10 Korean indie singles to remember 2021

So!YoON! appears in a still for the music video to "Wings" in which she collaborated with Phum Viphurit of Thailand. / Courtesy of So!YoON!

By Daniel J. Springer

While 2021 has not amounted to the turnaround year many expected it to be, amidst the doom and gloom of this relentless pandemic there have surely been some great things going on. The releases from the indie scene in Korea is one very notable positive to take out of 2021, and below is a selection of great tunes released this year that you might have missed.

A couple of quick notes before we begin: This list is obviously nothing comprehensive, as 10 songs is an infinitesimally tiny proportion of the larger landscape, and these are by no means ranked, with one important exception. Not all of these are attached to larger releases, but if they are, we duly note with a bit of a review of the larger works.

So!YoON! with Phum Viphurit: "Wings"

For those that are familiar with these two artists, this one-off collaboration makes an incredible amount of sense.

So!YoON! is the moniker of local indie darling Hwang So-yoon, the lead singer and mastermind behind Se So Neon, winning several honors after releasing a debut EP in 2017. The band has kept at it but So!YoON! has also gone her own way on a much different tack from the band, nowhere more aptly expressed than with this gorgeous duet ballad sung with Thailand's leading indie legend Phum Viphurit, an artist that came of age almost in parallel with Se So Neon on his viral track "Lover Boy."

In the COVID-19 age, finding songs of introspection, philosophical rebirth and endless videos shot alone in apartments and backyards is the order of the day, and nothing breaks from that norm better than this gorgeous song of love and longing (even if it doesn't make sense at all). (@sleeep__sheeep, @phumviphurit)

Parannoul: "Beautiful World"

For those into mystery, this definitely is one. This is presumably the solo bedroom project of a Seoul-based university student moonlighting as a brilliant independent musician, but that's about as far as it goes with the information out there, aside from the two full-length records dropped this year. "Beautiful World" is the opening salvo on "To See The Next Part of the Dream," released in April, with another LP called "Downfall of the Neon Youth" arriving with another massive reverbing klang in late October.

Neon Bunny / Courtesy of Neon Bunny

Neon Bunny: "Bloom"

Indie pop vetern Lim Yoo-jin arrived to the public consciousness in 2012 with her Korean Music Award-winning debut "Seoulight," and her latest LP "KOSMOS" is a dazzling return to form. Almost hidden away towards the album's finality is "Bloom," a multifaceted song that showcases Neon Bunny's vocal skills at their high-pitch best. The song spans multiple genres including garage, never really settling into any one style during its four-plus-minute duration. Glowing, brooding, sultry and dark, this one never settles into being one thing, but it definitely is something. (@beonnunny)

Asian Glow: "One May Be Here"

Asian Glow is one of the many projects of Shin Gyungwon, a prolific rock musician with several bands and on his own. This tune is a mad conglomeration of math rock, emo and hardcore that slams extremely hard. One can only hope that proper live shows return to Korea as soon as possible, as this one is very high on the list of tunes to hear in that environment. (@audinjeee01)

HOA / Courtesy of HOA

HOA: "Hanagae"

Despite being around since 2016, the band only just this year released "Flower," which is definitely not your run-of-the-mill Korean indie record and sounds more like the band takes its cues from influences farther away on the map. "Hanagae" was released as a standalone late this year presumably as a tune left on the album's cutting room floor, and therefore a testament to how strong "Flower" is overall, as this single is a brilliant bit of surf-inspired dream pop balladry. (@band_hoa)

Lisofv / Courtesy of Lisofv

Lisofv: "Offeration"

For those old-school DJs amongst us, one cannot help but think of Japan's DJ Krush and some early Ninja Tune releases with the dark, layered jazz beats that Lisofv puts together. In his latest six-track EP, of which "Offeration" is the opening salvo and titular tune, one sees Lisofv's tunes turning just that much more mature and cinematic versus previous works, feeling as if plucked from the air inside of an abandoned mine shaft. (@lisofv)

Band Nah / Courtesy of Band Nah

Band Nah: "Summer Days"

For those unfamiliar with the minimal rebrand, this is the absolutely prolific band project of Na Sang-hyun's Band, shortened recently to Band Nah. Their fourth album "2021" features the smashing indie rock tune "Summer Days" that is almost as impossibly fun as the video, a very lo-fi journey into the cosmos that might have you putting it on repeat infinitely, but will definitely give you a smile. (@band_nah)

The members of Say Sue Me pose at Gwangalli Beach in Busan in 2020. / Courtesy of Say Sue Me

Say Sue Me: "So Tender"

One of the best indie exports of the past several years has been Busan's Say Sue Me. While this standalone single was their only release of the year, it is a masterfully produced indie-pop ballad that was produced for the TV drama "Nevertheless." The slower stylings of this one along with some of their livestreams only have us looking forward to the band's new album, of which this single is a part, and should be coming soon in 2022, although nothing official has been announced yet. (@saysueme)

Lang Lee: "The Generation of Tribulation"

In one of the best albums of 2021, celebrated vocalist Lee Lang is truly in high form on "There Is A Wolf." After making a name for herself these past nine years with her instantly recognizable vocal register and off-the-beaten-path take on folk music, "The Generation of Tribulation" has a chance to become a signature tune for all the young people of the pandemic generation. An instantly catchy sing-along that will live on far beyond the pandemic. (@langleeschool)

Meaningful Stone / Courtesy of Meaningful Stone

Meaningful Stone: "Dancing in the Rain"

After breaking out in 2020 with the lauded debut LP "A Call from My Dream," the artist put out a very worthy follow-up with the "COBALT" EP. Born from a bout of depression, this complex mini-record is focused solely on the beauties and joys of being young. "Dancing in the Rain" in particular brings the record together conceptually, a rather heavy 1990s-inspired bit of rock that may mark a departure for Meaningful Stone moving forward. (@meaningful_stone)

Daniel J. Springer is the creator, producer and host of the radio show "The Drop with Danno" on GFN in Gwangju, broadcasting nightly from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

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