SUMIN, the Latest Trending Lady in K-R&B
It may come as a surprise to some, but SUMIN has been on the K-R&B scene for longer than originally thought, and she’s probably featured by one of your favorite artists. There’s not a lot of information online about her, though that’s probably just how she likes it. If you google her, the first thing that comes up is her Instagram, followed by an extensive list of where to find her music online. Unlike many idols, she’s kept a lot of her personal information under wraps, which is just as intriguing as it is powerful as it allows her music to speak for her. On top of being a stellar vocalist, SUMIN boasts producer and creative director skills and has written for top K-Pop artists like BTS, Red Velvet, and BoA. If it seems that multi-talented ladies, especially producers, aren’t placed in the spotlight enough, look no further than our lovely SUMIN.
She began featuring on tracks as early as 2011, but features became far more prominent after her artistic debut in 2016 with EP Beat, And Go To Sleep. To date she has released six singles and EPs as well as two full-length albums while producing and collaborating for other big artists. She’s still a bit of an enigma in her early years, with the first video on her channel being a cover of Shanice’s track “I Love Your Smile.” For those unfamiliar, “I Love Your Smile” is a famous R&B track from back in 1991 that awarded Shanice a Grammy for “Best Female R&B Vocal Performance,” so SUMIN’s homage to this classic showcases not only her production skills but her love for the genre she tends to gravitate towards most.
Familiar names come to the forefront in her EP Sparkling, where the first track “Brown” features AOMG’s own princess Hoody. SUMIN’s distinct vocal flavor is perfectly complemented by Hoody’s smooth voice, bringing two powerhouse female vocalists together to create a perfectly retro R&B track with an EDM twist. Speaking of Sparkling, the track of the same name is a beautiful mix of traditional R&B, retro funk (heard in the bass line), and modern electronic elements.
SUMIN’s career as a singer began to take off in 2018 when she featured on tracks for well-known artists both in K-Pop and K-Hip-Hop such as Park Kyung, WOODZ, Dok2, Paloalto, and many others. Her feature on Park Kyung’s track showcased the use of her voice in a more retro, jazzy fashion, bringing a different depth to her musical talent. Her first full-length album, a collaboration album with Kirin, came out in 2018 as well, followed by solo full-length album, Your Home, which notably won the “Best R&B/Soul Album” at the 2019 Korean Hip Hop Awards. 2019 saw collaboration work with rapper BewhY and the release of EP OO DA DA, which if you go on her Instagram you will see she’s turned into a special edition vinyl. The album brings a fresh sound to her discography, with a more modern pop and synthetic driven sound. Plus, the music video for the album features Kim Jaewook and no one is complaining.
So far in 2020 she’s released two singles, one being “Dirty Love” featuring famous K-R&B artist Zion.T and 2020, a collaboration with Kirin that features Jay Park on one of the tracks. “Dirty Love” has gotten the most attention by far, likely due to Zion.T’s solid repute and rapport in the industry.
SUMIN is definitely just hitting her stride and only has more great things in store going forward. Though she’s had difficulty gaining attention due to being signed to independent labels, it’s becoming clear that her features with major names in the industry are beginning to pay off and people are starting to focus their attention on her work and many talents.
Looking for even more SUMIN? Check out the links below!