo-soul, and R&B with pop sensibilities can be seen through ‘White Clouds,’ the track she put out last year for the Netflix original series My Holo Love.
Bandwagon caught up with rising artist Soullette to discuss her brand new EP 생일 (Birthday) and what lies in store for her as she embarks on a journey to cement herself as South Korea’s most exciting soul export.
Hi, Soullette! How’s 2022 been treating you so far?
Like everyone, I also have started 2022 with a clean slate expecting better of myself. It’s been smooth so far being a year older with exciting news and a lot of responsibilities.
Tell us, how did you know that you wanted to do music?
Music has always been something close and familiar to me, ever since I was little. It wouldn’t be a lie to say that I was always singing, everywhere I went.
Then one day, I realized that music makes me feel a certain way, it's a feeling that I cannot describe with any possible combination of words from this world. That made me want to explore more about what it does to me.
Fast forward to my college years, while I was doing a lot of soul searching, I was introduced to one of Erykah Badu’s masterpieces ‘Baduizm.’ It was a magical moment. It felt like a light bulb in my head had been turned on. The aura and the message she was carrying were delivered straight to my core. That was enough to disassemble the small world that I was living in and that is when I knew that I wanted to pursue music.
We’re so excited about your EP ‘Birthday’! What stories can we expect from you on this record?
A birthday is a day you were born. While the definition of a birthday, in general, is shifted towards a physical perspective in the past tense, I wanted to approach a birthday in a mental and spiritual perspective, in the present tense.
For the longest time, I chose to stay inside my shell and the more I thought I knew, the more things felt complicated (‘Pancake’). I have spent numerous nights and days practising coming clean to myself so I can accept myself as I am (‘Oh My God!’)
The world is full of things I have yet to understand and possibly will never understand (‘Sagwa’). But the important part is that I am still growing and I know my wants and needs in doing so (‘Can u pls give me some water ?’).
What vision did you have for ‘Birthday’ when you were putting it together? Was there an overall theme or concept you had in mind for this record?
I wanted to capture ongoing moments of my personal journey through life to find my own true self while constantly re-existing and ever-evolving as a new being, shedding layers of whatever I was before.
It is a celebration of a new mindset with a lot of love, a heart full of honesty and an open mind, especially not being afraid of being responsible and taking control of my own tide, and that is why it is named Birthday.
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Walk us through the creative process behind ‘Birthday’. What were some challenges and highlights you had during that time?
It is easy to take things too far and too serious when you are deeply into something. I have also found myself going down an endless spiral while trying to sketch out the ideas that stretched out from my heavy-weighted thoughts.
Then I came to a realisation that, in order for me to continue enjoying what I love to do for a long time, I will have to take things slow and be more carefree at times. So, I treated the process of working on this EP like being on a date; holding hands walking around, eating ice cream on the bed watching some stand-up comedy, staying up all night talking, building some cute memories.
Besides, the music, visualising the intuitive name that I have decided to call this EP into cover arts and visualizers with the help of my friend, visual artist Yeon Yeoin created some interesting dynamics and energy as well. I’ve always thought that the surrealism she paints with the mixture of some-what twisted, out-of-place objects in an ordinary and daily-looking frame in bright colours has some parallels to my music. It is always fun to see someone else’s interpretation of something so personal of mine in a different form.
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This is your first EP, was there anything new you learned while making this record?
I’ve learned that my voice can make so many weird sounds, probably more than I can imagine. There were some sounds I had to ditch but I will surely bring them back in my future releases.
What are some goals and dreams you have for yourself and your music? Where do you hope to be in the next five years?
I hope to be a person who continues striving to learn, feel and evolve, and that my music traces that. I am looking forward to becoming a better version of myself in every aspect over the next five years.
Outside of music, what do you enjoy doing?
I enjoy writing a diary to gather my thoughts together in a tangible form. I find expressing things by writing them down is way easier and more natural than speaking them aloud. I also like watching true crime documentaries for logical reasoning.
What other plans do you have for the rest of the year?
I am looking forward to a new batch of experiences and experiments both musically and personally.
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