SOUTH KOREAN ARTIST SOYOON HWANG’S SE SO NEON UNVEILS LATEST TRACK “NEW ROMANTIC”
Genre-defying South Korean band SE SO NEON unveils another dreamy track “New Romantic”. Led by songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Soyoon Hwang (also known for her So!YoON! solo project), the new track glides with airy, shimmering synths and tender vocals, wrapping you in a warm, wistful glow.
“I admit that I have a spectrum of quite diverse aspects, but the one that makes me feel awkward and a little embarrassed is when I have tremendous warmth towards others,” recalls Soyoon. “Even if it’s platonic love, a humanitarian love, or even if my relationships with others is unclear, romantic connections with ‘people’ offers the courage to feel life most keenly and to take significant strides forward, even though they might seem pointless. ‘New Romantic’ is my own romantic way of expressing love to someone. I always hope that my non-superficial way of conveying love will succeed.”
The new track appears on SE SO NEON’s long awaited debut album NOW, which is set for release on August 15. SE SO NEON have crafted their own brand of lo-fi and vintage sound, displaying a wide spectrum of musical influences varying from blues and psychedelic rock to new wave and synth pop. Sung primarily in Korean, their music is rooted both in the present and in nature, making NOWrelatable regardless of any language barrier. “People will feel my energy and my soul,” Soyoon proclaims. Fans can also listen to their previously released album tracks “Twit Winter” and “Remember!” HERE and HERE, respectfully.
After releasing her second solo album, Episode1: Love, in 2023, Soyoon felt anxiety about the band’s next move. She decided she needed a change of scenery, so she traveled to New York City to work on the next phase of SE SO NEON’s music. Being in different surroundings and spending almost 10 hours a day in the studio proved invigorating and it also made her realize that she needed to worry about the future less and live in the present more. “That’s why the album title is NOW,” Soyoon says. “I had been thinking, ‘I’m done. I’m not going to do music anymore.’ But after that New York experience, I felt hope.”
Soyoon’s guitar playing is key to NOW, aiming to defy genres to create a wholly unpredictable, yet utterly natural landscape, much like the ones she marveled at as a child in Korea and as a young adult in Los Angeles. “I love nature—sky, sunshine,” she furthers. “NOW is about nature, because I’m from nature.”
In conjunction with the release of new music, SE SO NEON will take their lauded live show back on the road this fall with a run of headline tour dates. Kicking off on September 3, the NOW North American Tour will stop at iconic venues across the country, including performances at New York’s Brooklyn Steel, Los Angeles’ The Wiltern, DC’s9:30 Club, Chicago’s Metro and many more. Full tour routing can be found below while tickets are available for purchase at sesoneon.com.
SE SO NEON was formed in 2016 by Soyoon. Mirroring their sonic dexterity, the band has seen various iterations with Soyoon remaining the consistent anchor. Winning “Rookie of the Year” and “Best Rock Song of the Year” at the prestigious Korean Music Awards in their debut year, SE SO NEON instantly became a leading figure of South Korea’s indie scene.
In 2020, SE SO NEON released their EP Nonadaptation, which was featured in Pitchfork’s “The 35 Best Rock Albums of 2020” and Paste’s “The 40 Best Rock Albums of 2020.” In addition, the band was also selected as one of Fender’s “Next Artists of 2020.” SE SO NEON was also the only South Korean band to be selected for YouTube Music’s global artist development program, YouTube Music Foundry.
NOW
TRACKLIST
- Twit Winter
- Remember!
- New Romantic
- Now
- Secret Police
- Small Heart
- Eden
- Jayu
- Kidd
- 3Revolution
- Pandq
- O
SE SO NEON LIVE
Wednesday, September 3 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
Friday, September 5 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
Saturday, September 6 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts
Tuesday, September 9 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel
Wednesday, September 10 – Boston, MA – Royale
Friday, September 12 – Montreal, QC – Théâtre Beanfield
Saturday, September 13 – Toronto, ON – The Phoenix Concert Theatre
Monday, September 15 – Chicago, IL – Metro
Tuesday, September 16 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
Friday, September 19 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox
Saturday, September 20 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre
Sunday, September 21 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
Tuesday, September 23 – San Francisco, CA – The Regency Ballroom
Thursday, September 25 – San Diego, CA – The Observatory North Park
Friday, September 26 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory OC
Saturday, September 27 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
Thursday, October 2 – Mexico City, MX – Teatro Metropolitan
Follow SE SO NEON:
Official Site | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube
One thought on “SOUTH KOREAN ARTIST SOYOON HWANG’S SE SO NEON UNVEILS LATEST TRACK “NEW ROMANTIC””
Comments are closed.