Neon Bunny was one of the very first Korean artists we presented on beehype, and her latest single further deepens our appreciation for this Seoul artist.

Among the inspirations for “Romance in Seoul”, released on CSCN (the singles sublabel of Cascine) and accompanied by a colourful video by Ian Gallagher, she mentions American jazz legends like Ella Fitzerald and Dinah Washington. But as a thoroughly 21st century musician, she transformed those influences into contemporary pop ballad, elegant and restrained.

“I wrote that song because I grew up as a jazz club’s daughter in Seoul, but we shut down the store last year,” Neon Bunny told us. “I used to have my studio in the attic of that club, and that’s where I wrote that song. Well I guess my parents’ beautiful club is gone, but I want to re-build it in my music. Jazz is always home to me, even if I’m not really great at jazz,” she laughs.

“Yesterday you took me to the moon, today to Mars, and tomorrow take me Jupiter,” she sings in the first lines of the song. One thing we know for sure is that she’ll be visiting Texas this March, as she’s just been included in the third round announcement lineup of SXSW 2016.

We hoped it would be an impulse for her to spend some more time in a (new) studio, as she’s only released a couple of EPs and singles to date as a solo artist. And her growing talent deserves more space to flourish, just like we deserve she finally takes us on a full-length-journey. And indeed. “I’m releasing my album really soon,” she says. And that could be the best music news we’ve heard this year yet.

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