Artist You Need To Know: Yaeji
Yaejiis a self-produced artist based out of Brooklyn, New York, known for mixing hip-hop and house music up with a distinct worldly touch. She's of Korean-American descent and lived in South Korea for several years while growing up.In her video for "Last Breath," Yaeji takes on the role of a Korean beauty vlogger while singing - or chanting, even - along to her song. She goes for an eerie and mechanical effect and succeeds by making you nod your head through her personal uncanny valley. The beat is woozy and pulsating, making an abstract set of instructions sound danceable.
Yaeji has made a name for herself in the independent music scene through a variety of outlets, including DJing and hosting a food-focused series of parties, releasing mixes with the Fader and Boiler Room, and uploading tracks to the popular Soundcloud service. She has shown from an early stage in her career that she's considering all of her options, and willing to show off her skills whenever given the chance.
Her biggest hit to date is the swaggering "Drink I'm Sippin On," accompanied by a video that's already amassed an impressive 2.5 million views. Her visuals are hardly a bubblegum-infused K-Pop scene - rather, they are dark and brooding, exploring city streets while passing by plenty of neon lights and graffiti with her posse.
Yaeji is a promising rising star, empowered with creative control and blessed with a calm and cool demeanor that's sure to carry her to good places. Whether she's singing from beneath a haze of reverb, or rapping cheekily about "open[ing] up on a Monday," she holds your attention. In the absence of glitz and glamour, Yaeji impresses with her ability to mix a diverse plethora of oddball musical sensibilities.