A Perfect Pair
Yaeji, the Korean-American producer and singer and South Korean indie rocker Oh Hyuk teamed up for a pair of singles. Oh Hyuk is the lead singer and guitarist for the indie rock band, Hyukoh. The pair released “Year to Year” and “29” with videos for each. “When I was feeling a bit stuck and stagnant with music, Hyuk helped me find the joys of creating again, and this was my first time collaborating with someone so closely on music,” Yaeji said in a statement. In these singles, you can certainly hear Yaeji making a creative shift and exploring a different sound with the help of Oh Hyuk’s rock influences.
Two Standout Singles
“29” is a far cry from your average Yaeji track. She trades in her mellow house beats for chugging guitars, making this song shine. It opens with minimal, hollow-sounding percussion. But as the song builds, it begins to set a dark, dystopian mood. As Yaeji echos “I gotta go, I gotta go, I gotta go,” the song effortlessly shifts into a light, breezy bop.
On “Year to Year”, Yaeji and Oh Hyuk’s vocals blend together harmoniously over lush, stirring instrumentation. The eb and flow of the synths make the song feel light and angelic. Then, like light breaking through the clouds, Oh Hyuk’s reverb heavy guitar adds some dreamy chords as Yaeji’s vocals melt into the swirling synths. This track is the perfect marriage of Yaeji’s house and hip hop style and Oh Hyuk’s indie style.
A Sonic Shift for Yaeji
These two tracks are an interesting shift from her 2020 mixtape, What We Drew, which is full of dance and distorted pop beats. But “29” and “Year to Year” are just as entrancing as her club bangers. Yaeji is just giving us a taste of an intriguing new style, leaving us all hungry for more.
The two singles will be available on a 7″ via XL Recordings on February 11. Click here to preorder the vinyl. Check out the music videos for the two tracks below, directed by DQM and Nam Eunuk. If you’re interested in more new music, check out our Drops piece on KaliUchis.
