MISO, the Underground Mystery
Perhaps your first thought when hearing the name MISO as a soloist is the former GIRLSGIRLS member of the same name who has been associated with a sound similar to HyunA in the past. But this particular MISO is somewhat of an enigma in where she came from and when she releases new music. She may be easily overlooked due to the distance of her personality from the audience, something that K-Pop fans have a harder time grappling with, but dive deeper and you will discover a new favorite artist.
Starting from the basics, MISO was born in 1992 in England but moved her base to South Korea, so she communicates fluently in both languages. She first appeared in the public eye in 2016, collaborating with K-R&B behemoth Crush on his mini-album Interlude. She was featured on B-side “Castaway,” where she took on the lead vocal role and performed in English. In 2017 she joined offonoff’s album boy., featuring on “Cigarette” with Epik High’s Tablo. She was also on Rad Museum’s debut album and has worked with 2xxx! as well.
The easiest way to find MISO’s work is through you.will.knovv, an indie label that currently houses MISO, DEAN, and Rad Museum. The label prides itself on releasing particularly relaxing music, with the company’s Instagram stating “Brain-Stimulation Stuff” in their bio. The label’s YouTube is fairly new, with the first released video being from the series Miso’s Home Alone, where she releases videos of herself performing from her home. The first video was taken in late March of this year and addressed the current quarantine situation. MISO opens up in this series in a way she hasn’t in the past.
Currently her most popular release is a single titled “Take Me,” which was released in early 2017 and has currently amassed 22 million views. The song is a classic lo-fi R&B track that has a very calming aura to it. Her angelic voice is a perfect mix with the softer R&B and definitely presents a super calming aura that is distinctly lacking in popular music.
She has also released new music, with her single “Alone” having dropped back in May. It’s easy to see her career growth when comparing the two music videos, as she personally appears in this video when she hasn’t done so in the past. While she’s made music for many years now, 2020 marks the first time she’s emerged out of the shadows to show herself. Her creative style is particularly unique.
With MISO already associated with big names in K-R&B, she has a solid foundation to build her career on moving forward, and her recent decision to open up more about herself personally to her audience will only boost the reach of her music. MISO certainly has a unique style that is particularly refreshing, and we hope to see even more from her in the future.
Be sure to check out MISO on her social media!