Photo by Sela Shiloni
One of the oldest clichés in pop music is “Here’s a new artist who’s about to become a household name.” But that’s precisely how I feel about the amazing Korean artist/producer Su Lee.
Her new song “Jump” attempts the near-impossible: having a hit with vocals in English, Spanish and Korean. The single soars thanks to an enchanting melody and Su’s vulnerable, velvety vocals, with impressive help from Colombian artist Ariza.
Lee’s 2021 cover of the late Mac Miller’s “Good News” grabbed me immediately with its quirky charisma. In the video for that song, Su bops and bounces energetically around her tiny bedroom. It’s a shame she never got to duet with Miller, who was a real trailblazer in his short career.
I hope that “Jump” becomes a big hit in Bogotá, Seoul and the entire English-speaking world because Su Lee is wildly talented.
How did you meet Ariza — and why was he the first artist you collaborated with?
We met through the Internet during the peak of the pandemic. It is also kinda crazy that we have yet to meet in person even to this date. I had hit a wall as a producer around the time I started talking with Ariza. There were so many styles of music that I wanted to try making and it was getting frustrating that I couldn’t pull it off on my own – and it felt so natural to branch out into collaborating with such versatile, talented producer as him.
In addition to Ariza, what artists would you like to produce (or collaborate with) in the next year?
I’m going to be quite ambitious in answering this question haha, but it would be my absolute dream-come-true to be able to work with artists like Tyler, the Creator, Grimes, Tinashe, and ZICO. They are artists who often not only write, but also produce their own songs – and I have super mad respect for artists like them 🙂
“Jump”/”Super Happy” could become the world’s first trilingual hits (Korean, Spanish, English). What were you trying to accomplish by including lyrics in three languages?
Haha it would definitely be really amazing if the songs became hits. But frankly speaking, there wasn’t a particularly purposeful reason behind the trilingual lyrics. It simply started from Ariza nonchalantly suggesting it might be fun to individually write the lyrics in our first languages. And here we are with some fun trilingual songs!
Are you traveling more these days, beyond the confines of your tiny writing sanctuary?
Yes! I’ve actually recently decided to do an extended stay in LA after finishing my American tour with Mystery Skulls. I’ve been meeting with more people and seeing new things than I ever have in the last few months. It makes me feel so alive and creatively fueled to be able to work with fellow artists and creatives. I’m having so much fun that I hardly miss my little bedroom studio back home!
Your video cover of Mac Miller’s “Good News” is one of the freshest things I’ve seen in years. How many takes did you have to do to capture the humor and dance moves?
3 takes – max. I just gulped down a cup of coffee and let my booty shake haha.
