INTERVIEW: Sunwoojunga on Her Love for Hugs and Björk, the Need for Black Coffee, and How Music Can Be Like Kimchi
Photos Courtesy of Magic Strawberry Sound
Eclectic, passionate, and always surprising: Sunwoojunga is one of the most captivating voices on the Korean music scene, and The Kraze had the pleasure of chatting with her in a one-on-one interview in Seoul. We discovered how this multi-hyphenate artist had to experience failure to unlock her real potential, which she showcased in a great variety of ways ever since. Now, Sunwoojunga is ready to do so much more–possibly even dancing.
Let's start with five important coordinates for Sunwoojunga’s music: first, the hit song “Run With Me” from the album Serenade (2019) - it’s a powerful ballad that the general public in Korea loves, and foreign K-enthusiasts surely know. Second, the social-media-gone-viral K-Drama OST of summer 2022, the waltz “Beyond My Dreams” from the Extraordinary Attorney Woo drama.
So far, we have highlighted romantic songs hinged on Sunwoojunga’s silvery voice, but there’s much more to her music, and if you go through her discography you can’t miss her rock and constantly experimental soul. So here are coordinates number three and four for you: the single “BUFFALO” (2021) and the song “black coffee (feat. Woo),” from the essential EP Studio X {1. Phase} (2022).
Finally, it would be a sin to overlook the fact that Sunwoojunga is a deft musician and composer, who proved time and time again to be a leading name on the jazz scene. Her more recent venture into the genre is her latest single, the bubbly and totally lovely “Po.Ong (feat. Kim Minseok of Melomance)” (2023) - and that was your final coordinate.
Even just listening to these songs in this very order takes you up and down the musical spectrum, getting all kinds of vibes, and the unexpectedness of the rocky break may even throw you off balance: it’s exactly what happened in Sunwoojunga’s musical journey so far. But the funny thing is, the surprise is actually only ours, as the artist herself has always thought of her musical identity as something perpetually shifting, although she never really lost sight of who she is at the core.
We sat with Sunwoojunga for a lengthy chat in Hongdae, Seoul, last January, covering the highlights of her career and exploring how the creative juices in her music-making process flow. To frame the scene, know this: the first album Sunwoojunga published was Masstige, released in 2006, but the singer deems her start to have happened later, and precisely in the long years between the publication of the first and second record (the latter being It’s Okay, Dear, released in 2013).
Q: What happened in those years?
Sunwoojunga: A BIG fail! [Ed: She laughs heartily] The first album unexpectedly didn’t do very well, so I had to go on a break. But I used that time well, I went to university to study music, I graduated and started preparing for my second album. So I don't really consider my first album as the beginning of my career; rather, the time I spent alone working as an independent musician after that… That was my official start.
Q: As someone who always curated every stage of production, do you now feel more confident?
S: I started as an indie artist, so even if I was a singer-songwriter, I had to take care of everything by myself. But this system gradually grew on me, and it became my whole self. All these years, the ease and confidence in music-making grew bigger in me, but so did the fear. It’s like happiness and sorrow, they’re always together. But it’s also true that the fear and confidence I felt in my younger days are different from those I feel now: they’re present in the same proportions, but qualitatively they have changed.
Q: Tell us your musical “first loves,” what artists inspired you more?
S: There are many musicians in my life, but my first crush was the boyband H.O.T–they were “the BTS” of my time. Then the band Jaurim! As for foreign music, I was hardcore rock in high school, so there was a lot of KoЯn and Limp Bizkit (the latter also because of Seo Taiji). Later, when I was studying music at university, I fell in love with Björk: she inspired me in so many ways, also with her visuals, the music videos… I was heavily influenced by her then, she was crucial in growing my music.
Q: Let’s jump to Serenade, your lengthiest album. It features your most famous song, “Run With Me,” but you never thought it would become so pivotal in your career. How so?
S: In Korea, ballad is a popular genre, it’s so much ingrained in our culture that people often joke saying that “Korea = Ballad.” Still, I didn’t think that my record would blow up like it did. I always [dabbled] in various genres, but the huge success of “Run With Me” and Serenade made me think more about the ballad genre. I started wondering about the relationship between my music and ballads, I reflected on my musical persona.
Q: How does it feel to perform “Run With Me” live?
S: When I’m onstage and I think about “Run With Me” coming up in the setlist I get very nervous, because there’s a lot of expectation, but I’m happy. I’m very thankful for having a hit song that elicits such a reaction from the audience, it’s a different feeling from the ones I receive from the rest of my music. Singing it changes my attitude on stage and the way I perform.
Q: Let’s talk about “BUFFALO.” It marked a decisive break from your previous music, and in hindsight, it anticipates the experimentation in Studio X. How did that song come about?
S: The person I was in high school, that rocker soul, made “BUFFALO.” It’s a song that expresses my true self, my surroundings, all those bits of me that only the people who are really close to me would recognize.
Q: Studio X {1. Phase} is the other “unexpected” music of your career.
S: Yes, that album is my brain. It contains the most “Sunwoojunga-like” music, also from the point of view of the production process. So from now on, every time that songs like those come to life (and there’s already a huge list), I will channel them into the next chapter of the series.
Q: So that’s the meaning of “phase” in the album title!
S: Yes, I named the first batch of songs “phase,” not only because they make up the first chapter of the series, but also because in the album I used a lot of phaser sound effects. The phaser has three characteristics: it’s dry, sharp and twists the sound. All of these aspects can be found in the album narrative. Take for example “black coffee (feat. Woo):” people think that drinking coffee is a moment of peace and rest, but I don’t. To me, coffee means “WORK HARD!” I drink coffee for survival, it’s a sudden rush of energy, like the sound of phasers. I chose {1. Phase} as a title that could encompass all of this.
Q: Your recent song “Love War” is a reflection on a breakup and the volatility of love. But the music video shows you onstage during a performance that goes ballistic. What’s the story behind all that?
S: The video reflects my real self: it’s something that happened to me before. I had to be on stage and perform right after a fight, so I had to concentrate on being on stage, but throughout the whole performance the memories of the fight were playing relentlessly inside of me. I think it happens to a lot of people, that they fight with their partners but then they have to go out and work. Life doesn’t stop, so the video, and the song, depict my real life.
Q: Yet shortly after you gifted us your latest single “Po.Ong” that, on the contrary, is warm and healing like a good embrace!
S: To be honest, I was already working on “Po.Ong” when suddenly I went through the fight that generated “Love War,” one year ago. So I had to work on the latter before being able to circle back to “Po.Ong.” I needed time for the hate to wash away.
Q: And what’s better than a good hug, right?
[Ed: “Po.Ong” stands for the Korean word “포옹” which more specifically means a “bear hug”]
S: I personally really love to hug! Even after fighting with my loved ones, I still hug them. Every hug is a wireless charger that fills you with energy. And with all the terrible things happening at the moment, the world needs hugs. So the whole project, including the promotional campaign on social media, started as something personal and then became… The people.
Q: You often appear in dramas’ OST and you also scored the soundtrack for a movie: is there less freedom of expression when working on music that’s not personal?
S: I wouldn't really say I have less control, it’s just different. When I work on my music, the story within me is very strong. There are even times when I can miss out on the feelings of the melody and sound, because I concentrate more on the story. When I work as a composer, I focus more on the sense of melody and sound that I intend to convey.
Q: How hard is it to let go of your songs when it’s time to publish?
A: There is a bit of fear, because sometimes people read different meanings into them and it makes me angry. But sometimes, it’s ok. In the end, it’s part of the job and I try to embrace it. It’s like having a child: you want them to become independent, but at the same time, if they experience something wild on their own you feel bad.
Q: And what about the reactions? Do you keep track of them?
A: There were times I really wanted to, but I didn’t. Right after the release, I only get a bit of general feedback, but I prefer to wait months, or better a year, before reading comments and stuff. Over time, as people listen more and more to the music, the feedback stacks up and after a year or so, I’m ready. You know, it’s like the time kimchi needs for fermentation: after making it, you wait before savoring it.
Q: What does Sunwoojunga now think of Sunwoojunga back then?
S: Sometimes I think I should have done something different, but mostly I like all my past work. Because, again, it’s like kimchi: I can embrace all my past, after some time. But if I could speak to my younger self now, I’d say: “Please, work out more!” I compose and write but I’m also a performer, so my body is an instrument and if it’s not healthy enough, I can’t feel the vibe when working on the song or expressing it.
Q: Why do you feel the need to transform your image often?
S: It’s necessary to transform as the music changes. Appearance is the cover of the music I produce, and the looks must match. Even if it doesn’t complement the standards of beauty set by this world. I try to express the face and color and the form of the music that I feel I’m producing. For example, on the cover of Serenade, I wanted to look like a singing canary, as if the bird became a person. So it became a dressy look, but I wanted the face to be naked, so that my facial expression and makeup would not be “processed.”
Q: What do you gain from duetting with other artists?
[Ed: Sunwoojunga has collaborated with many artists in her career - IU, Epik High, Colde, and Car, the Garden to name but a few]
S: The good part about collaborating with different artists is that unexpected things always pop up, and they never turned out in a bad way, it’s always been a joy. Also, since there are a lot of genres in me, I always want to try something new. The best thing duets confirmed to me is that the act of making harmony and blending different voices has a very strong and beautiful energy. Being able to make one voice out of two people… It creates something new. Since I’ve been working as a solo artist for a long time, duets made me appreciate this kind of experience.
Q: Then, the dream duet would be with…?
S: Björk! I also love Feist, then Norah Jones (she inspired the album It’s Okay, Dear), Beyoncé, Billie Eilish… There are many.
Q: Other than singing, what else would you like to do?
S: I’d like to also dance on stage, like Beyoncé! I see myself as an instrument, a tool. I feel movement, dancing, is what I need. Sometimes on stage I need to move to express the energy of my music. Until I die, if I have the chance to use my movement, if I have the strength to do it, I want to.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck00gWep8ry/?img_index=0&hl=it
Q: What makes you angry? And what makes you happy?
S: Angry, the things I can’t obtain. Happy, all those that I have and cherish.
<h3>Q: Your ideal day off?
S: Doing nothing on the sofa, like my song “Idle Idle.”
Q: Looking at your career so far, what are you most proud of?
S: It’s a hard one, this question! It’s hard to choose among my own children because I’m proud and happy with everything. But truly, the simple fact that I could release Studio X gives me the strength to move forward. There have been tough times before and after the release, even some mental crises, but I would always remind myself that I’m the person who released that album, and the one who wrote and released “black coffee.” This makes me go on to this day, even if people don’t notice it.
Q. What can we expect of Sunwoojunga in the future?
S: I want to keep on expressing myself in a diverse and rich way. That’s what I hope you’ll be expecting from me.
Thanks to Sunwoojunga and Strawberry Magic Sound for giving us the opportunity for this interview. Rest assured, we’ll be on the lookout for whatever Sunwoojunga is going to show the world!