“I hope people feel a sense of comfort through my songs,” muses Lee Hi. But if comfort could be embodied in a voice, then the South Korean singer-songwriter has already long been ahead of her humble goal. Lee Hi’s most recent musical releases are enough of a tell. With ‘Alley’ and ‘My Beloved’—her first mini two-part drop since the phenomenal album package of 4 Only—she swerves right back into familiar territory of her emotional ballad notes, the kind that reverberates right down to the core of your soul. Tender, intimate and so powerfully passionate, there’s no question that the soloist’s deep voice is in a league of its own, especially when it comes to rousing the senses of her audience.
Yet make no mistake that Lee Hi knows precisely how to rile up a crowd—even if powerful ballads may be her crème de la crème. How so? One only needs to take a deeper dive into her R&B roots to reveal her hidden forte: a scrupulous degree of control over her own voice that gives her the upper hand in knowing when to ride out a groovy wave of blues or let herself go free on the disco dance floor. Just take the playfully upbeat ‘Waterride’, energetic title ‘Red Lipstick’ or retro-inflected ‘Bye’ from 4 Only—all bonafide dance hits once she takes to the stage. We’ve seen evidence of this enough on our very own shores just last year, when the singer crooned and serenaded the crowds during the Asia leg of their AOMG ‘Follow The Movement’ World Tour 2023, or during the Twist to the Night with Tiger Soju Infused Lager Festival back in May.
This time around? Lee Hi is set to hit the Marquee Singapore stage with her infectious sound on 16 March, as part of the nightclub’s Oh-K! Series which was first launched last year. So as we buckle in for a guaranteed good time, Vogue Singapore speaks to the singer-songwriter about her recent releases, how she seeks out inspiration and what her fans can look forward to in the near future.
Congratulations on your recent releases, ‘My Beloved’ and ‘Alley (with Sung Si-kyung)’. As they’re your first releases since 4 Only in 2021, how have you been feeling about the reception around the world?
I feel proud! It may not be a full-length album, but it feels even more gratifying as a surprise gift for the fans.
Tell us more about why you chose to use a continuous narrative for this two-part release. Was there a message you wanted to convey?
I hoped that the immersive nature of the music videos would allow listeners to feel the atmosphere of the songs more deeply. That’s why I decided to create a narrative for these music videos. All in all, I hope people feel a sense of comfort through the music itself.
You’ve been preparing this project for a long time. Did you approach this particular release differently from previous ones?
We initially took our time with it as it seemed fitting to release it in winter. But there were also different challenges that we faced along the way, leading us to reschedule the release date, which is why it took almost a year. One notable difference from previous works is collaborating with two composers I had never worked with before.
Musically, is there a certain genre that you’d like to challenge yourself with or have been experimenting with recently?
I would like to make an album primarily focused on the R&B genre, which I have consistently worked with, rather than explore a genre I haven’t tried before.
As you’re about to perform at Marquee Singapore this month, is there anything special your fans can look forward to for your upcoming appearance?
I plan to perform as usual, but as it’s been a while since my last performance in Singapore. But I have great memories from my first performance here, so I might be even more excited than the fans!
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After travelling the world last year with the rest of your AOMG crew, was there anything new that has inspired you? If not, what would you say has been your source of creative inspiration these days?
Touring with different artists and watching them work with the music equipment they brought was more stimulating and motivating, rather than a source of inspiration. For inspiration these days, I usually get it through travelling around or just spending time alone.
Anything you’re currently working on that fans can anticipate in the near future?
There are many songs that I am still working on. As it has been quite a while since I released a full-length album, it would be nice if I could prepare extensively and come back with a whole new album to enjoy.
Lee Hi will be performing at Marquee Singapore on 16 March. Get your tickets here.
