Spellbound by Minseo’s “Is Who”

The soloist Minseo has returned with the mini-album named Is Who, with a title track by the same name. The music video for the song was released June 20.

I have to be honest and say that I did not know about this artist until a couple of days ago, but the title song was recommended to me the day it was released, and it really caught my attention. Minseo is an artist with a unique voice and “Is Who” is a very unique and interesting song. Previously, Minseo had a collaboration with Yoon Jongshin titled “Yes,” and the song did quite well. She has had other releases this year, but as previously stated, this one really caught my attention because of its unique style and sound.

The music video opens with Minseo sitting in a room writing on a typewriter. The next clip we see is her walking towards a box in a different room, and you can hear music coming from it. The doors on the box open to reveal a different world. A piano starts playing in an upbeat tempo followed by a violin and an acoustic guitar. The concept seems to be carnival meets circus, and it is clear when you see that the people in the background who are playing the instruments are dressed as clowns and the background dancers are wearing suits with black and white stripes. Minseo’s makeup stands out with glitter on her cheeks, brightly colored eyeshadow, and pink eyebrows in some scenes of the music video. Interesting choreography and the dance scenes are a big part of the music video concept as well.

The sound and style of the music is an interesting mix of country and jazz, and it kind of sounds like an older vintage style song, making it unique with the usage of the instruments, piano and violin being the main instruments. The killing part of the song is the bridge with a change in melody. After listening to other songs by Minseo, I truly feel that “Is Who” suits her voice well (the best maybe?), and the song is refreshing with its unique sound.  

There is no doubt that Minseo is a solo artist to keep an eye out for in the future. If you don’t know who she is, do yourself a favor and check out her songs. They will give you a unique experience.