Spotlight on SUMIN: The Artist Reshaping K-pop, Musical Landscape
Leading K-pop's Musical Evolution Since the Mid-2010s with Exceptional Production Skills and Unique Sensibilities
In the early 2010s, K-pop gained popularity for its dazzling visuals and performances but often faced criticism for lacking musical depth. Some dismissed it as "just a degraded version of J-pop," "a genre that only works in Asia," or "something they do because they're pretty." The industry was criticized for focusing heavily on title tracks while filling albums with filler songs, creating music that seemed mass-produced. While groups like BIGBANG, 2NE1, SHINee, and f(x) attempted to change this perception by introducing in-house producing and songcamp systems, these efforts weren't enough to transform the overall musical perception of K-pop.
The situation began to change dramatically in the mid-2010s. Albums like f(x)'s "4 Walls," Red Velvet's "Perfect Velvet," "REBOOT," BTS's "LOVE YOURSELF" series, and NewJeans' "Armageddon" emerged with exceptional musical quality that reflected group identity, narrative depth, and artistic integrity. As K-pop expanded from Asia to the global market, the industry needed to evolve beyond commercial appeal toward artistic expression and identity. SM Entertainment opened the door to this change, followed by YG, JYP, BIGHIT MUSIC, and ADOR, each developing sophisticated production and unique colors for their artists, raising standards across the K-pop industry.
During this period of seismic change in the K-pop industry, one name rose quietly yet brilliantly in the Korean music scene: artist SUMIN. After dominating the domestic R&B scene, she has become one of the most sought-after collaborators for K-pop groups. Producer Soulscape praised her highly: "Artists who consistently and meticulously pursue their musical vision are surprisingly rare. Her overall drive made her particularly stand out."
The reason for SUMIN's popularity in the K-pop market is simple: she's exceptionally talented and her career achievements are unparalleled. From her 2016 debut EP "Beat, And Go to Sleep," she showcased remarkable maturity and quality uncommon for a newcomer. Encompassing various black music genres while armed with relaxed grooves and high-definition vocals, this album announced the arrival of a "nearly Ryu Hyun-jin level ace" destined to lead Korean popular music. If her debut EP was just a warm-up, her first full-length album "Your Home," released about three years later, demonstrated her full potential, creating a masterpiece representative of the era. Throughout the album, she seamlessly incorporated electronic music elements while freely navigating between hip-hop, R&B, pop, and future bounce, showcasing the breadth and depth of her musical spectrum.
SUMIN's contributions to the K-pop scene are equally significant. Her work is particularly evident in Red Velvet tracks like "Look" from "Perfect Velvet" and "Eyes Locked, Hands Locked" from "The ReVe Festival Day 2." In "Look," while Jinbo handled the funky rhythm section, SUMIN utilized the members' vocals as instruments to create textural diversity and maintained a restrained melody line before adding layered harmonies in specific sections, reminiscent of her work in "Your Home." "Look," which many consider one of Red Velvet's finest B-sides, was co-written and composed by SUMIN and Jinbo, with additional arrangement by Obi Klein, who also produced E SENS's "Anecdote."
SUMIN's lyrical style is equally distinctive. She excels at twisting everyday vocabulary to make it appear fresh and illuminating familiar scenes from new angles. Her specialty lies in using concrete objects like closets or fried chicken as metaphors, cleverly concealing and playfully revealing messages. "Eyes Locked, Hands Locked" exemplifies these lyrical characteristics. Originally titled "Eyes Locked, Bodies Locked," the song was toned down for its final version, though the sensual undertones remain evident throughout. The setting of an awkward morning after intimacy and lyrics like "Caress me until you're tired of it" were a fresh attempt at infusing K-pop with provocative elements, revealing a hidden facet of Red Velvet's image that contrasted with their established persona.
Even when not performing on tracks herself, SUMIN never loses her identity, elevating compositions by skillfully blending her style with that of specific groups. This approach represents SUMIN's method of maintaining her musical identity within K-pop. Her collaborative works with SLOM in the "MINISERIES" collection ("MINISERIES 1, 2," "Sichimi") have won awards at major Korean music ceremonies like the Korean Music Awards and Korean Hip-hop Awards, recognizing both their artistic merit and commercial success. Recently, a dedicated SUMIN×SLOM display was set up at Tokyo's Tower Records, with staff recommendation stickers on the MINISERIES albums, proving her music's cross-border appeal. She's truly an exceptional artist who has expanded internationally despite the challenging domestic R&B market.
Notably, "Running" from QWER's second EP "Algorithm's Blossom" represents an unusual collaboration where SUMIN single-handedly handled lyrics, composition, and arrangement, with her producer's intelligence and musical color permeating throughout. The verses strongly reflect SUMIN's identity while the chorus bursts with QWER's characteristically vibrant energy, creating a harmonious blend of both styles. SUMIN's hi-fi chorus naturally penetrates and mixes between Chodan and Magenta's vocals, producing a more three-dimensional sonic result.
SUMIN's music transcends being well-crafted products; it feels like the documentation of "someone who listens well." In an interview, she revealed, "A life without love would be extremely painful for me, and making music without it would be completely nonsensical, almost impossible." With her foundation in love and her experience absorbing diverse music across genres and eras from a young age, SUMIN continues to expand her musical universe and broaden K-pop's landscape. Her future endeavors are highly anticipated.
