HEYOON performing 'seriously unserious' at Grainhaus in Itaewon, Seoul for Universal Music Korea (courtesy of Universal Music Korea)

Jihoon Kang

It’s a Friday night in Itaewon, Seoul’s busiest international nightlife area, and there are lines to enter several venues playing high-energy EDM, hip hop, and pop music. Universal Music Korea took over one of the clubs, Grainhaus, to showcase some of their artists and featured players in the EDM scene. It was 11:30 pm, and the club was packed, but the night was still considered early in Korean standards. The later the artist performs, the better, as more people start showing up past midnight. There were several DJs and artists performing that night, but the main focus was on HEYOON, who was set to take the stage at 2 a.m.

The stunning popstar – and former member of the global group, Now United – had released her new EP, seriously unserious, just a few days before, showcasing another side to the sultry singer, who was best known for her smooth R&B pop sound. seriously unserious is a fun, vibrant electronic dance album with four club-ready tracks, centered on “leaving your brain at home and party.” Having been in the music industry since 2017, HEYOON just wanted to make something fun, without overthinking everything. It’s the whole premise of the album and its title.

“To be ‘seriously unserious’ is to be less in your head and more into your body,” HEYOON says, while relaxing before her set in the green room. “It’s really about living and following your intuition more than your head. I tend to be such an overthinker in life.”

Last year, she began exploring her sound and what kind of music she really wanted to do. She became overwhelmed at times as she tried to think about what others would like. It got to the point where she decided to have fun and make music that felt straightforward and intuitive to her, which led her to techno and electronic music. She had been a guest on an EDM song before, but she couldn’t reveal which artist, as it hadn't been released yet, which made her want to learn more.

“I just had so much fun in the booth doing the guest feature for the artist,” she explains. “I was like, ‘Oh, let me just explore myself and learn how intuitive and how naturally it comes to me. I fully leaned in. It was a happy accident.”

Nothing ever seems like an accident to HEYOON because she has worked tirelessly to become the artist she is today. Sure, she is having the time of her life on stage and performs effortlessly, but it took years of hard work and dedication to get to where she is. Now, she’s being recognized for her artistry and authenticity, which she appreciates wholeheartedly.

“First thing, as a human being, I was so privileged to be able to travel the world,” she shares. The group experience I was in definitely opened up my mind to not putting myself into boxes. Naturally, I’ve been a dancer my whole life, so I need a good base and hard-hitting 808-type music. I was looking for music I could also dance to! At the end of the day, the more personal your art is, the more it will resonate with people around the world. People can feel when you’re authentically being yourself and really having fun. That energy transcends us.”

Before finding international fame with Now United, she was a renowned dance instructor at the legendary 1MILLION Dance Studio in Seoul. After extensive auditions, she was announced as part of the group's final lineup, performing worldwide alongside members from all over the world. She was given opportunities to direct her music videos and compose music, which she says have helped her as an artist to this day. After she left the group in 2023, she signed with Universal Music Korea as a solo artist and collaborated with international artists, including American rappers Armani White and Chris Patrick. Her latest single from the album, “swipe,” features Brazil’s rising female artist Lou Garcia. The song has already made waves across Brazil’s club scenes.

HEYOON was already a fan of Garcia, who is also under the same label, before they collaborated. She just happened to be in Brazil at the time and decided to message Garcia about a possible collaboration. After meeting, they found so many relatable experiences, not just musically, but also spiritually, which worked well for the song.

“I was amazed by how much passion and love she had,” HEYOON recalls. “She taught me about Brazilian culture, especially the club culture with the clacking of the fans. It was Lou’s idea when we were working on the song. She really loved ‘swipe.’ She brought her special energy to the song. I’m really happy.”

In her newly released remix album, seriously unserious (...and then some), out today, HEYOON wanted to amp up the fun with reimagined remixed versions of her songs. She wanted to give her fans a surprise bonus for their love and support.

“We genuinely were listening to it and having fun with it,” HEYOON laughs. “We have a Brazilian DJ and producer, Carlos do Complexo, doing a remix of “aiaiai,” specifically for my Brazilian fans. They’ve been my Day 1.”

She hopes to perform her songs at clubs in Brazil. She calls her fans her “safe space,” and the thing she’s most looking forward to performing for. She does admit that tonight in Itaewon at Grainhaus, it’ll be her first-ever performance at a club. She’s done stadiums, arenas, and concert halls, but never the club scene.

“This is the first time, and it’s a whole different kind of energy and crowd,” she says, anxiously. “I’m really excited for tonight because I’m going to be really close to everyone because [it’s smaller] and you feel every single person’s energy. You’re sharing that feeling. I’m excited, especially for this album, because where else would I do it? I’m going to be turning up and partying with everyone!”

Her remixes also include fast and slowed versions of her songs, which she also did for her first single, “Pivot.” The dynamic alternate versions – “aiaiai (sped up),” “swipe (sped up),” “switchhhhhh (sped up),” and “moneyyyyyyyyyyyyy (slowed)” – are each tailored to different listening moods and environments. When asked if she’d ever do R&B versions of her EDM songs, slow them down vocally, her eyes widened, telling the Universal Korea publicist she wants to try that too.

She has so many ideas in her head of what she wants to do and try in the future. Though she loves EDM, she doesn’t want to be tied down to just one genre. As a child, she grew up listening to all types of music. Her mother, also a musical artist, had her listen to the classics, like ABBA. But for HEYOON, R&B came naturally. She grew up in the late 2000s, listening to pop, R&B, and hip-hop. She was a huge fan of Destiny’s Child (“The true R&B queens.”)

“R&B comes naturally for me in this project, like 'swipe,’” she admits. “If you really listen to it, it’s very R&B. But, because of the beats, we define it as electronic, because it’s easier for all of us to put a label on it. But when it comes to art, you can’t really put it in one thing. I think R&B is the baseline for everything. It’s naturally inside me. But new sounds are coming. This was electronic, but who knows what it will be next?”

Heeyoon often says she doesn’t want to be put in a box because she just wants to be free to perform and sound the way she wants. Whether it's Korean, English, Spanish, or French, she wants to do it all.

“I personally don’t like to define myself and my art,” HEYOON says. “I think it’s something throughout my life that people will always define me and want to put me into different boxes because that’s how we understand each other, right? It’s easier to understand each other. I try not to put that pressure on myself. I just let things flow.”

As HEYOON jumps on stage for her set, she begins rocking out to the music as everyone around her also begins headbanging alongside her. She screams at the crowd, “Let’s pull up!” She begins to play “aiaiai,” without a care in the world. Seriously, unserious.

HEYOON’s seriously unserious (... and then some) is available on all streaming platforms.

Corrections 4/30: Original article restored.