Jeon Somi Channels the 2000s Trance Wave with “CLOSER”

Photo: THEBLACKLABEL

It’s been a long road for Jeon Somi, and it’s a weird experience to have been in this K-Pop space since she was first introduced as the first place winner of Produce 101 and joined I.O.I. Back in 2016, it seemed like it would be almost impossible for the girls of I.O.I to not achieve total fame and success with how big their project group was. She’s found moderate success as a soloist, but there has been some discussion of mismanagement from THEBLACKLABEL in recent years that has left her somewhat falling by the wayside compared to some others. Over the years, her style has clearly changed quite a bit, and she’s taken some time to really settle into what kind of artist she wants to be. It seems that lately, she’s finally found the sound that suits her.

You certainly cannot classify “CLOSER” as a K-Pop song, like in any capacity. This all-English track is banking on the current globalization trend of cranking out western-appealing music. It does make sense in the sense that Somi is Canadian by birth, but she’s not exactly marketed as a global artist like KATSEYE or GIRLSET. “CLOSER” definitely feels like the kind of club banger that would be exceedingly popular in Europe, with heavy trance beats as the main focus of the song. It reminds me a lot of the late ‘90s and early 2000s super popular trance pop music, kind of like Kylie Minogue. She obviously has a very beautiful voice suited for a soloist, which is always a plus. Personally, I’m not really a huge fan of the shallow lyrics. This is often a staple of mainstream pop music, and some people don’t necessarily prefer extremely deep and meaningful songs and just want the EDM banger vibe instead. To me, that sort of mass appeal song really isn’t my preferred type of artistry.

The sort of chic attitude and visuals you’d see from the previously mentioned era are definitely a heavy influence in the music video for “CLOSER.” The sort of deeper artistry not present in the lyrics comes into play in the visual aspects of the video, which does help add a bit of depth to the comeback. The choreography, particularly in the backup dancers, can be a bit eccentric sometimes, but Somi’s sharp movements in the chorus are particularly eye-catching. I do like that the visual effects of the video really elevate the track itself, and I would say it’s the main attraction point of this comeback. 

Check out the music video for “CLOSER” below.

Edited by Bryn Claybourne