EXCLUSIVE: Korean singer SEORI on ‘The Long Night’, TXT collaboration, and being inspired by Avril Lavigne

By Monica Yadav -

August 6, 2021 - 1:37 PM IST

Only a handful of musicians grab attention pretty early on in their careers or even before their debut and one of them is South Korean R&B singer-songwriter Seori. Born Baek So-hyun, the 24-year-old musician is a rising star in the music industry with an international growing fanbase internationally. Her story is pretty interesting - from posting song covers on YouTube to becoming one of the artists to watch out for - her transition has been impressive.

EXCLUSIVE: Korean singer SEORI on ‘The Long Night’, TXT collaboration, and being inspired by Avril Lavigne

With song covers on Khalid’s ‘Talk’, Abir's ‘Tango’, to being acknowledged by DAY6's Jae, Stray Kids' 3RACHA and appearing on BTS' Jungkook's playlist, she has soon become a force to reckon with. Seori made her debut in May 2020 with her album ‘?depacseohw’ and since then, there’s no looking back. This year, she did one of the biggest collaborations with South Korean powerhouse group TOMORROW X TOGETHER on their The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE's lead track ‘0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You).’ The trendy hybrid pop-rock song expresses a boy’s certainty in the love he feels for ‘you,’ who came to him in a world of chaos. The title uses numbers to visually represent that in this world of zero, ‘you’ are my one and only.

In partnership with 88rising, Seori is now carving her own path with her music and art. She is a storyteller and her signature vocals often invoke beautiful emotions. After ‘Running Through The Night’ and ‘Lovers In The Night’, she embarks on a new journey with her third single ‘The Long Night’ with South Korean rapper GiriBoy which is a video essay where she talks about escape, love, and some of her innermost thoughts.

In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Seori reflects on her one-year journey since her debut, her latest single ‘The Long Night’, and what it signifies in her life, her collaboration with TXT, and being acknowledged with some of the biggest artists in the industry.

Congratulations on your great debut with ‘?depacseohw’ last year. More than a year later, when you look back at your debut era, what are some of the thoughts that come to your mind?
Thank you so much for the congratulations. I still cannot believe it’s already been a year since I’ve debuted. It feels like it’s only been several months since I’ve worked on my first album and recording it. But it’s already been a year.
I’m glad that I could show my music for the last year. I am very proud of that.

Your stage name is Seori which means ‘frost’ in Korean. Why was the idea behind picking your name?
I liked the clean and clear, cold image of the word “Seori,” so that’s why I chose my name. I think the image of the name makes you think. And I believe it also goes well with my music.

You have released a new track ‘THE LONG NIGHT’. What was the inspiration behind the title of your single and the meaning behind the song?
‘The Long Night’ is a song about the emptiness after having a great happy day with the one I love. I have collaborated with Giri Boy. I was staring at my bed in my empty room, and suddenly the melody and lyrics came to my mind, so that’s how I got to make this music. When I saw the bed, I felt lonely and empty, so I think I captured it well.

You have an ongoing ‘night’ theme in your songs – ‘RUNNING THROUGH THE NIGHT’, ‘LOVERS IN THE NIGHT’ and now ‘THE LONG NIGHT’. Can you tell what does the ‘night’ signifies in your songs and why has it’s been a source of your artistic expression?
The night gives me various ideas. I think the material goes well with any story and color. ‘Running Through the Night” is about the freedom of the night, and “Lovers in the Night” talks about how the night is colorful, honest, and passionate. But “The Long Night” talks about loneliness, emptiness. These keywords fit well with this song. I think it’s fun to talk about various topics, and the night is one of them.

You recently featured on TOMORROW BY TOGETHER’s title track ‘0X1=LOVESONG (I KNOW I LOVE YOU)’ from their album The Chaos Chapter: FREEZE which was highly appreciated. It was followed by a remix featuring TXT and you, pH-1, and Woodie Gochild. The same pop-rock song in two different settings. How did the collaboration happen?
I was so happy when I got the chance to participate in TXT's ‘0X1=LOVESONG (I KNOW I LOVE YOU)’. The song was amazing, and their vocals were great, and I really wanted to join in the music, so I remember that I worked hard on preparing it. When I heard that the remix album would be released, I was looking forward to how it would be interpreted. I’m thankful that I could be in both songs because I like both versions that give a different feeling.

How was it working with TOMORROW BY TOGETHER?
We didn’t have a lot of time to meet in person, but I was very nervous on the day we recorded. They gave me positive feedback, so I was able to finish the recording well. And also, after that, they gave me good feedback on my vocals, so I felt really good.

Growing up, who were your musical inspirations? How have they influenced you?
Many artists gave me influence during my music career, but if I have to pick one person, it would be Avril Lavigne. Avril Lavigne was the first artist I listened to and fell in love with. I love all her music, and thanks to her, I started to like the rock genre, and I was able to dream of becoming a singer-songwriter. Even yesterday, I listened to 'Losing Grip'.

You are very much involved in songwriting and storytelling through your music. In the past year since your debut and even before that, is there something you’ve learnt about yourself as a musician?
From my late teens when I first started to write songs and up to now, I think my greed for music and the stories I want to talk about has changed a lot. I’m proud of myself that I continued to develop and not falling behind. I also feel the more I learn, I still have a long way to go. As I fell in love with the one thing I do, I had the belief that I should set a positive goal and act positively.

You made your debut at a time world went to a standstill and you are yet to perform in front of an audience. Has it been difficult to be not able to meet your audience yet?
It’s a shame that I couldn’t show my music in person. I hope there would be a day to feel the heat from the people on the stage. Until then, always, I wish everyone would be safe.

So many artists listen to your music. Did you ever get surprised when you found out that someone from the industry had recommended your song to their audience or listened to your music?
A lot of artists listen to my music than I thought. BTS Jungkook, BOL4, Day6 Jae, and Stray Kids. I can’t mention all of them, but I am so thankful and amazed whenever artists give me positive feedback for my work. Whenever I hear these comments, I think I should work harder.

What keeps you motivated? Do you have any goals set for yourself?
I think I whip myself to motivate myself. I think, “Why can’t you do this?” and I get depressed, and I grow—this process repeats. I don’t know why, and some people feel sorry about it, but I think it’s just a way of my own. So I just accepted who I am. My goal is that the artists I love would like my music and to become an artist who is respected to the point where they would think that they would like to work with me. I will make music for a long time until I have the strength. How great would that be!

Do you have a message for your fans in India?
Hello, fans in India and to those who like my music! Thank you so much for always loving and listening to my music. I’d really like to visit you in person and show you my music. A lot of people are going through a hard and painful time due to the Pandemic. I am supporting you from afar and look forward to seeing you soon. I’ll be working hard on my music in the meantime. I’ll make sure to meet you next time and come back with a good performance. Thank you.